2 Samuel 24

1 Yahweh was angry with the Israeli people again, so he incited David to cause trouble for them. He said to David, “Send [some men] to count the people of Israel and Judah.”

And the wrath of the Lord was againe kindled against Israel, and he moued Dauid against them, in that he saide, Goe, number Israel and Iudah.

2 So the king said to Joab, the commander of his army, “Go [with your officers] through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan [city in the far north] to Beersheba [town in the far south], and count the people, in order that I may know how many people [there are who are able to be soldiers in the army].”

For the King said to Ioab the captaine of the hoste, which was with him, Goe speedily now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan euen to Beer-sheba, and nomber ye the people, that I may knowe the nomber of the people.

3 But Joab replied to the king, “Your Majesty, I wish/desire that Yahweh our God will cause there to be 100 times as many people [in Israel] as there are now, and I wish/desire that you would see that happen [before you die]. But why do you want us to do this?”

And Ioab saide vnto the King, The Lord thy God increase the people an hundreth folde more then they be, and that the eyes of my lorde the King may see it: but why doeth my lord the King desire this thing?

4 But the king commanded Joab and his officers to do it. So they left the king and went out to count the people of Israel.

Notwithstanding the Kings worde preuailed against Ioab and against the captaines of the hoste: therefore Ioab and the captaines of the hoste went out from the presence of the King to nomber the people of Israel.

5 They crossed the Jordan [River] and set up their tents south of Aroer [town], in the middle of the valley, in the territory [that was given to the tribe] of Gad. From there they went [north] to Jazer [city]

And they passed ouer Iorden, and pitched in Aroer at the right side of the citie that is in the middes of the valley of Gad and toward Iazer.

6 Then they went [north] to [the] Gilead [region] and to Kadesh [city], in the land where the Heth people-group lived. Then they went to Dan [city in the far north of Israel], and then further west, to Sidon [city near the Mediterranean Sea].

Then they came to Gilead, and to Tahtim-hodshi, so they came to Dan Iaan, and so about to Zidon,

7 Then they went [south] to Tyre, a city with high walls around it, and to all the cities where the Hiv and Canaan people-groups live. Then they went [east] to Beersheba, in the southern part of Judah.

And came to the fortresse of Tyrus and to all the cities of the Hiuites and of the Canaanites, and went towarde the South of Iudah, euen to Beer-sheba.

8 After nine months and 20 days, when they had finished going throughout the land [and counting the people], they returned to Jerusalem.

So when they had gone about all the lande, they returned to Ierusalem at the ende of nine moneths and twentie dayes.

9 They reported to the king the number of people that they had counted. There were 800,000 men in Israel and 500,000 men in Judah who were able to become soldiers in the army [MTY].

And Ioab deliuered the nomber and summe of the people vnto the King: and there were in Israel eight hundreth thousande strong men that drewe swordes, and the men of Iudah were fiue hundreth thousand men.

10 But after David’s men had counted the people, David regretted [IDM] that he had told them to do that. [One night] he said to Yahweh, “I have committed a very big sin. Please forgive me, because what I have done is very foolish.”

Then Dauids heart smote him, after that he had numbred the people: and Dauid said vnto the Lord, I haue sinned exceedingly in that I haue done: therefore nowe, Lord, I beseech thee, take away the trespasse of thy seruant: for I haue done very foolishly.

11 When David got up the next morning, Yahweh gave a message to the prophet Gad. He said to him,

And when Dauid was vp in the morning, the worde of the Lord came vnto the Prophet Gad Dauids Seer, saying,

12 “Go and tell this to David: ‘I am allowing you to choose one of three things [to punish you]. I will do whichever one you choose.’”

Go, and say vnto Dauid, Thus saith ye Lord, I offer thee three thinges, chuse thee which of them I shall doe vnto thee.

13 So Gad went to David and told him [what Yahweh had said]. He said to David, “You can choose whether there will be three years of famine in your land, or three months of your [army] running away from your enemies, or three days when there will be a (plague/very severe illness) in your land. You think about it and choose [which one you want, and tell me], and I will return to Yahweh and tell him what your answer is.”

So Gad came to Dauid, and shewed him, and said vnto him, Wilt thou that seuen yeeres famine come vpon thee in thy lande, or wilt thou flee three moneths before thine enemies, they following thee, or that there bee three dayes pestilence in thy land? nowe aduise thee, and see, what answere I shall giue to him that sent me.

