David enrols the fighting men
1 Again the anger of the Lordburned 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 commanderswith him, ‘Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enrol the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.’
3 But Joab replied to the king, ‘May the Lordyour God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my Lordthe 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 enrol 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 towards Sidon.
7 Then they went towards 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 Lordhad come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer:
12 ‘Go and tell David, “This is what the Lordsays: 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 threeyears 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 Lordsent 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 Lordrelented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, ‘Enough! Withdraw your hand.’ The angel of the Lordwas 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.’
David builds an altar
18 On that day Gad went to David and said to him, ‘Go up and build an altar to the Lordon the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.’
19 So David went up, as the Lordhad commanded through Gad.
20 When Araunah looked and saw the king and his officials coming towards 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 that 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, Araunahgives all this to the king.’ Araunah also said to him, ‘May the Lordyour God accept you.’
24 But the king replied to Araunah, ‘No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lordmy God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.’
So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekelsof silver for them.
25 David built an altar to the Lordthere and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lordanswered his prayer on behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.
Footnotes for the Book of 2 Samuel
a16Helkath Hazzurimmeansfield of daggersorfield of hostilities.
b29See Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
a8Orare hated by David
b9Orthe Millo
c20Baal Perazimmeansthe lord who breaks out.
d25Septuagint (see also 1 Chron. 14:16); HebrewGeba
a11Traditionallyjudges
b16Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscriptsyou
c19Orfor the human race
d23See Septuagint and 1 Chron. 17:21; Hebrewwonders for your land and before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt, from the nations and their gods.
a11Septuagint; Hebrewmy
a11Orstaying at Sukkoth
b21Also known asJerub-Baal(that is, Gideon)
a18The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verse 19.
b34Septuagint; Hebrew does not have this sentence.
a7Some Septuagint manuscripts, Syriac and Josephus; Hebrewforty
b8Some Septuagint manuscripts; Hebrew does not havein Hebron.
c20Septuagint; HebrewMay kindness and faithfulness be with you
a3Two Hebrew manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscriptscare; for now there are ten thousand like us
b11That is, about 115 grams
c12That is, about 12 kilograms
d12A few Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts may be translatedAbsalom, whoever you may be.
e13OrOtherwise, if I had acted treacherously towards him
f23That is, the plain of the Jordan
g33In Hebrew texts this verse (18:33) is numbered 19:1.
a6Orand do us serious injury
b14See Septuagint and Vulgate; HebrewBerites.
c24Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Kings 4:6 and 5:14); HebrewAdoram
d26Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 23:38)Ithrite
a3Orsovereign
b3Hornhere symbolises strength.
c8Hebrew; Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:7)mountains
d11Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Psalm 18:10); most Hebrew manuscriptsappeared
e12Septuagint (see also Psalm 18:11); Hebrewmassed
f25Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:24)to the cleanness of my hands
g30Orcan run through a barricade
h33Dead Sea Scrolls, some Septuagint manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:32); Masoretic Textwho is my strong refuge
i36Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Textshield; / you stoop down to make
j46Some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:45); Masoretic Textthey arm themselves
a2Septuagint (see also verse 4 and 1 Chron. 21:2); HebrewJoab the army commander
b13Septuagint (see also 1 Chron. 21:12); Hebrewseven
c17Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; Masoretic Text does not havethe shepherd.
d23Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscriptsKing Araunah
e24That is, about 575 grams
—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/72/32k/2SA/24-2e8497bb3d713dd8ad351e57e6c3dbce.mp3?version_id=113—