Dual Panel1The Lord’s <03068> anger <0639> again <03254> raged <02734> against Israel <03478>, and he incited <05496> David <01732> against them, saying <0559>, “Go <01980> count <04487> Israel <03478> and Judah <03063>.”
2The king <04428> told <0559> Joab <03097>, the general in command <08269> of his army <02428>, “Go through <07751> all <03605> the tribes <07626> of Israel <03478> from Dan <01835> to Beer Sheba <0884> and muster <06485> the army <05971>, so I may know <03045> the <0853> size <04557> of the army <05971>.”
3Joab <03097> replied <0559> to <0413> the king <04428>, “May the Lord <03068> your God <0430> make <03254> the army <05971> a hundred <03967> times <06471> larger <03254> right before <0413> the eyes <05869> of my lord <0113> the king <04428>! But why <04100> does my master <0113> the king <04428> want to do <02654> this <02088>?”
4But the king’s <04428> edict <01697> stood <02388>, despite <0413> the objections of Joab <03097> and the leaders <08269> of the army <02428>. So Joab <03097> and the leaders <08269> of the army <02428> left <03318> the king’s <04428> presence <06440> in order to muster <06485> the Israelite <03478> army <05971>.
5They crossed <05674> the Jordan <03383> and camped <02583> at Aroer <06177>, on the south side <03225> of the city <05892>, at <08432> the wadi <05158> of Gad <01410>, near <0413> Jazer <03270>.
6Then they went <0935> on to Gilead <01568> and to <0413> the region <0776> of Tahtim Hodshi <08483>, coming <0935> to Dan Jaan <01842> and on around <05439> to <0413> Sidon <06721>.
7Then they went <0935> to the fortress <04013> of Tyre <06865> and all <03605> the cities <05892> of the Hivites <02340> and the Canaanites <03669>. Then they went <03318> on to <0413> the Negev <05045> of Judah <03063>, to Beer Sheba <0884>.
8They went through <07751> all <03605> the land <0776> and after <07097> nine <08672> months <02320> and twenty <06242> days <03117> came <0935> back to Jerusalem <03389>.
9Joab <03097> reported <05414> the number <04662> of warriors <05971> to <0413> the king <04428>. In Israel <03478> there were <01961> 800,000 <0505> <03967> <08083> sword-wielding <02719> <08025> warriors <02428> <0376>, and in Judah <03063> there were 500,000 <0505> <03967> <02568> soldiers <0376>.
10David <01732> felt guilty <03820> <05221> after <0310> he had numbered <05608> the army <05971>. David <01732> said <0559> to <0413> the Lord <03068>, “I have sinned <02398> greatly <03966> by doing <06213> this! Now <06258>, O Lord <03068>, please <04994> remove <05674> the guilt <05771> of your servant <05650>, for <03588> I have acted <05528> very <03966> foolishly <05528>.”
11When David <01732> got up <06965> the next morning <01242>, the Lord <03068> had already <01961> spoken <01697> to <0413> Gad <01410> the prophet <05030>, David’s <01732> seer <02374>:
12“Go <01980>, tell <01696> David <01732>, ‘This is what <03541> the Lord <03068> says <0559>: I <0595> am offering <05190> you three <07969> forms of judgment. Pick <0977> one <0259> of them <01992> and I will carry <06213> it out <06213> against <05921> you.’”
13Gad <01410> went <0935> to <0413> David <01732> and told <05046> him, “Shall seven <07651> years <08141> of famine <07458> come <0935> upon your land <0776>? Or <0518> shall you flee <05127> for three <07969> months <02320> from <06440> your enemy <06862> with him <01931> in hot pursuit <07291>? Or <0518> shall there be <01961> three <07969> days <03117> of plague <01698> in your land <0776>? Now <06258> decide <07200> <03045> what <04100> I should tell <07725> the one who sent <07971> me.”
14David <01732> said <0559> to <0413> Gad <01410>, “I am very <03966> upset <06862>! I prefer that we be attacked <05307> by <03027> the Lord <03068>, for <03588> his mercy <07356> is great <07227>; I do not <0408> want to be attacked <05307> by <03027> men <0120>!”
15So the Lord <03068> sent <05414> a plague <01698> through Israel <03478> from the morning <01242> until <05704> the completion <05704> of the appointed <04150> time <06256>. Seventy <07657> thousand <0505> men <0376> died <04191> from <04480> Dan <01835> to <05704> Beer Sheba <0884>.
16When the angel <04397> extended <07971> his hand <03027> to destroy <07843> Jerusalem <03389>, the Lord <03068> relented <05162> from <0413> his judgment <07451>. He told <0559> the angel <04397> who was killing <07843> the people <05971>, “That’s enough <07227>! Stop <07503> now <06258>!” (Now the Lord’s <03068> angel <04397> was <01961> near <05973> the threshing floor <01637> of Araunah <0728> the Jebusite <02983>.)
17When he saw <07200> the angel <04397> who was destroying <05221> the people <05971>, David <01732> said <0559> to <0413> the Lord <03068>, “Look <02009>, it is I <0595> who have sinned <02398> and done <05753> this evil thing <05753>! As for these <0428> sheep <06629>– what <04100> have they done <06213>? Attack <03027> me and my family <01> <01004>.”
18So Gad <01410> went <0935> to <0413> David <01732> that <01931> day <03117> and told <0559> him, “Go up <05927> and build <06965> an altar <04196> for the Lord <03068> on the threshing floor <01637> of Araunah <0728> the Jebusite <02983>.”
19So David <01732> went up <05927> as Gad <01410> instructed <01697> him to do, according <0834> to the Lord’s <03068> instructions <06680>.
20When Araunah <0728> looked <08259> out and saw <07200> the king <04428> and his servants <05650> approaching <05674> him, he <0728> went out <03318> and bowed <07812> to the king <04428> with his face <0639> to the ground <0776>.
21Araunah <0728> said <0559>, “Why <04069> has my lord <0113> the king <04428> come <0935> to <0413> his servant <05650>?” David <01732> replied <0559>, “To buy <07069> from <05973> you the threshing floor <01637> so I can build <01129> an altar <04196> for the Lord <03068>, so that the plague <04046> may be removed <06113> from <05921> the people <05971>.”
22Araunah <0728> told <0559> David <01732>, “My lord <0113> the king <04428> may take <03947> whatever he wishes <05869> <02896> and offer <05927> it. Look <07200>! Here are oxen <01241> for burnt offerings <05930>, and threshing sledges <04173> and harnesses <01241> <03627> for wood <06086>.
23I <0728>, the servant of my lord the king <04428>, give <05414> it all <03605> to the king <04428>!” Araunah <0728> also told <0559> the king <04428>, “May the Lord <03068> your God <0430> show you favor <07521>!”
24But the king <04428> said <0559> to <0413> Araunah <0728>, “No <03808>, I insist on <07069> buying <07069> it from you! I will not <03808> offer <05927> to the Lord <03068> my God <0430> burnt sacrifices <05930> that cost <04242> me nothing <02600>.” So David <01732> bought <07069> the threshing floor <01637> and the oxen <01241> for fifty <02572> pieces <08255> of silver <03701>.
25Then David <01732> built <01129> an altar <04196> for the Lord <03068> there <08033> and offered <05927> burnt sacrifices <05930> and peace offerings <08002>. And the Lord <03068> accepted prayers <06279> for the land <0776>, and the plague <04046> was removed <06113> from <05921> Israel <03478>.