歷代志上 21
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
大衛統計人口
21 撒旦為了攻擊以色列，就挑動大衛統計以色列人的數目。 2 大衛對約押和其他軍中的首領說：「你們要走遍以色列，從別示巴一直到但，統計以色列的人口，然後回來稟告我，我好知道他們的數目。」 3 約押說：「願耶和華使祂子民的人數比現在增加百倍。但我主我王啊，他們不都是你的僕人嗎？我主為什麼要這樣做，使以色列人陷於罪中呢？」 4 但大衛不聽約押的規勸。約押只好出去，走遍以色列，然後回到耶路撒冷， 5 將人數呈報大衛：全以色列有一百一十萬刀兵，猶大有四十七萬。 6 約押沒有把利未人和便雅憫人算在其中，因為他厭惡王的這個命令。 7 上帝也不喜悅這事，便降災給以色列人。 8 大衛對上帝說：「我做這事犯了大罪。求你赦免僕人的罪，我做了極其愚昧的事。」 9 耶和華對大衛的先見迦得說： 10 「你去告訴大衛，我有三樣災禍，他可以選擇讓我降哪一樣給他。」
11 迦得就來見大衛，把耶和華的話告訴他，說：「你可以任選一樣， 12 或三年的饑荒，或被敵人追殺三個月，或國中遭三天的瘟疫，讓耶和華的天使在以色列全境施行毀滅。請你考慮好後告訴我，我好回覆那差我來的。」 13 大衛說：「我實在為難！不過我寧願落在耶和華的手中，也不願落在人的手中，因為耶和華有無限的憐憫。」
14 於是，耶和華在以色列降下瘟疫，有七萬人死亡。 15 上帝差遣天使去毀滅耶路撒冷。天使正要毀滅的時候，耶和華見了就心生憐憫，對施行毀滅的天使說：「夠了，住手吧！」當時，耶和華的天使正站在耶布斯人阿珥楠的麥場上。 16 大衛舉目看見耶和華的天使站在天地之間，手握著已出鞘的刀，指向耶路撒冷。大衛和眾長老都身披麻衣，臉伏於地。 17 大衛對上帝說：「吩咐統計人民數目的不是我嗎？是我犯了罪，做了惡事，這些百姓有什麼過錯呢？我的上帝耶和華啊，願你的手懲罰我和我的家族，不要把瘟疫降在你的子民身上。」
18 耶和華的天使吩咐迦得去告訴大衛在耶布斯人阿珥楠的麥場上為耶和華建一座祭壇。 19 大衛照耶和華藉迦得所說的話去了麥場。 20 那時，阿珥楠正在打麥子，他轉身看見了天使，跟他在一起的四個兒子都躲了起來。 21 阿珥楠看見大衛來了，就從麥場出來，俯伏叩拜大衛。 22 大衛對他說：「請你將這塊麥場賣給我，我要在這裡為耶和華築一座祭壇，好止住民間的瘟疫。你全價賣給我吧。」 23 阿珥楠說：「我主我王只管用我的麥場！我願獻出牛作燔祭，打麥的器具作柴，麥子作素祭，我願獻出這一切。」
24 大衛王說：「不可，我一定要付你全價，我不能拿你的東西獻給耶和華，不能把白白得來的獻作燔祭。」 25 於是，大衛就用七公斤金子買了阿珥楠的麥場。 26 大衛在那裡為耶和華建了一座壇，獻上燔祭和平安祭，並求告耶和華。耶和華垂聽了他的禱告，從天上降火在祭壇上， 27 又命令天使收刀入鞘。
28 大衛見耶和華在耶布斯人阿珥楠的麥場上應允了他的禱告，就在那裡獻祭。 29 那時候，摩西在曠野為耶和華所造的聖幕和燔祭壇都在基遍的高地。 30 但大衛因為懼怕耶和華天使的刀，不敢去那裡求問上帝。
1 Chronicles 21
The Voice
21 After our King David had consolidated his power in Israel, conquering his surrounding enemies, an adversary[a] stood against Israel, and incited David to conduct a census in the nation to determine the strength of his army before going to war.
