1 And again, Yehvah's anger was burning against Israel, and he incited i David against them to say, “Go, count Israel and Judah.” 2 So, the king said to Joab, the leader of the army who was with him, “Please go among all Israel's tribes from Dan and unto Beersheba and number the people, and I will know the number of the people.” 3 And Joab said to the king, “May Yehvah your Gods add to the people as these and as these a hundred times, and may the eyes of my lord the king see. So, why does my lord the king delight in this thing?” 4 And the word of the king was strong to Joab and upon the leaders of the army. And Joab and the leaders of the army went out before the king to number the people, Israel.
5 And they crossed over the Jordan and camped in Aroer right of the city which was in the midst of the ravine of Gad and toward Jazer. 6 And they came in to the Gilead and to land of Tahtim Hodshi, ii and they came in to Dan Jaan iii and around to Sidon. 7 And they came to a fortress of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivite and the Canaanite, and they went out to southern Judah, Beersheba. 8 And they went about in all the land and came in at the end of nine months and twenty days to Jerusalem. 9 And Joab gave the number of the count of the people to the king. And Israel was eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew a sword, and men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
10 And David's heart struck him after he numbered the people. And David said to Yehvah, “I have sinned greatly, what I did. And now, Yehvah, please cause the iniquity of your servant to pass, for I acted very foolishly.” 11 And David arose in the morning, and Yehvah's word was to Gad the prophet, David's seer, saying, 12 “Go and speak to David, 'Thus Yehvah said, “Three things I lay upon you. Choose for yourself one from them and I will do to you.”'”
13 And Gad came to David and declared to him and said to him, “What should come to you, seven years of famine in your land, or three months of your fleeing before your foes and he pursuing you, or three days of pestilence in your land? Now, know and see, what word shall I bring to him who sent me?” 14 And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please, let me fall in Yehvah's hand (for many are his mercies), and let me not fall into man's hand.” iv
15 So, Yehvah gave a pestilence in Israel from the morning and unto the appointed time. And from the people, from Dan and unto Beersheba, seventy thousand men died. 16 And the messenger sent out his hand to Jerusalem to destroy her, and Yehvah relented concerning the bad. And he said to the messenger, “The destruction in the people is much. Now, withdraw your hand.” And Yehvah's messenger was at the threshing floor of the Ornah v the Jebusite.
17 And David said to Yehvah when he saw the messenger, the one striking among the people, and he said, “Behold, I, I have sinned, and I have committed iniquity. And these sheep, what did they do? Please, let your hand be on me and on my father's house.” 18 And Gad came in to David on that day and said to him, “Go up and raise up to Yehvah an altar at the threshing floor of Aranyah vi the Jebusite. 19 And David went up according to Gad's word just as Yehvah commanded.
20 And Araunah vi looked down vii and saw the king and his servants crossing over to him, and Araunah went out and bowed to the king, his nose toward earth. 21 And Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” And David said, “To buy from you the threshing floor to build an altar to Yehvah, so the slaughter from among the people will be restrained.” 22 And Araunah said to David, “Take, and let my lord the king offer up the good in his eyes. See, the cattle for the burnt offering and the threshing instruments and the equipment of the cattle for the wood. 23 Everything, O king, Araunah has given to the king.” And Araunah said to the king, “May Yehvah your Gods be pleased with you.”
24 And the king said to Araunah, “No, I will surely buy from you for a price, and I will not offer up to Yehvah my Gods burnt offerings for nothing.” So, David bought the threshing floor and the cattle with fifty shekels of silver. 25 And David built there an altar to Yehvah and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings. And Yehvah heeded prayer for the land, and the slaughter from upon Israel was restrained.
Translated by Darwin Fish. See original pdf.
- יָּסֶת (yâset) “incited” - same exact verb as in 1 Chronicles 21:1 where it says “Satan” (NKJV) or an “adversary” (YLT) “incited.” See also footnote for “adversary” (TT) in Numbers 22:22. ^
- תַּחְתִּים חָדְשִׁי (tachtiym châdshiy) "Tahtim Hodshi" - only here. ^
- דָּנָה יַּעַן (dânâh ya`an) “Dan Jaan” - only here. ^
- The seven years of famine and/or fleeing from his foes would involve men and their wickedness, not so much so with three days of pestilence from God. ^
- Written אוֹרְנָה ('ornâh) “Ornah” - only here; read אֲרַוְנָה ('aravnâh) “Araunah” - found (written) in 2 Samuel 24:20-24; אֲרַנְיָה ('aranyâh) “Aranyah” in 2 Samuel 24:18; in 1 Chronicles 21:15f אָרְנָן ('ornân) “Ornan.” ^
- See footnote for verse 16. ^ ^
- יַּשְׁקף (yashqêph) “looked down” NAS; “looked” NKJV – same exact verb in Exodus 14:24 “looked down” NKJV. ^