1 Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, "Go and take a census of Israel and Judah."2 So the king said to Joab and the army commanders "with him, "Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are."3 But Joab replied to the king, "May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?"4 The king's word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel.5 After crossing the Jordan, they camped near Aroer, south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer.6 They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon.7 Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba in the Negev of Judah.8 After they had gone through the entire land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.9 Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand.10 David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, LORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing."11 Before David got up the next morning, the word of the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David's seer:12 "Go and tell David, 'This is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.'"13 So Gad went to David and said to him, "Shall there come on you three "years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me."14 David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands."15 So the LORD sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.16 When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, "Enough! Withdraw your hand." The angel of the LORD was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.17 When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the LORD, "I have sinned; I, the shepherd, "have done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall on me and my family."18 On that day Gad went to David and said to him, "Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite."19 So David went up, as the LORD had commanded through Gad.20 When Araunah looked and saw the king and his officials coming toward him, he went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.21 Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" "To buy your threshing floor," David answered, "so I can build an altar to the LORD, that the plague on the people may be stopped."22 Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take whatever he wishes and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.23 Your Majesty, Araunah "gives all this to the king." Araunah also said to him, "May the LORD your God accept you."24 But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels "of silver for them.25 David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the LORD answered his prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.

1 Et addidit furor Domini irasci contra Isral, commovitque David in eis dicentem : Vade, numera Isral et Judam. 2 Dixitque rex ad Joab principem exercitus sui : Perambula omnes tribus Isral a Dan usque Bersabee, et numerate populum, ut sciam numerum ejus. 3 Dixitque Joab regi : Adaugeat Dominus Deus tuus ad populum tuum, quantus nunc est, iterumque centuplicet in conspectu domini mei regis : sed quid sibi dominus meus rex vult in re hujuscemodi ? 4 Obtinuit autem sermo regis verba Joab et principum exercitus : egressusque est Joab et princeps militum a facie regis, ut numerarent populum Isral. 5 Cumque pertransissent Jordanem, venerunt in Aror ad dexteram urbis, qu est in valle Gad : 6 et per Jazer transierunt in Galaad, et in terram inferiorem Hodsi, et venerunt in Dan silvestria. Circumeuntesque juxta Sidonem, 7 transierunt prope mnia Tyri, et omnem terram Hevi et Chanani, veneruntque ad meridiem Juda in Bersabee : 8 et lustrata universa terra, affuerunt post novem menses et viginti dies in Jerusalem. 9 Dedit ergo Joab numerum descriptionis populi regi, et inventa sunt de Isral octingenta millia virorum fortium qui educerent gladium, et de Juda quingenta millia pugnatorum.10 Percussit autem cor David eum, postquam numeratus est populus : et dixit David ad Dominum : Peccavi valde in hoc facto : sed precor, Domine, ut transferas iniquitatem servi tui, quia stulte egi nimis. 11 Surrexit itaque David mane, et sermo Domini factus est ad Gad prophetam et videntem David, dicens : 12 Vade, et loquere ad David : Hc dicit Dominus : Trium tibi datur optio : elige unum quod volueris ex his, ut faciam tibi. 13 Cumque venisset Gad ad David, nuntiavit ei, dicens : Aut septem annis veniet tibi fames in terra tua : aut tribus mensibus fugies adversarios tuos, et ille te persequentur : aut certe tribus diebus erit pestilentia in terra tua. Nunc ergo delibera, et vide quem respondeam ei qui me misit sermonem. 14 Dixit autem David ad Gad : Coarctor nimis : sed melius est ut incidam in manus Domini (mult enim misericordi ejus sunt) quam in manus hominum.15 Immisitque Dominus pestilentiam in Isral, de mane usque ad tempus constitutum, et mortui sunt ex populo a Dan usque ad Bersabee septuaginta millia virorum. 16 Cumque extendisset manum suam angelus Domini super Jerusalem ut disperderet eam, misertus est Dominus super afflictione, et ait angelo percutienti populum : Sufficit : nunc contine manum tuam. Erat autem angelus Domini juxta aream Areuna Jebusi. 17 Dixitque David ad Dominum cum vidisset angelum cdentem 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.18 Venit autem Gad ad David in die illa, et dixit ei : Ascende, et constitue altare Domino in area Areuna Jebusi. 19 Et ascendit David juxta sermonem Gad, quem prceperat ei Dominus. 20 Conspiciensque Areuna, animadvertit regem et servos ejus transire ad se : 21 et egressus adoravit regem prono vultu in terram, et ait : Quid caus est ut veniat dominus meus rex ad servum suum ? Cui David ait : Ut emam a te aream, et dificem altare Domino, et cesset interfectio qu grassatur in populo. 22 Et ait Areuna ad David : Accipiat, et offerat dominus meus rex sicut placet ei : habes boves in holocaustum, et plaustrum, et juga boum in usum lignorum. 23 Omnia dedit Areuna rex regi : dixitque Areuna ad regem : Dominus Deus tuus suscipiat votum tuum. 24 Cui respondens rex, ait : Nequaquam ut vis, sed emam pretio a te, et non offeram Domino Deo meo holocausta gratuita. Emit ergo David aream, et boves, argenti siclis quinquaginta : 25 et dificavit ibi David altare Domino, et obtulit holocausta et pacifica : et propitiatus est Dominus terr, et cohibita est plaga ab Isral.