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2 Samuel 24
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
2 Samuel 24
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
David’s Census of Israel and Judah
24 Again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”[a] 2 So the king said to Jo′ab and the commanders of the army,[b] who were with him, “Go through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba, and number the people, that I may know the number of the people.” 3 But Jo′ab said to the king, “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 Jo′ab and the commanders of the army. So Jo′ab 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 Aro′er,[c] and from the city that is in the middle of the valley, toward Gad and on to Jazer. 6 Then they came to Gilead, and to Kadesh in the land of the Hittites;[d] and they came to Dan, and from Dan[e] they went around to Sidon, 7 and came to the fortress of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites; and they went out to the Negeb of Judah at Beer-sheba. 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 Jo′ab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to the king: in Israel there were eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand.
Judgment on David’s Sin
10 But David’s heart smote him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, I pray thee, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.” 11 And when David arose in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, 12 “Go and say to David, ‘Thus says the Lord, Three things I offer[f] 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 three[g] 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, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.”
15 So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning until the appointed time; and there died of the people from Dan to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men. 16 And when the angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented of the evil, and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Arau′nah the Jeb′usite. 17 Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was smiting the people, and said, “Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me and against my father’s house.”
David’s Altar on the Threshing Floor
18 And Gad came that day to David, and said to him, “Go up, rear an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Arau′nah the Jeb′usite.” 19 So David went up at Gad’s word, as the Lord commanded. 20 And when Arau′nah looked down, he saw the king and his servants coming on toward him; and Arau′nah went forth, and did obeisance to the king with his face to the ground. 21 And Arau′nah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David said, “To buy the threshing floor of you, in order to build an altar to the Lord, that the plague may be averted from the people.” 22 Then Arau′nah 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 threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. 23 All this, O king, Arau′nah gives to the king.” And Arau′nah said to the king, “The Lord your God accept you.” 24 But the king said to Arau′nah, “No, but I will buy it of you for a price; I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25 And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord heeded supplications for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel.
Footnotes
- 24.1 God is here said to command the census, presumably on the general grounds of ascribing the king’s policies to him, but in verse 10 David says he has sinned thereby, and in 1 Chron 21.1 the census is ascribed to Satan as an infringement of God’s prerogatives.
- 2 Samuel 24:2 1 Chron 21.2 Gk: Heb to Joab the commander of the army
- 2 Samuel 24:5 Gk: Heb encamped in Aroer
- 2 Samuel 24:6 Gk: Heb to the land of Tahtim-hodshi
- 2 Samuel 24:6 Cn Compare Gk: Heb they came to Dan-jaan and
- 2 Samuel 24:12 Or hold over
- 2 Samuel 24:13 1 Chron 21.12 Gk: Heb seven
2 Samuel 24
New International Version
2 Samuel 24
New International Version
David Enrolls the Fighting Men(A)
24 Again(B) the anger of the Lord burned against Israel,(C) and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of(D) Israel and Judah.”
2 So the king said to Joab(E) and the army commanders[a] with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba(F) and enroll(G) the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.”
3 But Joab(H) replied to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over,(I) 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,(J) south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer.(K) 6 They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon.(L) 7 Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre(M) and all the towns of the Hivites(N) and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba(O) in the Negev(P) 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.(Q)
10 David was conscience-stricken(R) after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, “I have sinned(S) 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.(T)”
11 Before David got up the next morning, the word of the Lord had come to Gad(U) the prophet, David’s seer:(V) 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[b] years of famine(W) in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague(X) 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(Y) 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.(Z) 16 When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relented(AA) concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the Lord(AB) 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,[c] have done wrong. These are but sheep.(AC) What have they done?(AD) Let your hand fall on me and my family.”(AE)
David Builds an Altar(AF)
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(AG) 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.”(AH)
22 Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever he wishes and offer it up. Here are oxen(AI) for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. 23 Your Majesty, Araunah[d] gives(AJ) 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.”(AK)
So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels[e](AL) of silver for them. 25 David built an altar(AM) to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered his prayer(AN) in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 24:2 Septuagint (see also verse 4 and 1 Chron. 21:2); Hebrew Joab the army commander
- 2 Samuel 24:13 Septuagint (see also 1 Chron. 21:12); Hebrew seven
- 2 Samuel 24:17 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; Masoretic Text does not have the shepherd.
