Liber II Samuelis, 24

1. Et addidit furor Domini ira sci contra Israel; commovit que David contra eos dicens: “Vade, numera Israel et Iudam”.

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

2. Dixitque rex ad Ioab et ad principes exercitus sui, qui erant cum eo: “Perambula omnes tribus Israel a Dan usque Bersabee, et numerate populum, ut sciam numerum eius”.

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. Dixitque Ioab regi: “Adaugeat Dominus Deus tuus ad populum, quantus nunc est, centuplum in conspectu domini mei regis! Sed quid sibi dominus meus rex vult in re huiuscemodi?”.

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. Praevaluit autem sermo regis contra Ioab et principes exercitus; egressusque est Ioab et principes militum a facie regis, ut numerarent populum 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. Cumque pertransissent Iordanem, inceperunt ab Aroer et ab urbe, quae est in media valle, transeuntes ad Gaditas et ad Iazer.

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. Et pervenerunt in Galaad et in terram Hetthaeorum in Cades et venerunt in Dan. Et a Dan converterunt se ad Sidonem

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. et pervenerunt ad arcem Tyri et omnes urbes Hevaei et Chananaei exieruntque ad Nageb Iudae in Bersabee.

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. Et, lustrata universa terra, affuerunt post novem menses et viginti dies in Ierusalem.

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

9. Dedit ergo Ioab numerum descriptionis populi regi; et inventa sunt de Israel octingenta milia virorum fortium, qui educerent gladium, et de Iuda quingenta milia pugnatorum.

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. Percussit autem cor David eum, postquam numeratus est populus, et dixit David ad Dominum: “Peccavi valde in hoc facto; nunc vero precor, Domine, ut transferas iniquitatem servi tui, quia stulte egi nimis”.

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. Surrexit itaque David mane, et sermo Domini factus est ad Gad propheten, videntem David, dicens:

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

12. “Vade et loquere ad David: Haec dicit Dominus: Trium tibi datur optio; elige unum, quod volueris ex his, ut faciam tibi”.

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. Cumque venisset Gad ad David, nuntiavit ei dicens: “Aut tribus annis veniet tibi fames in terra tua, aut tribus mensibus fugies adversarios tuos, et illi te persequentur, aut certe tribus diebus erit pestilentia in terra tua. Nunc ergo delibera et vide quem respondeam ei, qui me misit, sermonem”.

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. Dixit autem David ad Gad: “Artor nimis; sed melius est, ut incidamus in manu Domini — multae enim misericordiae eius sunt — quam in manu hominum!”.

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. Et elegit sibi David pestilentiam; et erant dies messis tritici. Immisitque Dominus pestilentiam in Israel de mane usque ad tempus constitutum, et mortui sunt ex populo a Dan usque Bersabee septuaginta milia virorum.

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. Cumque extendisset manum suam angelus super Ierusalem, ut disperderet eam, misertus est Dominus super afflictione et ait angelo percutienti populum: “Sufficit; nunc contine manum tuam!”. Erat autem angelus Domini iuxta aream Areuna Iebusaei.

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. Dixitque David ad Dominum, cum vidisset angelum caedentem populum: “Ego sum qui peccavi, ego inique egi; isti, qui oves sunt, quid fecerunt? Vertatur, obsecro, manus tua contra me et contra domum patris mei”.

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. Venit autem Gad ad David in die illa et dixit ei: “Ascende, constitue Domino altare in area Areuna Iebusaei”.

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. Et ascendit David iuxta sermonem Gad, quem praeceperat ei Dominus.

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

20. Conspiciensque Areuna animadvertit regem et servos eius transire ad se

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. et egressus adoravit regem prono vultu in terra et ait: “Quid causae est, ut veniat dominus meus rex ad servum suum?”. Cui David ait: “Ut emam a te aream et aedificem altare Domino, et cesset interfectio, quae grassatur in populo”.

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. Et ait Areuna ad David: “Accipiat et offerat dominus meus rex, sicut ei placet. Ecce boves in holocaustum et plaustrum et iuga boum in usum lignorum.

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. Omnia dat Areuna, o rex, regi”. Dixitque Areuna ad regem: “Dominus Deus tuus suscipiat votum tuum!”.

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. Cui respondens rex ait: “Nequaquam; sed emam pretio a te et non offeram Domino Deo meo holocausta gratuita”. Emit ergo David aream et boves argenti siclis quinquaginta.

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. Et aedificavit ibi David altare Domino et obtulit holocausta et pacifica. Et repropitiatus est Dominus terrae, et cohibita est plaga ab 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.