Liber I Paralipomenon, 21

1. Consurrexit autem Satan contra Israel et incitavit Da vid, ut numeraret Israel.

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

2. Dixitque David ad Ioab et ad principes populi: “Ite et numerate Israel a Bersabee usque Dan et afferte mihi numerum, ut sciam”.

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. Responditque Ioab: “Augeat Dominus populum suum centuplum quam sunt. Nonne, domine mi rex, omnes servi tui sunt? Quare hoc quaerit dominus meus, quod in peccatum reputetur Israeli?”.

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. Sed sermo regis magis praevaluit; egressusque est Ioab et circuivit universum Israel et reversus est Ierusalem.

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. Deditque David numerum census, et inventus est omnis Israel numerus mille milia et centum milia virorum educentium gladium; de Iuda autem quadringenta septuaginta milia bellatorum;

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. nam Levi et Beniamin non numeravit in medio eorum, eo quod invitus exequeretur regis imperium.

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

7. Displicuit autem Deo, quod iussum erat, et percussit Israel.

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

8. Dixitque David ad Deum: “Peccavi nimis, ut hoc facerem; obsecro, aufer iniquitatem servi tui, quia valde insipienter egi”.

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. Et locutus est Dominus ad Gad videntem David dicens:

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

10. “Vade et loquere ad David et dic: Haec dicit Dominus: Trium tibi optionem do: unum, quod volueris, elige, et faciam tibi”.

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. Cumque venisset Gad ad David, dixit ei: “Haec dicit Dominus: Elige, quod volueris:

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

12. aut tribus annis famem aut tribus mensibus fugere te hostes tuos et gladium eorum non posse evadere aut tribus diebus gladium Domini et pestilentiam versari in terra et angelum Domini interficere in universis finibus Israel. Nunc igitur vide quid respondeam ei, qui misit me”.

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. Et dixit David ad Gad: “Ex omni parte me angustiae premunt, sed melius mihi est, ut incidam in manus Domini, quia multae sunt miserationes eius, quam in manus hominum”.

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. Misit ergo Dominus pestilentiam in Israel, et ceciderunt de Israel septuaginta milia virorum.

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

15. Misit quoque Deus angelum in Ierusalem, ut percuteret eam. Cumque percuteretur, vidit Dominus et misertus est super magnitudinem mali et imperavit angelo, qui percutiebat: “Sufficit, iam cesset manus tua”. Porro angelus Domini stabat iuxta aream Ornan Iebusaei.

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. Levansque David oculos suos vidit angelum Domini stantem inter terram et caelum et evaginatum gladium in manu eius et versum contra Ierusalem; et ceciderunt tam ipse quam maiores natu vestiti ciliciis proni in terram.

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. Dixitque David ad Deum: “Nonne ego sum, qui iussi, ut numeraretur populus? Ego qui peccavi, ego qui malum feci; iste grex quid commeruit? Domine Deus meus, vertatur, obsecro, manus tua in me et in domum patris mei; populus autem tuus non percutiatur”.

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. Angelus autem Domini praecepit Gad dicere David, ut ascenderet exstrueretque altare Domino in area Ornan Iebusaei.

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. Ascendit ergo David iuxta sermonem Gad, quem locutus fuerat ex nomine Domini.

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

20. Porro Ornan, cum conversus vidisset angelum, quattuorque filii eius cum eo absconderunt se; nam eo tempore terebat in area triticum.

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

21. Igitur, cum veniret David ad Ornan, conspexit eum Ornan et processit ei obviam de area et adoravit illum pronus in terram.

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. Dixitque ei David: “Da mihi locum areae tuae, ut aedificem in ea altare Domino, ita ut quantum valet argenti accipias, et cesset plaga a populo”.

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. Dixit autem Ornan ad David: “Tolle, et faciat dominus meus rex, quodcumque ei placet; sed et boves do in holocaustum et tribulas in ligna et triticum in sacrificium; omnia libens praebebo”.

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. Dixitque ei rex David: “Nequaquam ita fiet, sed argentum dabo quantum valet; neque enim tibi auferre debeo et sic offerre Domino holocausta gratuita”.

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. Dedit ergo David Ornan pro loco siclos auri iustissimi ponderis sescentos

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

26. et aedificavit ibi altare Domino obtulitque holocausta et pacifica et invocavit Dominum. Et exaudivit eum in igne de caelo super altare holocausti,

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. praecepitque Dominus angelo, et convertit gladium suum in vaginam.

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

28. In illo ergo tempore David videns quod exaudisset eum Dominus in area Ornan Iebusaei immolavit ibi victimas.

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. Tabernaculum autem Domini, quod fecerat Moyses in deserto, et altare holocaustorum ea tempestate erat in excelso Gabaon;

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. et non praevaluit David ire, ut ibi obsecraret Deum; nimio enim fuerat timore perterritus videns gladium angeli Domini.

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.