2 Samuel 24
English Standard Version
David's Census
24 (A)(B)Again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, (C)“Go, number Israel and Judah.” 2 So the king said to Joab, the commander of the army,[a] who was with him, “Go through all the tribes of Israel, (D)from Dan to Beersheba, and number the people, 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 still see it, but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?” 4 But the king's word prevailed against Joab and the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the king to number the people of Israel. 5 They crossed the Jordan and began from (F)Aroer,[b] and from the city that is in the middle of the (G)valley, toward Gad and on to (H)Jazer. 6 Then they came to Gilead, and to Kadesh in the land of the Hittites;[c] and they came to Dan, and from Dan[d] they went around to (I)Sidon, 7 and came to the fortress of Tyre and to all the cities of the (J)Hivites and (K)Canaanites; and they went out to the Negeb of Judah at Beersheba. 8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to the king: in Israel there were 800,000 valiant men (L)who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000.
The Lord's Judgment of David's Sin
10 But (M)David's heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the Lord, (N)“I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done (O)very foolishly.” 11 And when David arose in the morning, the word of the Lord came to (P)the prophet Gad, David's (Q)seer, saying, 12 “Go and say to David, ‘Thus says the Lord, Three things I offer[e] you. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.’” 13 So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall (R)three[f] years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days' pestilence in your land? Now consider, and decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me.” 14 Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, (S)for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.”
15 (T)So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning until the appointed time. And there died of the people from (U)Dan to Beersheba 70,000 men. 16 And when (V)the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem (W)to destroy it, (X)the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel (Y)who was working destruction among the people, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” And (Z)the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of (AA)Araunah the Jebusite. 17 Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me and against my father's house.”
David Builds an Altar
18 And Gad came that day to David and said to him, “Go up, raise an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of (AB)Araunah the Jebusite.” 19 So David went up at Gad's word, as the Lord commanded. 20 And when Araunah looked down, he saw the king and his servants coming on toward him. And Araunah went out and paid homage to the king with his face to the ground. 21 And Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to the Lord, that the plague (AC)may be averted from the people.” 22 Then Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Here are the oxen for the burnt offering and the (AD)threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. 23 All this, O king, Araunah gives to the king.” And Araunah said to the king, “May the Lord your God (AE)accept you.” 24 But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels[g] of silver. 25 And David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. (AF)So the Lord responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 24:2 Septuagint to Joab and the commanders of the army
- 2 Samuel 24:5 Septuagint; Hebrew encamped in Aroer
- 2 Samuel 24:6 Septuagint; Hebrew to the land of Tahtim-hodshi
- 2 Samuel 24:6 Septuagint; Hebrew they came to Dan-jaan and
- 2 Samuel 24:12 Or hold over
- 2 Samuel 24:13 Compare 1 Chronicles 21:12, Septuagint; Hebrew seven
- 2 Samuel 24:24 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
Shmuel Bais 24
Orthodox Jewish Bible
24 And again the Af Hashem was kindled against Yisroel, and He incited Dovid against them to say, Go, number Yisroel and Yehudah.
2 For HaMelech said to Yoav Sar HaChayil, who was with him, Go now through kol Shivtei Yisroel, from Dan even to Beer Sheva, and number ye HaAm, that I may know the Mispar HaAm.
3 And Yoav said unto HaMelech, Now Hashem Eloheicha add unto HaAm, how many soever they be, a hundredfold, and that the eyes of adoni HaMelech may see it; but why doth adoni HaMelech delight in this thing?
4 Notwithstanding the devar HaMelech prevailed against Yoav, and against the Sarei HeChayil. And Yoav and the Sarei HaChayil went out from before HaMelech, to number HaAm Yisroel.
5 And they passed over Yarden, encamped in Aroer, on the south of the Ir that lieth in the middle of the ravine of Gad, toward Yazer;
6 Then they came to Gil‘ad, to Eretz Tachtim-Chodshi; they came to Dan-Ya’an, went around to Tzidon,
7 And came to the fortress of Tzor, and to all the cities of the Chivi, and of Kena’ani; and they went out to the Negev of Yehudah, to Beer Sheva.
8 So when they had gone through kol HaAretz, they came to Yerushalayim at the end of 9 months and 20 days.
9 And Yoav gave up the sum of the number of HaAm unto HaMelech; and there were in Yisroel Shmoneh Me’ot Elef ish chayil that drew the cherev; and the Ish Yehudah were chamesh Me’ot Elef ish.
10 And the lev Dovid struck him after that he had numbered HaAm. And Dovid said unto Hashem, Chatati (I have sinned) me’od (greatly) in what I have done; and now, Hashem, take away the avon (iniquity, guilt) of Thy eved; for I have done very foolishly.
11 For when Dovid rose up in the boker, the Devar Hashem came unto Gad HaNavi, the Chozeh Dovid (Seer of Dovid), saying,
12 Go, say unto Dovid, Thus saith Hashem, I offer thee shalosh (three, three things); choose for thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
13 So Gad came to Dovid, and told him, and said unto him, Shall shalosh [see 1Chr 21:12, Hebrew here says sheva] shanim of ra’av (famine) come unto thee in thy land? Or wilt thou flee shloshah chodashim before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? Or that there be shloshet yamim dever (three days of pestilence) in thy land? Now consider, and see what answer I shall return to Him that sent me.
14 And Dovid said unto Gad, I am in a great tzar (distress); let us fall now into the Yad Hashem; for His rachamim are rabbim: and let me not fall into the yad adam.
15 So Hashem sent a dever (pestilence) upon Yisroel from the boker even to the es mo’ed (time appointed); and there died of HaAm from Dan even to Beer Sheva shiv’im elef ish.
16 And when the Malach stretched out his yad upon Yerushalayim to destroy her, Hashem relented from the destruction, and said to the Malach that destroyed HaAm, It is enough; restrain now thine yad. And the Malach Hashem was by the goren of Aravnah the Yevusi.
17 And Dovid spoke unto Hashem when he saw the Malach that struck HaAm, and said, Hineh, I have sinned, and I have transgressed; but these tzon, what have they done? Let Thine yad be against me, and against Bais Avi [Isa 53:6].
18 And Gad came that day to Dovid, and said unto him, Go up, erect a Mizbe’ach unto Hashem in the goren of Aravnah the Yevusi.
19 And Dovid, according to the Devar Gad, went up as Hashem commanded.
20 And Aravnah looked, and saw HaMelech and his avadim coming on toward him; and Aravnah went out, and prostrated himself before HaMelech on his face upon the ground.
21 And Aravnah said, Why is adoni HaMelech come to his eved? And Dovid said, To buy the goren of thee, to build a Mizbe’ach unto Hashem, that the magefah (plague) may be withdrawn from HaAm.
22 And Aravnah said unto Dovid, Let adoni HaMelech take and offer up what seemeth tov unto him; see, here are oxen for the olah (burnt sacrifice), and threshing tools and other instruments of the bakar (oxen) for wood.
23 All these things did Aravnah, hamelech lamelech, give. And Aravnah said unto HaMelech, Hashem Eloheicha yirtzecha (accept thee).
24 And HaMelech said unto Aravnah, Lo (no); but I will surely buy it of thee at a mekhir (price); neither will I offer olot (burnt offerings) unto Hashem Elohai of that which doth cost me nothing. So Dovid bought the goren and the bakar for fifty shekels of kesef.
25 And Dovid built there a Mizbe’ach unto Hashem, and offered olot (burnt offerings) and shelamim (peace offerings). So Hashem was entreated for the land, and the magefah (plague, see Isa 53:8) was withdrawn from Yisroel.
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