- 2 Samuel 24:23 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts King Araunah
- 2 Samuel 24:24 That is, about 1 1/4 pounds or about 575 grams
2 Samuel 24
Biblia del Jubileo
2 Samuel 24
Biblia del Jubileo
24 ¶ Y volvió el furor del SEÑOR a encenderse contra Israel, e incitó a David contra ellos a que dijera: Ve, cuenta a Israel y a Judá.
2 Y dijo el rey a Joab, general del ejército que tenía consigo: Rodea todas las tribus de Israel, desde Dan hasta Beerseba, y contad el pueblo, para que yo sepa el número del pueblo.
3 Y Joab respondió al rey: Añada El SEÑOR tu Dios al pueblo cien veces tanto como son, y que lo vea mi señor el rey; mas ¿para qué quiere esto mi señor el rey?
4 Pero la palabra del rey pudo más que Joab, y que los capitanes del ejército. Salió, pues, Joab, con los capitanes del ejército, de delante del rey, para ir a contar el pueblo de Israel.
5 Y pasando el Jordán acamparon en Aroer, a la mano derecha de la ciudad que está en medio del arroyo de Gad y junto a Jazer.
6 Después vinieron a Galaad, y a la tierra baja de Hodsi; y de allí vinieron a Danjaán y alrededor de Sidón.
7 Y vinieron luego a la fortaleza de Tiro, y a todas las ciudades de los heveos y de los cananeos; y salieron al mediodía de Judá, a Beerseba.
8 Y después que hubieron andado toda la tierra, volvieron a Jerusalén al cabo de nueve meses y veinte días.
9 Y Joab dio la cuenta del número del pueblo al rey; y fueron los de Israel ochocientos mil hombres valientes que sacaban espada; y de los de Judá quinientos mil hombres.
10 ¶ Y después que David hubo contado el pueblo, le hirió su corazón; y dijo David al SEÑOR: Yo he pecado gravemente por haber hecho esto; mas ahora, oh SEÑOR, te ruego que traspases la iniquidad de tu esclavo, porque yo he obrado muy locamente.
11 Y por la mañana, cuando David se hubo levantado, vino palabra del SEÑOR a Gad profeta, vidente de David, diciendo:
12 Ve, y di a David: Así dijo el SEÑOR: Tres cosas te ofrezco; tú escogerás una de ellas, para que yo la haga.
13 Vino, pues, Gad a David, y le denunció, y le dijo: ¿Quieres que te vengan siete años de hambre en tu tierra? ¿O que huyas tres meses delante de tus enemigos, y que ellos te persigan? ¿O que tres días haya pestilencia en tu tierra? Piensa ahora, y mira qué responderé al que me envió.
14 Entonces David dijo a Gad: En grande angustia estoy; ruego que caigamos en la mano del SEÑOR, porque sus misericordias son muchas, y que no caiga yo en manos de hombres.
15 Y envió el SEÑOR pestilencia en Israel desde la mañana hasta el tiempo señalado; y murieron del pueblo, desde Dan hasta Beerseba, setenta mil hombres.
16 Y cuando el ángel extendió su mano sobre Jerusalén para destruirla, el SEÑOR se arrepintió de aquel mal, y dijo al ángel que destruía el pueblo: Basta ahora; detén tu mano. Entonces el ángel del SEÑOR estaba junto a la era de Arauna, el jebuseo.
17 ¶ Y David dijo al SEÑOR, cuando vio al ángel que hería al pueblo: Yo pequé, yo hice la iniquidad; ¿qué hicieron estas ovejas? Te ruego que tu mano se vuelva contra mí, y contra la casa de mi padre.
18 Y Gad vino a David aquel día, y le dijo: Sube, y haz un altar al SEÑOR en la era de Arauna, el jebuseo.
19 Y David subió, conforme al dicho de Gad, que el SEÑOR le había mandado.
20 Y mirando Arauna, vio al rey y a sus esclavos que pasaban a él. Saliendo entonces Arauna, se inclinó delante del rey hacia tierra.
21 Y Arauna dijo: ¿Por qué viene mi señor el rey a su esclavo? Y David respondió: Para comprar de ti esta era, para edificar en ella altar al SEÑOR, a fin de que la mortandad cese del pueblo.
22 Y Arauna dijo a David: Tome y sacrifique mi señor el rey lo que bien le pareciere; he aquí bueyes para el holocausto; y trillos y otros aderezos de bueyes para leña;
23 todo lo da el rey Arauna al Rey. Luego dijo Arauna al rey: El SEÑOR tu Dios te sea propicio.
24 Y el rey dijo a Arauna: No, sino por precio te lo compraré; porque no ofreceré al SEÑOR mi Dios holocaustos que no me cuestan nada. Entonces David compró la era y los bueyes por cincuenta siclos de plata.
25 Y edificó allí David un altar al SEÑOR, y sacrificó holocaustos y pacíficos; y el SEÑOR se aplacó con la tierra, y cesó la plaga de Israel.
2 Samuel 24
New King James Version
2 Samuel 24
New King James Version
David’s Census of Israel and Judah(A)
24 Again (B)the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, (C)“Go, [a]number Israel and Judah.”
2 So the king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him, “Now go throughout all the tribes of Israel, (D)from Dan to Beersheba, and count the people, that (E)I may know the number of the people.”
3 And Joab said to the king, “Now may the Lord your God (F)add to the people a hundred times more than there are, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king desire this thing?” 4 Nevertheless the king’s word [b]prevailed against Joab and against the captains of the army. Therefore Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king to count the people of Israel.
5 And they crossed over the Jordan and camped in (G)Aroer, on the right side of the town which is in the midst of the ravine of Gad, and toward (H)Jazer. 6 Then they came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtim Hodshi; they came to (I)Dan Jaan and around to (J)Sidon; 7 and they came to the stronghold of (K)Tyre and to all the cities of the (L)Hivites and the Canaanites. Then they went out to South Judah as far as 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 Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to the king. (M)And there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
The Judgment on David’s Sin(N)
10 And (O)David’s heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So (P)David said to the Lord, (Q)“I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have (R)done very foolishly.”
11 Now when David arose in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet (S)Gad, David’s (T)seer, saying, 12 “Go and tell David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you.” ’ ” 13 So Gad came to David and told him; and he said to him, “Shall (U)seven[c] years of famine come to you in your land? Or shall you flee three months before your enemies, while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ plague in your land? Now consider and see what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.”
14 And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, (V)for His mercies are great; but (W)do not let me fall into the hand of man.”
15 So (X)the Lord sent a plague upon Israel from the morning till the appointed time. From Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men of the people died. 16 (Y)And when the [d]angel stretched out His hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, (Z)the Lord relented from the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “It is enough; now restrain your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of [e]Araunah the Jebusite.
17 Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Surely (AA)I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house.”
The Altar on the Threshing Floor(AB)
18 And Gad came that day to David and said to him, (AC)“Go up, erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19 So David, according to the word of Gad, went up as the Lord commanded. 20 Now Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming toward him. So Araunah went out and bowed before the king with his face to the ground.
21 Then Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”
(AD)And David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, to build an altar to the Lord, that (AE)the plague may be withdrawn from the people.”
22 Now Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up whatever seems good to him. (AF)Look, here are oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing implements and the yokes of the oxen for wood. 23 All these, O king, Araunah has given to the king.”
And Araunah said to the king, “May the Lord your God (AG)accept you.”
24 Then the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing.” So (AH)David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25 And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. (AI)So the Lord heeded the prayers for the land, and (AJ)the plague was withdrawn from Israel.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 24:1 take a census of
- 2 Samuel 24:4 overruled
- 2 Samuel 24:13 So with MT, Syr., Tg., Vg.; LXX three (cf. 1 Chr. 21:12)
- 2 Samuel 24:16 Or Angel
- 2 Samuel 24:16 Ornan, 1 Chr. 21:15
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)
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Biblia del Jubileo (JBS)
Biblia del Jubileo 2000 (JUS) © 2000, 2001, 2010, 2014, 2017, 2020 by Ransom Press International
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.