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2 Samuel, 24

1. Again, Yahweh's anger was aroused against Israel, and he incited David against them. 'Go,' he said, 'take a census of Israel and Judah.'

1. Again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, "Go, number Israel and Judah."

2. The king said to Joab and the senior army officers who were with him, 'Now, go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba, and take a census of the people; I wish to know the size of the population.'

2. So the king said to Jo'ab and the commanders of the army, who were with him, "Go through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba, and number the people, that I may know the number of the people."

3. Joab said to the king, 'May Yahweh your God multiply the people a hundred times -- however many there are -- while my lord the king still has eyes to see it, but why should my lord the king be set on this?'

3. But Jo'ab said to the king, "May the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see it; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?"

4. The king nonetheless enforced his order on Joab and the senior officers, and Joab and the senior officers left the king's presence, to take a census of the people of Israel.

4. But the king's word prevailed against Jo'ab and the commanders of the army. So Jo'ab and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the king to number the people of Israel.

5. They crossed the Jordan and made a start with Aroer and the town in the middle of the valley, then moved on to the Gadites and to Jazer.

5. They crossed the Jordan, and began from Aro'er, and from the city that is in the middle of the valley, toward Gad and on to Jazer.

6. They then went to Gilead and the territory of the Hittites, to Kadesh; they then went to Dan and from Dan cut across to Sidon.

6. Then they came to Gilead, and to Kadesh in the land of the Hittites; and they came to Dan, and from Dan they went around to Sidon,

7. They then went to the fortress of Tyre and to all the towns of the Hittites and Canaanites ending up in the Negeb of Judah at Beersheba.

7. and came to the fortress of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites; and they went out to the Negeb of Judah at Beer-sheba.

8. Having travelled throughout the country, after nine months and twenty days they returned to Jerusalem.

8. So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

9. Joab gave the king the census results for the people; Israel had eight hundred thousand fighting men who could wield a sword, and Judah five hundred thousand.

9. And Jo'ab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to the king: in Israel there were eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand.

10. But afterwards David's heart misgave him for having taken a census of the people. David then said to Yahweh, 'I have committed a grave sin by doing this. But now, Yahweh, I beg you to forgive your servant for this fault, for I have acted very foolishly.'

10. But David's heart smote him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O LORD, I pray thee, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly."

11. When, however, David got up next morning, the following message had come from Yahweh to the prophet Gad, David's seer,

11. And when David arose in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,

12. 'Go and say to David, "Yahweh says this: I offer you three things; choose which one of them I am to inflict on you." '

12. "Go and say to David, `Thus says the LORD, Three things I offer you; choose one of them, that I may do it to you."

13. So Gad went to David and said, 'Which do you prefer: to have three years of famine befall your country; to flee for three months before a pursuing army; or to have three days of epidemic in your country? Now think, and decide how I am to answer him who sends me.'

13. So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, "Shall three years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days' pestilence in your land? Now consider, and decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me."

14. David said to Gad, 'I am very apprehensive . . . Better to fall into Yahweh's hands, since his mercies are great, than to fall into the hands of men!'

14. Then David said to Gad, "I am in great distress; let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man."

15. So David chose the epidemic. It was the time of the wheat harvest. So Yahweh unleashed an epidemic on Israel from that morning until the time determined; plague ravaged the people and, of the people from Dan to Beersheba, seventy thousand died.

15. So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning until the appointed time; and there died of the people from Dan to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men.

16. But when the angel stretched his hand towards Jerusalem to destroy it, Yahweh felt sorry about the calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, 'Enough now! Hold your hand!' The angel of Yahweh was standing by the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

16. And when the angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented of the evil, and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, "It is enough; now stay your hand." And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Arau'nah the Jeb'usite.

17. When David saw the angel who was ravaging the people, he said to Yahweh, 'I was the one who sinned. I was the one who acted wrongly. But these, the flock, what have they done? Let your hand lie heavy on me and on my family!'

17. Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was smiting the people, and said, "Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me and against my father's house."

18. Gad went to David that day and said, 'Go up and raise an altar to Yahweh on the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.'

18. And Gad came that day to David, and said to him, "Go up, rear an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Arau'nah the Jeb'usite."

19. So, at Gad's bidding, David went up, as Yahweh had ordered.

19. So David went up at Gad's word, as the LORD commanded.

20. When Araunah looked up and saw the king and his retinue advancing towards him-Araunah was threshing the wheat -- Araunah came forward and prostrated himself on the ground at the king's feet.

20. And when Arau'nah looked down, he saw the king and his servants coming on toward him; and Arau'nah went forth, and did obeisance to the king with his face to the ground.

