1 ¶ And Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to number Israel.

Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.

2 A nd David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.

So David said to Joab and the leaders of the people, “Go and number Israel from Beersheba to Dan. Then let me know how many people there are.”

3 A nd Joab answered, The LORD make his people a hundred times as many more as they are; but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s slaves? Why then does my lord require this thing? Why will he be a cause of guiltiness unto Israel?

Joab said, “May the Lord add to His people a hundred times as many as they are! But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord want this thing done? Why should he bring guilt upon Israel?”

4 N evertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore, Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came to Jerusalem.

But the king’s word was stronger than Joab. So Joab left and went through all of Israel, and returned to Jerusalem.

5 A nd Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And they found in all Israel eleven times one hundred thousand men that drew sword, and of Judah four hundred seventy thousand men that drew sword.

He gave the number of all the people to David. There were 1, 100, 000 men in all Israel who used the sword. And there were 470, 000 men in Judah who used the sword.

6 A mong these the Levites and the sons of Benjamin were not counted, for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.

But Joab did not number Levi and Benjamin among them because he did not like what the king had told him to do.

7 ¶ And God was also displeased with this word; therefore, he smote Israel.

God was not pleased that Israel was numbered so He punished Israel.

8 A nd David said unto God, I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing; but now, I beseech thee, take away the iniquity of thy slave, for I have done very foolishly.

David said to God, “I have sinned very much by doing this thing. But now I beg You, take away the sin of Your servant for I have done a very foolish thing.”

9 A nd the LORD spoke unto Gad, David’s seer, saying,

The Lord said to Gad, David’s man of God,

10 G o and tell David, saying, Thus hath the LORD said, I offer thee three things: choose one of them that I will do unto thee.

“Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says. “I give you three things to choose from. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.”’”

11 S o Gad came to David and said unto him, Thus hath the LORD said, Choose thee,

So Gad came to David and said, “This is what the Lord says. ‘Choose one of these.

12 e ither three years’ famine or three months to be destroyed before thy foes while the sword of thine enemies overtakes thee or else three days of the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.

Three years of no food in the land; three months to be destroyed by the sword of those who hate you; or three days of the sword of the Lord. This would be a disease sent upon the land. The angel of the Lord would destroy with disease through all the land of Israel.’ Now decide what answer I should give Him Who sent me.”

13 T hen David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait; let me fall now into the hand of the LORD, for very great are his mercies, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.

David said to Gad, “I am in much trouble. Let me fall into the hand of the Lord. For His loving-kindness is very great. But do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

14 S o the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel; and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.

So the Lord sent a disease upon Israel. And 70, 000 men of Israel died.

15 A nd God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it; and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented of that evil and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thy hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan, the Jebusite.

God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as he was about to destroy it, the Lord saw the trouble and was sorry. He said to the destroying angel, “It is enough. Now take your hand away.” The angel of the Lord was standing by the grain-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

16 A nd David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the heaven and the earth, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

Then David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven. The angel had his sword in his hand, held out over Jerusalem. Then David and the leaders fell on their faces. They were dressed in cloth made from hair.

17 A nd David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? Even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for 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 not on thy people, that they should be plagued.

David said to God, “Was it not I who said that the people must be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done a very bad thing. But what have these sheep done? O Lord my God, I beg You, let Your hand be against me and my father’s house. But do not let the trouble be upon Your people.”

18 ¶ Then the angel of the LORD told Gad to tell David that David should go up and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

Then the angel of the Lord told Gad to say to David, “Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the grain-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.”

19 A nd David went up according to the word of Gad, which he had spoken unto him in the name of the LORD.

So David went up when he heard what Gad said in the name of the Lord.

20 A nd Ornan turned back and saw the angel, and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.

Now Ornan was beating the grain. He turned and saw the angel. And his four sons hid themselves.

21 A nd as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David and went out of the threshingfloor and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.

Ornan looked and saw David coming. So he went out from the grain-floor and put his face to the ground showing respect to David.

22 T hen David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD; thou shalt grant it to me for the full price, that the plague may be stayed from the people.

David said to him, “Give me this part of the grain-floor, that I may build an altar on it to the Lord. Give it to me for the full price. Then the disease will be turned away from the people.”

23 A nd Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes; I even give thee the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing instruments for wood and the wheat for the present; I give it all.

Ornan said to David, “Take it. Let my lord the king do what is good in his eyes. See, I will give the bulls for burnt gifts. I will give the objects made of wood used for beating grain for the fire-wood. And I will give the grain for the grain gift. I will give it all.”

24 A nd King David said to Ornan, No, but I will truly buy it for the full price, for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.

But King David said to Ornan, “No, I will buy it for the full price. I will not take what is yours for the Lord. And I will not give a burnt gift for which I do not pay.”

25 S o David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.

So David gave Ornan 600 pieces of gold by weight for the place.

26 A nd David built there an altar unto the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings and called upon the LORD, and he answered him from the heavens by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.

Then David built an altar there to the Lord. He gave burnt gifts and peace gifts, and he called to the Lord. The Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt gifts.

27 A nd when the LORD spoke to the angel, he put up his sword again into its sheath.

Then the Lord told the angel to return his sword to its holder.

28 A t that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan, the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.

When David saw that the Lord had answered him on the grain-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he gave his gifts there.

29 F or the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering were at that season in the high place at Gibeon,

The meeting tent which Moses had made in the desert was in the high place at Gibeon then. The altar of burnt gifts was there also.

30 b ut David could not go before it to enquire of God, for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

But David could not go in front of it to pray to God. For he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord.