Dual Panel1An adversary <07854> opposed <05975> Israel <03478>, inciting <05496> David <01732> to count <04487> how many warriors Israel <03478> had.
2David <01732> told <0559> Joab <03097> and the leaders <08269> of the army <05971>, “Go <01980>, count <05608> the number of warriors <03478> from Beer Sheba <0884> to <05704> Dan <01835>. Then bring <0935> back a report to <0413> me so I may know <03045> how many we have <04557>.”
3Joab <03097> replied <0559>, “May the Lord <03068> make his army <05971> a hundred <03967> times <06471> larger <03254>! My master <0113>, O king <04428>, do not <03808> all <03605> of them serve <05650> my master <0113>? Why <04100> does my master <0113> want <01245> to do this <02063>? Why <04100> bring <01961> judgment <0819> on Israel <03478>?”
4But the king’s <04428> edict <01697> stood, despite Joab’s <03097> objections <02388>. So Joab <03097> left <03318> and traveled <01980> throughout <03605> Israel <03478> before returning <0935> to Jerusalem <03389>.
5Joab <03097> reported <05414> to <0413> David <01732> the number <04662> of warriors <05971>. In all <03605> Israel <03478> there were <01961> 1,100,000 <0505> <03967> <0505> <0505> sword-wielding <02719> <08025> soldiers <0376>; Judah <03063> alone had 470,000 <0505> <07657> <03967> <0702> sword-wielding <02719> <08025> soldiers <0376>.
6Now Joab <03097> did not <03808> number <06485> Levi <03878> and Benjamin <01144>, for the king’s <04428> edict <01697> disgusted <08581> him.
7God <0430> was also offended <05869> <07489> by <05921> it <02088> <01697>, so he attacked <05221> Israel <03478>.
8David <01732> said <0559> to <0413> God <0430>, “I have sinned <02398> greatly <03966> by doing <06213> this <02088>! Now <06258>, please <04994> remove <05674> the guilt <05771> of your servant <05650>, for <03588> I have acted <05528> very <03966> foolishly <05528>.”
9The Lord <03068> told <01696> Gad <01410>, David’s <01732> prophet <02374>,
10“Go <01980>, tell <01696> David <01732>, ‘This is what <03541> the Lord <03068> says <0559>: “I <0589> am offering <05186> you three <07969> forms of judgment from which to choose. Pick <0977> one <0259> of them <02007>.”’”
11Gad <01410> went <0935> to <0413> David <01732> and told <0559> him, “This is what <03541> the Lord <03068> says <0559>: ‘Pick <06901> one of these:
12three <07969> years <08141> of famine <07458>, or <0518> three <07969> months <02320> being chased <05595> by <06440> your enemies <06862> and struck down <05381> by their swords <02719>, or <0518> three <07969> days <03117> being struck down by the Lord <03068>, during which a plague <01698> will invade the land <0776> and the Lord’s <03068> messenger <04397> will destroy <07843> throughout <03605> Israel’s <03478> territory <01366>.’ Now <06258>, decide <07200> what <04100> I should tell <07725> the one who sent <07971> me.”
13David <01732> said <0559> to <0413> Gad <01410>, “I am very <03966> upset <06862>! I prefer to be attacked <05307> by the Lord <03068>, for <03588> his mercy <07356> is very <03966> great <07227>; I do not <0408> want to be attacked <05307> by men <0120>!”
14So the Lord <03068> sent <05414> a plague <01698> through Israel <03478>, and 70,000 <0505> <07657> Israelite <03478> men <0376> died <05307>.
15God <0430> sent <07971> an angel <04397> to ravage <07843> Jerusalem <03389>. As he was doing so, the Lord <03068> watched <07200> and relented <05162> from <05921> his judgment <07451>. He told <0559> the angel <04397> who was destroying <07843>, “That’s enough <07227>! Stop <07503> now <06258>!” Now the Lord’s <03068> angel <04397> was standing <05975> near <05973> the threshing floor <01637> of Ornan <0771> the Jebusite <02983>.