21. 'Why has my lord the king come to his servant?' Araunah asked. David replied, 'To buy the threshing-floor from you, to build an altar to Yahweh, so that the plague may be lifted from the people.'

21. And Arau'nah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" David said, "To buy the threshing floor of you, in order to build an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be averted from the people."

22. Araunah said to David, 'Let my lord the king take it and make what offerings he thinks fit. Here are the oxen for the burnt offering, the threshing-sleds and the oxen's yokes for the wood.

22. Then Arau'nah said to David, "Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him; here are the oxen for the burnt offering, and the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood.

23. My lord the king's servant will give the king everything. And', Araunah said to the king, 'may Yahweh your God accept what you offer!'

23. All this, O king, Arau'nah gives to the king." And Arau'nah said to the king, "The LORD your God accept you."

24. 'No,' said the king to Araunah, 'I shall give you a price for it; I will not offer Yahweh my God burnt offerings which have cost me nothing.' David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

24. But the king said to Arau'nah, "No, but I will buy it of you for a price; I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

25. David built an altar to Yahweh and offered burnt offerings and communion sacrifices. Yahweh then took pity on the country and the plague was lifted from Israel.

25. And David built there an altar to the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD heeded supplications for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel.



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Footnotes:

24:1-4 - God's anger leads David to take a census of Israel, demonstrating his trust in numbers rather than in God. This reminds us of the importance of depending on the Lord in all decisions, rather than relying on human strength (see also Psalm 20:7 and Proverbs 3:5-6).

24:5-9 - The census reveals the extent of David's people, but it also provokes God's judgment. This situation illustrates the consequences of pride and the need for humility before God (see also James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5).

24:10-15 - David confesses his sin after receiving God's punishment, demonstrating the importance of repentance. Humility and acknowledging wrongdoing are crucial to restoring a relationship with God (see also Psalm 51:17 and 1 John 1:9).

24:16-17 - David's vision of the angel of death is a reminder of divine justice. He intercedes for the people, reflecting the leader's role as defender and intercessor (see also Ezekiel 22:30 and James 5:16).

24:18-25 - The construction of the altar at Araunah emphasizes the importance of sacrifice and worship. Araunah's donation is an example of generosity, but David insists on paying, showing that true sacrifice must cost something. This teaches us the importance of giving with a willing heart (see also Romans 12:1 and 2 Corinthians 9:7).

Verses related to 2 Samuel, 24:

2 Samuel chapter 24 narrates David's census and its consequences. How does pride lead to divine judgment? This final text describes David's counting of the people, God's punishment, and the construction of an altar in Araunah. The chapter covers topics such as repentance, divine mercy, and the cost of true sacrifice. 2 Samuel 24 concludes the book by demonstrating both human frailty and God's grace. Consider with us five biblical passages that elucidate the profound lessons of this concluding chapter.

1 Chronicles 21:1-30: "Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel." - This passage provides a parallel account of David's census and its aftermath, as described in 2 Samuel 24.

Exodus 30:12: "When you take a census of the children of Israel, each one of them will give the ransom of his life to the Lord when you count them; so that there will be no plague among them when you count them." - This verse explains why David's census in 2 Samuel 24 was considered sinful.

1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." - This verse reflects David's repentance and divine forgiveness seen in 2 Samuel 24:10-17.

Romans 12:1: "Therefore I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to offer yourselves a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God; This is your rational worship." - This verse echoes the theme of sacrifice seen in David's offering in 2 Samuel 24:24-25.

Genesis 22:2: "Then God said, 'Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I will show you.'" - This passage relates to the site of David's sacrifice in 2 Samuel 24:18-25, which is traditionally identified as Mount Moriah.

FAQ:

What happened during the census carried out by David?

David took a census of Israel, which was considered a sin, and it resulted in a plague that killed many Israelites. (2 Samuel 24:1-17)

How did David react when he saw the plague in Israel?

David deeply repented and asked God to spare the people, offering sacrifices as a form of repentance. (2 Samuel 24:17-25)

What was the price of the land where David built an altar to God?

David bought a plot of land from Araunah the Jebusite for 50 shekels of silver to build an altar, stopping the plague. (2 Samuel 24:18-25)

How did David's sacrifice contribute to the cessation of the plague?

David's sacrifice on the altar caused God to hear his prayer and stop the plague that was ravaging Israel. (2 Samuel 24:25)

What do the census and the plague reveal about David's relationship with God?

The census and the plague demonstrate that David, despite being a man after God’s own heart, was still susceptible to sin, but he sought repentance. (2 Samuel 24:10-17)


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