14 David said to Gad, “All those are very terrible things for me to choose between! But allow Yahweh to punish [MTY] me, because he is very merciful. Do not allow humans to punish me, [because they will not be merciful].”

And Dauid said vnto Gad, I am in a wonderfull strait: let vs fall nowe into the hand of the Lord, (for his mercies are great) and let mee not fall into the hand of man.

15 So Yahweh sent a plague on the Israeli people. It started that morning and did not stop until the time that he had chosen/set. All over the land, from Dan to Beersheba, there were 70,000 Israelis who died [because of the plague].

So the Lord sent a pestilece in Israel, from the morning euen to the time appointed: and there dyed of the people from Dan euen to Beer-sheba seuentie thousand men.

16 When [Yahweh’s] angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy [the people by this plague], Yahweh changed his mind about punishing [any more] people. He said to the angel who was killing them [with the plague], “Stop what you are doing [IDM]! That is enough!” [When he said that, ] the angel was standing at the ground where Araunah, from the Jebus people-group, threshed grain.

And when the Angel stretched out his hande vpon Ierusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented of the euil, and said to the Angel that destroyed the people, It is sufficient, holde nowe thine hand. And the Angel of the Lord was by the threshing place of Araunah the Iebusite.

17 When David saw the angel who was causing the people to become sick and die, he said to Yahweh, “Truly, I am the one who has committed the sin. I have done a very wicked thing, but these people are [as innocent as] sheep [MET]. They have certainly not [RHQ] done anything [that is wrong]. So you should punish [IDM] me and my family, [not these people]!”

And Dauid spake vnto the Lord (when he sawe the Angel that smote the people) and saide, Behold, I haue sinned, yea, I haue done wickedly: but these sheepe, what haue they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against mee and against my fathers house.

18 That day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up to the place where Araunah threshes grain, and build an altar to [worship] Yahweh there.”

So Gad came the same day to Dauid, and said vnto him, Go vp, reare an altar vnto the Lord in the threshing floore of Araunah the Iebusite.

19 So David did what Gad told him to do, which was what Yahweh had commanded, [and he went up there].

And Dauid (according to the saying of Gad) went vp, as the Lord had commanded.

20 When Araunah looked down and saw the king and his officials coming toward him, he prostrated himself on the ground in front of the king, with his face touching the ground.

And Araunah looked, and sawe the King and his seruants comming towarde him, and Araunah went out, and bowed himselfe before the King on his face to the ground,

21 Araunah said, “Your Majesty, why have you come to me?” David replied, “[I have come] to buy this ground where you thresh grain, in order to build an altar to Yahweh [and offer sacrifices on it], in order that he will stop the plague.”

And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the King come to his seruant? Then Dauid answered, To bye the threshing floore of thee for to builde an altar vnto the Lord, that the plague may cease from the people.

22 Araunah replied to David, “Your Majesty, offer to Yahweh whatever you wish/want. Here, take my oxen to use for the offering that will be completely burned on the altar. And here, take their yokes and the boards [that I use] for the threshing, [and use them] for the wood that you will burn.

Then Araunah saide vnto Dauid, Let my lord the King take and offer what seemeth him good in his eyes: beholde the oxen for the burnt offring, and charets, and the instruments of the oxen for wood.

23 I, Araunah, am giving all this to you, the king.” Then he said, “I desire/hope that Yahweh our God will accept your offering.”

(All these things did Araunah as a King giue vnto the King: and Araunah saide vnto the King, The Lord thy God be fauourable vnto thee)

24 But the king said to Araunah, “No, [I will not take these things as a gift.] I will pay you for it. I will not take sacrifices that have cost me nothing, and offer them to Yahweh to be completely burned on the altar.” So he paid 50 pieces of silver to Araunah for the oxen and the ground.

Then the King saide vnto Araunah, Not so, but I will bye it of thee at a price, and will not offer burnt offring vnto ye Lord my God of that which doeth cost me nothing. So Dauid bought the threshing floore, and the oxen for fiftie shekels of siluer.

25 Then David built an altar to Yahweh, and he offered [the oxen] to be completely burned on the altar, and he also offered sacrifices to maintain fellowship with Yahweh. Then, Yahweh answered David’s prayers, and he caused the plague in Israel to end.

And Dauid built there an altar vnto the Lord, and offred burnt offrings and peace offrings, and the Lord was appeased toward ye lande, and the plague ceased from Israel.