16David <01732> looked up <05375> and saw <07200> the Lord’s <03068> messenger <04397> standing <05975> between <0996> the earth <0776> and <0996> sky <08064> with his sword <02719> drawn <08025> and in his hand <03027>, stretched out <05186> over <05921> Jerusalem <03389>. David <01732> and the leaders <02205>, covered <03680> with sackcloth <08242>, threw <05307> themselves down <05307> with their faces <06440> to <05921> the ground.
17David <01732> said <0559> to <0413> God <0430>, “Was I <0589> not <03808> the one who decided <0559> to number <04487> the army <05971>? I <0589> am the one <01931> who <0834> sinned <02398> and committed <07489> <07489> this awful deed <07489> <07489>! As for these <0428> sheep <06629>– what <04100> have they done <06213>? O Lord <03068> my God <0430>, attack <03027> me and my family <01> <01004>, but <03808> remove the plague <04046> from your people <05971>!”
18So the Lord’s <03068> messenger <04397> told <0559> Gad <01410> to <0413> instruct <0559> David <01732> to go up <05927> and build <06965> an altar <04196> for the Lord <03068> on the threshing floor <01637> of Ornan <0771> the Jebusite <02983>.
19So David <01732> went up <05927> as Gad <01410> instructed <01696> him to do in the name <08034> of the Lord <03068>.
20While Ornan <0771> was threshing <01758> wheat <02406>, he turned <07725> and saw <07200> the messenger <04397>, and he <0771> and <05973> his four <0702> sons <01121> hid <02244> themselves.
21When David <01732> came <0935> to <05704> Ornan <0771>, Ornan <0771> looked <05027> and saw <07200> David <01732>; he came out <03318> from <04480> the threshing floor <01637> and bowed <07812> to David <01732> with his face <0639> to the ground <0776>.
22David <01732> said <0559> to <0413> Ornan <0771>, “Sell <05414> me the threshing floor <01637> so I can build <01129> on it an altar <04196> for the Lord <03068>– I’ll pay <05414> top price <04392> <03701>– so that the plague <04046> may be removed <06113> from <05921> the people <05971>.”
23Ornan <0771> told <0559> David <01732>, “You can have <03947> it! My master <0113>, the king <04428>, may do <06213> what <05869> <02896> he wants <05869> <02896>. Look <07200>, I am giving <05414> you the oxen <01241> for burnt sacrifices <05930>, the threshing sledges <04173> for wood <06086>, and the wheat <02406> for an offering <04503>. I give <05414> it all <03605> to you.”
24King <04428> David <01732> replied <0559> to Ornan <0771>, “No <03808>, I insist on buying <07069> <07069> it for top <04392> price <03701>. I will not <03808> offer <05375> to the Lord <03068> what <0834> belongs to you or offer <05927> a burnt sacrifice <05930> that cost <02600> me nothing <02600>.
25So David <01732> bought <05414> the place <04725> from Ornan <0771> for 600 <03967> <08337> pieces <08255> of gold <02091>.
26David <01732> built <01129> there <08033> an altar <04196> to the Lord <03068> and offered <05927> burnt sacrifices <05930> and peace offerings <08002>. He called <07121> out to <0413> the Lord <03068>, and the Lord responded <06030> by sending fire <0784> from <04480> the sky <08064> and consuming the burnt sacrifice <05930> on <05921> the altar <04196>.
27The Lord <03068> ordered <0559> the messenger <04397> to put his sword <02719> back <07725> into its sheath <05084>.
28At that <01931> time <06256>, when David <01732> saw <07200> that <03588> the Lord <03068> responded <06030> to him at the threshing floor <01637> of Ornan <0771> the Jebusite <02983>, he sacrificed <02076> there <08033>.
29Now the Lord’s <03068> tabernacle <04908> (which <0834> Moses <04872> had made <06213> in the wilderness <04057>) and the altar <04196> for burnt sacrifices <05930> were at that <01931> time <06256> at the worship center <01116> in Gibeon <01391>.
30But David <01732> could <03201> not <03808> go <01980> before <06440> it to seek <01875> God’s <0430> will, for <03588> he was afraid <01204> of <06440> the sword <02719> of the Lord’s <03068> messenger <04397>.