2 Samuel

2 Samuel 24 ©

1 David forceth Joab to number the people. 5 The captains after nine months and twenty days deliver in the number to the king. 10 David repenteth, and, being obliged to choose one plague out of three named to him, fixeth on three days' pestilence. 15 After the death of seventy thousand in Israel, at David's humble suit the angel is stayed from destroying Jerusalem. 18 By God's direction David purchaseth Araunah's threshingfloor; and having sacrificed there, the plague ceaseth.

1

AND again the anger of the LORD was kindled aagainst Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

2

For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, 1Go now bthrough all the tribes of Israel, from cDan even to Beer-sheba, and number ye the people, dthat I may know the number of the people.

3

And Joab said unto the king, eNow the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it : but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?

4

Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host fwent out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.

5

¶And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in gAroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the 2river of Gad, and toward hJazer:

6

Then they came to iGilead, and to the 3land of Tahtim-hodshi; and they came to jDan-jaan, and about to kZidon,

7

And came to the strong hold of lTyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the msouth of Judah, even to Beer-sheba.

8

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

9

And nJoab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

10

¶And David's heart osmote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, pI have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

11

For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet qGad, David's seer, saying,

12

rGo and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, sthat I may do it unto thee.

13

So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, tShall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

14

And David said unto Gad, uI am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are 4great: and let me not fall into the hand of vman.

15

¶So the LORD sent a wpestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men.

16

And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, xthe LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that ydestroyed the people, It is enough: *stay now thine hand. And zthe angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of 5Araunah the Jebusite.

17

And David spake aunto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, bLo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but cthese sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.

18

¶And Gad came dthat day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of 6Araunah the Jebusite.

19

And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up eas the LORD commanded.

20

And fAraunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and gbowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.

21

And Araunah said, hWherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, iTo buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that jthe plague may be stayed from the people.

22

And Araunah said unto David, kLet my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and lthreshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood.

23

All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, mThe LORD thy God accept thee.

24

And the king said unto Araunah, nNay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for ofifty shekels of silver.

25

And David pbuilt there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was qintreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.