2 Samuel 24
Christian Standard Bible
David’s Military Census
24 The Lord’s anger burned against Israel again, and he stirred up David against them to say, “Go, count the people of Israel and Judah.”(A)
2 So the king said to Joab, the commander of his army, “Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba and register the troops so I can know their number.”(B)
3 Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times more than they are(C)—while my lord the king looks on! But why does my lord the king want to do this?”
4 Yet the king’s order prevailed over Joab and the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army left the king’s presence to register the troops of Israel.
5 They crossed the Jordan and camped in Aroer,(D) south of the town in the middle of the valley, and then proceeded toward Gad and Jazer. 6 They went to Gilead and to the land of the Hittites[a] and continued on to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon. 7 They went to the fortress of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites. Afterward, they went to the Negev of Judah at Beer-sheba.
8 When they had gone through the whole land, they returned to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 Joab gave the king the total of the registration of the troops. There were eight hundred thousand valiant armed men[b] from Israel and five hundred thousand men from Judah.(E)
10 David’s conscience troubled him(F) after he had taken a census of the troops. He said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I’ve done. Now, Lord, because I’ve been very foolish,(G) please take away your servant’s guilt.”
David’s Punishment
11 When David got up in the morning, the word of the Lord had come to the prophet Gad,(H) David’s seer:(I) 12 “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am offering you three choices. Choose one of them, and I will do it to you.’”
13 So Gad went to David, told him the choices, and asked him, “Do you want three[c] years of famine to come on your land, to flee from your foes three months while they pursue you, or to have a plague in your land three days? Now, consider carefully[d] what answer I should take back to the one who sent me.”
14 David answered Gad, “I have great anxiety. Please, let us fall into the Lord’s hands because his mercies are great,(J) but don’t let me fall into human hands.”
15 So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and from Dan to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men died. 16 Then the angel extended his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it,(K) but the Lord relented concerning the destruction(L) and said to the angel who was destroying(M) the people, “Enough, withdraw your hand now!” The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah[e] the Jebusite.(N)
17 When David saw the angel striking the people, he said to the Lord, “Look, I am the one who has sinned; I am the one[f] who has done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let your hand be against me and my father’s family.”
David’s Altar
18 Gad came to David that day and said to him, “Go up and set up an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19 David went up in obedience to Gad’s command, just as the Lord had commanded. 20 Araunah looked down and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, so he went out and paid homage to the king with his face to the ground.
21 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”
David replied, “To buy the threshing floor from you in order to build an altar to the Lord, so the plague on the people may be halted.”(O)
22 Araunah said to David, “My lord the king may take whatever he wants[g] and offer it. Here are the oxen for a burnt offering and the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.(P) 23 Your Majesty, Araunah gives everything here to the king.” Then he said to the king, “May the Lord your God accept you.”
24 The king answered Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it from you for a price, for I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for twenty ounces[h] of silver. 25 He built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord was receptive to prayer for the land,(Q) and the plague on Israel ended.
2 Samuel 24
New American Standard Bible
The Census Taken
24 (A)Now (B)the anger of the Lord burned against Israel again, and He incited David against them to say, “(C)Go, count Israel and Judah.” 2 So the king said to Joab the commander of the army, who was with him, “Roam about now through all the tribes of Israel, (D)from Dan to Beersheba, and conduct a census of the people, so that I may know the number of the people.” 3 But Joab said to the king, “(E)May the Lord your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king can still see; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?” 4 Nevertheless, the king’s order prevailed against Joab and against the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army left the presence of the king to conduct a census of the people of Israel. 5 They crossed the Jordan and camped in (F)Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the middle of the Valley of Gad and toward (G)Jazer. 6 Then they came to Gilead and to [a]the land of Tahtim-hodshi, and they came to Dan-jaan and around to (H)Sidon, 7 then they came to the (I)fortress of Tyre and to all the cities of the (J)Hivites and of the Canaanites, and they went out to the south of Judah, to (K)Beersheba. 8 So when they had roamed about through the whole land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 And Joab gave (L)the number of the census of the people to the king: in Israel there were (M)eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
10 Now (N)David’s heart [b]troubled him after he had counted the people. So David said to the Lord, “(O)I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, Lord, please [c]overlook the guilt of Your servant, for (P)I have acted very foolishly.” 11 When David got up in the morning, the word of the Lord came to (Q)Gad the prophet, David’s (R)seer, saying, 12 “Go and speak to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: “I am imposing upon you three choices; choose for yourself one of them, and I will do it to you.”’” 13 So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall (S)seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee for three months before your enemies while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ of plague in your land? Now consider and see what answer I shall return to Him who sent me.” 14 Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the Lord, (T)for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”
Plague Sent
15 So (U)the Lord [d]sent a plague upon Israel from the morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand men of the people (V)from Dan to Beersheba died. 16 (W)When the angel extended his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, (X)the Lord relented of the disaster and said to the angel who destroyed the people, “It is enough! Now drop your hand!” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking down the people, and said, “Behold, (Y)it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done wrong; but (Z)these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and against my father’s house!”
David Builds an Altar
18 So Gad came to David that day and said to him, “(AA)Go up, erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of [e]Araunah the Jebusite.” 19 Then David went up in accordance with the word of Gad, just as the Lord had commanded. 20 And Araunah looked down and saw the king and his servants crossing over toward him; so Araunah went out and bowed his face to the ground before the king. 21 Then Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” And David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to the Lord, (AB)so that the plague may be [f]withdrawn from the people.” 22 Araunah then said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what is good in his sight. Look, here are (AC)the oxen for the burnt offering, the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. 23 Everything, O king, Araunah gives to the king.” And Araunah said to the king, “May the Lord your God be (AD)favorable to you.” 24 However, the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will certainly buy it from you for a price; for (AE)I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God [g]that cost me nothing.” So (AF)David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25 Then David built there an altar to the Lord, and he offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And (AG)the Lord responded to prayer for the land, and the plague was [h]withdrawn from Israel.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 24:6 Another reading is Kadesh in the land of the Hittite
- 2 Samuel 24:10 Lit struck
- 2 Samuel 24:10 Lit allow to pass
- 2 Samuel 24:15 Lit gave
- 2 Samuel 24:18 In 2 Chr 3:1, Ornan
- 2 Samuel 24:21 Or brought to a halt
- 2 Samuel 24:24 Lit gratuitously
- 2 Samuel 24:25 Or brought to a halt
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