In the parallel passage of 2 Samuel 24, David receives three options for punishment concerning his disobedience. He knows the Eternal is far more merciful than human beings, so he elects three days of divine pestilence. Sadly thousands of Israelites die because of David’s arrogance in wanting to know just how powerful his kingdom has become. But the chronicler does something the writer of Samuel does not: he explains how this incident determines where David will plan to build the temple (22:1). The threshing floor of Ornan is the perfect spot for it since this is where God stops the hand of the heavenly messenger from destroying Jerusalem.
David (to Joab and Israel’s tribal leaders): 2 Count the number of people in Israel from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north and report that number to me.
Joab: 3 May the Eternal add immeasurably to His followers! But, my lord the king, aren’t every one of those people your subjects? Why does my lord seek this? Why would you do something that could cause your Israelites guilt?
4 In spite of Joab’s objections, David’s census occurred. Joab obeyed his king, traveled throughout Israel, and returned to Jerusalem. 5 He then reported the number of all the people to David: 1,100,000 swordsmen were in Israel and 470,000 were in Judah. 6 But Joab rebelled against David’s command and did not count Levi and Benjamin because he was against the census.
7 As Joab anticipated, God was displeased with the census and He struck Israel. 8 The king then prayed to God.
David: I know that I have sinned greatly by requiring a census. Please remove the sin of Your servant, who has acted so very foolishly.
9 The Eternal spoke to Gad, David’s seer.
Eternal One: 10 Give David My message: “I am offering you a choice of three punishments. Make your selection, and I will do that to you.”
So Gad paid the king a visit.
Gad (to David): 11 The Eternal One says, “Choose your punishment: 12 three years of famine, three months of pursuit by your enemies, or three days of the Eternal’s sword—plague and destruction by His messenger.” So, what answer should I tell Him?
David: 13 This choice greatly distresses me. Tell Him I would rather fall before the Eternal, whose mercies are very great, than fall before men.
14 So the Eternal did as He promised and sent a violent plague to Israel; 70,000 men of Israel died. 15 God also sent a heavenly messenger to destroy Jerusalem; but as the messenger was poised to ruin it, the Eternal saw the damage caused by the plague and grieved over the calamity. He told the messenger, “The pestilence is enough punishment; stand down.” The Eternal’s messenger stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite when the True God stopped him.
16 When David looked up and saw the Eternal’s messenger standing between earth and heaven with his sword stretched out over Jerusalem, David and the elders mourned. They dressed in sackcloth and prostrated themselves.
David (calling out to God): 17 Wasn’t I the one who commanded the census? I, the shepherd, certainly have sinned and done evil; but what have the rest of the nation, Your sheep, done? Eternal One, my True God, please punish only me and my father’s household, not all of Your people.
Messenger (commanding Gad): 18 Tell David to build an altar to the Eternal on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19 David obeyed the instruction of the divine messenger.
20 When Ornan saw the messenger, his four sons who were with him hid among the wheat. But Ornan continued threshing. 21 As David approached, Ornan glimpsed the king, left his chores, and prostrated himself before David.
David: 22 Sell me this threshing floor so I may build on it an altar to the Eternal. I will pay you the full price so the plague against the people may end.
Ornan: 23 Take it; it’s yours to do with as you please. I will donate the oxen for burnt offerings, the threshing tools for wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give it all to you, my king.
David: 24 No, I must buy it for the full price. I will not give your possessions to the Eternal as if they were my own, nor will I give a burnt offering which costs me nothing. I must sacrifice something for this offering.
25 So David paid Ornan 15 pounds of gold by weight for the property. 26 There David built an altar to the Eternal, sacrificed burnt offerings, and gave peace offerings. David requested His presence, and He accepted the altar and sacrifices by sending fire from heaven onto the altar of burnt offering. 27 Then the Eternal commanded the divine messenger to sheath his sword. 28 When David saw how the Eternal had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite by coming to the altar as fire and by stopping the plagues and the destruction of Jerusalem, David offered a sacrifice there instead of at Gibeon. 29 (The congregation tent of the Eternal, which Moses had built in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were in the high place at Gibeon at that time.) 30 But David could not go to Gibeon to commune with God because he still feared that the Eternal’s messenger would slay him.
Footnotes
- 21:1 Literally, Satan.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.