1 Chronicles, 21

1. Satan took his stand against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.

1. Satan stood up against Israel, and incited David to number Israel.

2. David said to Joab and the people's princes, 'Go, and take a census of Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, then bring it back to me and let me know the total.'

2. So David said to Jo'ab and the commanders of the army, "Go, number Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan, and bring me a report, that I may know their number."

3. Joab replied, 'May Yahweh multiply his people to a hundred times what they are today! But my lord king, are they not all my lord's servants in any case? Why should my lord insist on this? Why should he involve Israel in guilt?'

3. But Jo'ab said, "May the LORD add to his people a hundred times as many as they are! Are they not, my lord the king, all of them my lord's servants? Why then should my lord require this? Why should he bring guilt upon Israel?"

4. But the king enforced his order on Joab, and Joab set out, travelled throughout all Israel, and then returned to Jerusalem.

4. But the king's word prevailed against Jo'ab. So Jo'ab departed and went throughout all Israel, and came back to Jerusalem.

5. Joab gave David the census results for the people: all Israel had eleven hundred thousand men who could wield a sword; Judah had four hundred and seventy thousand men who could wield a sword.

5. And Jo'ab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to David. In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and in Judah four hundred and seventy thousand who drew the sword.

6. Joab had found the king's command so distasteful that he did not include Levi and Benjamin.

6. But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, for the king's command was abhorrent to Jo'ab.

7. God looked with displeasure on this and punished Israel in consequence.

7. But God was displeased with this thing, and he smote Israel.

8. David then said to God, 'I have committed a grave sin by doing this. But now I beg you to forgive your servant for this fault, for I have acted very foolishly.'

8. And David said to God, "I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing. But now, I pray thee, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly."

9. Yahweh then spoke to Gad, David's seer,

9. And the LORD spoke to Gad, David's seer, saying,

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

10. "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.'"

11. So Gad went to David and said, 'Yahweh says this,

11. So Gad came to David and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, `Take which you will:

12. "Take your choice between three years of famine; or three months of disaster at the hands of your enemies, with your enemies' sword overtaking you; or three days of Yahweh's sword, an epidemic in the country, while the angel of Yahweh wreaks havoc throughout the territory of Israel."

12. either three years of famine; or three months of devastation by your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you; or else three days of the sword of the LORD, pestilence upon the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.' Now decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me."

13. David said to Gad, 'I am very apprehensive. Better for me to fall into Yahweh's hand, since his mercies are very great, than for me to fall into the hands of human enemies.'

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

14. So Yahweh unleashed an epidemic on Israel, and seventy thousand Israelites succumbed.

14. So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel; and there fell seventy thousand men of Israel.

15. Next, God sent the angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, but as he was about to destroy it, Yahweh looked down and felt sorry about the calamity; and he said to the destroying angel, 'Enough now! Hold your hand!' The angel of Yahweh was standing by the thresh-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

15. And God sent the angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but when he was about to destroy it, the LORD saw, and he repented of the evil; and he said to the destroying angel, "It is enough; now stay your hand." And the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jeb'usite.

16. David, raising his eyes, saw the angel of Yahweh standing between earth and heaven, a drawn sword in his hand stretched out towards Jerusalem. David and the elders then put on sackcloth and fell on their faces,

16. And David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, and in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

17. and David said to God, 'Did I not order the people to be counted? I was the one who sinned and actually committed the wrong. But these, the flock, what have they done? Yahweh my God, let your hand lie heavy on me and on my family; but spare your people from the plague!'

17. And David said to God, "Was it not I who gave command to number the people? It is I who have sinned and done very wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be against me and against my father's house; but let not the plague be upon thy people."

18. The angel of Yahweh then ordered Gad to tell David that David should go up and erect an altar to Yahweh on the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

18. Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David that David should go up and rear an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jeb'usite.

19. So, at Gad's bidding, given in Yahweh's name, David went up.

19. So David went up at Gad's word, which he had spoken in the name of the LORD.

20. Ornan had turned round and seen the angel, and he and his four sons with him had hidden.

20. Now Ornan was threshing wheat; he turned and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves.

21. When David arrived Ornan was threshing wheat. He looked up and saw David and came off the threshing-floor and prostrated himself on the ground at David's feet.

21. As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David and went forth from the threshing floor, and did obeisance to David with his face to the ground.

22. David then said to Ornan, 'Let me have the site of the threshing-floor, so that I can build an altar to Yahweh on it; let me have it at the full price -- so that the plague may be lifted from the people.' Ornan said to David,

22. And David said to Ornan, "Give me the site of the threshing floor that I may build on it an altar to the LORD -- give it to me at its full price -- that the plague may be averted from the people."

23. 'Take it, and let my lord the king do what he thinks fit. Look, I shall give you the oxen for burnt offerings, the threshing-sleds for the wood and the wheat for the oblation. I shall give everything.'

23. Then Ornan said to David, "Take it; and let my lord the king do what seems good to him; see, I give the oxen for burnt offerings, and the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for a cereal offering. I give it all."

24. 'No,' said King David to Ornan, 'I insist on buying it at the full price. I will not offer Yahweh what belongs to you or bring burnt offerings which have cost me nothing.'

24. But King David said to Ornan, "No, but I will buy it for the full price; I will not take for the LORD what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings which cost me nothing."

25. So David gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the site.

25. So David paid Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the site.

26. There David built an altar to Yahweh and brought burnt offerings and peace offerings. He called on Yahweh, and Yahweh answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.

26. And David built there an altar to the LORD and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD, and he answered him with fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering.

27. Then Yahweh ordered the angel to sheathe his sword.

27. Then the LORD commanded the angel; and he put his sword back into its sheath.

28. Whereupon, seeing that Yahweh had answered him on the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, David offered sacrifice there.

28. At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jeb'usite, he made his sacrifices there.

29. The Dwelling which Moses had made in the desert and the altar of burnt offering were at that time on the high place at Gibeon,

29. For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time in the high place at Gibeon;

30. but David could not go there to consult God because he was terrified of the angel's sword.

30. but David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD.