Chronological

24 And the strong vengeance of the Lord added to be wroth against Israel, and he stirred against them David, saying to Joab, Go thou, and number thou Israel and Judah. (And again the Lord was angry with Israel, and in his strong vengeance he stirred David against them, so that he said to Joab, Go thou, and count the people of Israel and Judah.)

² And the king said to Joab, the prince of his host, Go thou by all the lineages of Israel, from Dan till to Beersheba, and number thou the people, that I know the number thereof. (And the king said to Joab, the leader of his army, Go thou through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan unto Beersheba, and count the people, so that I can know their number.)

³ And Joab said to the king, Thy Lord God increase to this people, how great it is now, and again multiply he it an hundredfold in the sight of my lord the king; but what will my lord the king to himself in such a thing? (And Joab said to the king, May the Lord thy God increase this people to be more numerous than they be now, and may he multiply them a hundredfold before my lord the king; but why would my lord the king desire to do such a thing as to count the people?)

⁴ But the word of the king overcame the words of Joab, and of the princes of the host; and Joab went out, and the princes of the knights, from the face of the king, that they should number the people of Israel. (But the king’s word overruled what Joab and the other leaders of the army said; and so Joab, and the leaders of the horsemen, went out from before the king, to count the people of Israel.)

⁵ And when they had passed [over] Jordan (And when they had crossed over the Jordan River), they came into Aroer, to the right side of the city that is in the valley of Gad; and they passed forth by Jazer

⁶ into Gilead, and into the lower land of Hodshi, and they came into the woody places of Dan; and they went about beside Sidon, (to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtimhodshi, and they came to Danjaan; and they went about beside Sidon,)

⁷ and passed nigh the walls of Tyre, and nigh all the land of Hivites, and of Canaanites; and they came to the south of Judah, in[to] Beersheba.

⁸ And when all the land was compassed, they came after nine months and twenty days into Jerusalem. (And when they had gone throughout all the land, they came back to Jerusalem after nine months and twenty days.)

⁹ And so Joab gave the number of [the] describing of the people to the king. And of Israel were found nine hundred thousand of strong men, that drew out sword; and of Judah five hundred thousand of fighters. (And so Joab gave the census count to the king. And there were found in Israel eight hundred thousand strong men who drew out the sword; and in Judah five hundred thousand fighting men.)

¹⁰ And the heart of David smote him, that is, his conscience reproved him, after that the people was numbered; and David said to the Lord, I have sinned greatly in this deed; but, Lord, I pray, that thou turn away the wickedness of thy servant, for I have done full follily. (And then David’s heart struck him, that is, his conscience rebuked him, after that the people were counted; and David said to the Lord, I have greatly sinned by doing this deed; but, Lord, I pray thee, that thou turn away thy servant’s wickedness, yea, what I have done so foolishly.)

¹¹ Therefore David rose (up) early; and the word of the Lord was made to Gad, the prophet and seer, and said,

¹² Go thou, and speak to David (Go thou, and say to David), The Lord saith these things, The choice of three things is given to thee; choose thou one, which thou wilt of these, that I do to thee.

¹³ And when Gad had come to David, he told to him, and said, Either hunger shall come to thee in thy land seven years; either three months thou shalt flee thine adversaries, and they shall pursue thee; either certainly three days pestilence shall be in thy land; now therefore deliver thou, either advise thou/examine thou, and see, what word I shall answer to him that sent me. (And so when Gad had come to David, he told him, and said, Either seven years of hunger, or of famine, shall come upon thee in thy land; or for three months thou shalt flee thy adversaries, and yet they shall pursue thee; or for three days a pestilence shall be in thy land; and so now thou deliberate, and examine thou it, and see, what I shall answer to him who sent me.)

¹⁴ And David said to Gad, I am constrained on each side greatly (I am greatly constrained on every side); but it is better that I fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercies be many, than into the hands of men.

¹⁵ And (so) the Lord sent (a) pestilence into Israel from the morrowtide till to the time ordained; and seventy thousand of men were dead of the people from Dan till to Beersheba.

¹⁶ And when the angel of the Lord had held forth his hand over Jerusalem, that he should destroy it, the Lord had mercy on the tormenting; and said to the angel smiting the people, It sufficeth now; withhold thine hand. And the angel of the Lord was beside the cornfloor of Araunah (the) Jebusite. (And when the angel of the Lord had put forth his hand over Jerusalem, to destroy it, the Lord had mercy on the tormenting; and he said to the angel striking the people, That is enough; withdraw thy hand. And the angel of the Lord was beside the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.)

¹⁷ And David said to the Lord, when he had seen the angel slaying the people, I am he that have sinned, and I have done wickedly; what have these done, that be sheep? I beseech, thine hand be turned against me, and against the house of my father. (And David said to the Lord, when he had seen the angel killing the people, I am the one who hath sinned, and I have done wickedly; what have these people done, yea, they who be but sheep? I beseech thee, let thy hand be turned against me, and against the house of my father.)

¹⁸ Forsooth Gad, the prophet, came to David in that day, and said to him, Go thou up, and ordain an altar to the Lord in the cornfloor of Araunah (the) Jebusite. (And that same day, the prophet Gad came to David, and said to him, Go thou up, and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.)

¹⁹ And David went up, after the word of Gad, which the Lord had commanded to him.

²⁰ And Araunah beheld, and perceived, that the king and his servants passed over to him; and he went out, and worshipped the king with low cheer to the earth; (And Araunah looked up, and saw the king and his servants coming over to him; and he went over, and bowed before the king, with his face low to the ground;)

²¹ and said, What is the cause, that my lord the king cometh to his servant? To whom David said, That I buy of thee the cornfloor, and build an altar to the Lord, and the slaying cease, that is cruel in the people. (and he said, What is the reason that my lord the king cometh to his servant? To whom David said, To buy the threshing floor from thee, and to build on it an altar to the Lord, so that the slaughter that is so cruel upon the people will cease.)

²² And Araunah said to David, My lord the king take, and offer, as it pleaseth to him; thou hast oxen into burnt sacrifice, and a wain and yokes of oxen into uses of wood. (And Araunah said to David, My lord the king take it, and offer, as it pleaseth thee; lo! thou hast here oxen for a burnt sacrifice, and a wagon, and the yokes of the oxen for wood.)

²³ Araunah gave, that is, would give, all (these) things to the king. And Araunah said to the king, Thy Lord God receive thy vow. (And so Araunah would gladly have given all these things to the king. And Araunah said to the king, May the Lord thy God receive thy vow.)

²⁴ To whom the king answered, and said, Not as thou wilt, but I shall buy it of thee for (a) price, and I shall not offer to the Lord my God burnt sacrifices given freely. Therefore David bought the cornfloor for six hundred shekels of gold^[a], and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. (To whom the king answered, No, not as thou wilt, but I shall buy it from thee for a price; for I shall not offer to the Lord my God burnt sacrifices that cost nothing. And then David bought the threshing floor for six hundred shekels of gold, and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.)

²⁵ And David builded there an altar to the Lord, and offered burnt sacrifices and peaceable sacrifices; and the Lord did mercy to the land, and the vengeance was refrained from Israel. (And David built an altar there to the Lord, and offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings; and then the Lord gave mercy to the land, and the plague in Israel was stopped.)

21 Soothly Satan rose against Israel, and stirred David for to number Israel. (And Satan rose up against Israel, and stirred David to count the Israelites.)

² And David said to Joab, and to the princes of the people, Go ye, and number all Israel from Beersheba till to Dan, and bring ye the number to me, that I know what it is. (And David said to Joab, and to the leaders of the people, Go ye, and count up all Israel from Beersheba unto Dan, and bring ye the number to me, so that I know what it is.)

³ And Joab answered, The Lord increase his people an hundredfold more than they be; (but) my lord the king, whether (they) all be not thy servants? Why seeketh my lord this thing, that shall be areckoned into sin to Israel? (that shall be reckoned as a sin by Israel?)

⁴ But the word of the king had more the mastery; and Joab went out, and compassed all Israel, and turned again into Jerusalem. (But the word of the king had more the mastery; and Joab went out, and went all around Israel, and then returned to Jerusalem.)

⁵ And he gave to David the number of them, which he had compassed; and all the number of Israel was found a thousand thousand, and an hundred thousand of men, drawing out sword; forsooth of Judah were three hundred thousand, and seventy thousand warriors. (And he gave David the number of them, which he had counted; and all the number of Israel was found to be a thousand thousand, and a hundred thousand men drawing out the sword; and in Judah there were four hundred and seventy thousand warriors.)

⁶ But Joab numbered not Levi and Benjamin, for against his will he did the commandment of the king. (But Joab did not count the Levites and the Benjaminites, for he did the king’s commandment against his own will.)

⁷ Forsooth that thing that was commanded displeased the Lord, therefore he smote Israel. (But what was commanded displeased the Lord, and so he struck Israel.)

⁸ And David said to God, I have sinned greatly, that I would do this thing; I beseech thee, Lord, do thou away the wickedness of thy servant, for I did follily. (And David said to God, I have greatly sinned, that I would do this thing; I beseech thee, Lord, do thou away the wickedness of thy servant, for I did foolishly.)

⁹ And the Lord spake to Gad, the prophet of David, and said to him,

¹⁰ Go thou, and speak to David, and say to him, The Lord saith these things, I give to thee the choosing of three things; choose thou one which thou wilt, that I do to thee.

¹¹ And when Gad was come to David, he said to David, The Lord saith these things, Choose thou that that thou wilt of these (Choose thou what thou wilt from these three punishments),

¹² either pestilence three years, either that three months thou flee thine enemies, and be not able to escape their sword, either that the sword of the Lord and death reign three days in the land, and that the angel of the Lord slay in all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore see thou, what I shall answer to him that sent me. (either three years of famine, or for three months thou shalt flee thy enemies, and not be able to escape their swords, or for three days the sword of the Lord, that is, pestilence, shall reign in the land, and the angel of the Lord shall kill in all of Israel’s coasts. And so now say thou, what shall I answer to him who sent me.)

¹³ And David said to Gad, Anguishes oppress me on each part, but it is better to me (but it is better for me), that I fall into the hands of the Lord, for his merciful doings be many, then into the hands of men.

¹⁴ Therefore the Lord sent pestilence into Israel, and seventy thousand of men felled down of Israel. (And so the Lord sent pestilence into Israel, and seventy thousand Israelites died.)

¹⁵ Also the Lord sent an angel into Jerusalem, that he should smite it; and when it was smitten, the Lord saw, and had mercy upon the greatness of (the) evil; and he commanded to the angel that smote, and said, It sufficeth, now thine hand cease. And the angel of the Lord stood beside the cornfloor of Ornan (the) Jebusite. (And the Lord sent an angel into Jerusalem, to strike it; and when it was struck, the Lord saw, and had mercy on the greatness of the evil; and he commanded to the angel who struck it, and said, It sufficeth, now stay thy hand. And the angel of the Lord stood still beside the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.)

¹⁶ And David raised up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord standing betwixt heaven and (the) earth, and a drawn sword in his hand, turned against Jerusalem. And both he and the greater men in birth were clothed with hair-shirts, and they fell down upon the earth (And both he and the men of great age, that is, the elders, were clothed with hair-shirts, and they fell down on the ground).

¹⁷ And David said to the Lord, Whether I am not he that commanded that the people should be numbered? I it am that sinned, I it am that did evil; what hath this flock deserved? My Lord God, I beseech thee, (let) thine hand be turned against me, and against the house of my father; but thy people be not smitten. (And David said to the Lord, Was it not I who commanded that the people should be counted? It is I who sinned, it is I who did the evil; what hath this flock done to deserve this? My Lord God, I beseech thee, let thy hand be turned against me, and against the house of my father; but do not let thy people be struck down.)

¹⁸ And the angel of the Lord commanded [to] Gad, that he should say to David, that he should go up, and build an altar to the Lord God in the cornfloor of Ornan (the) Jebusite. (And the angel of the Lord commanded to Gad, that he should say to David, that he should go up, and build an altar to the Lord God at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.)

¹⁹ Therefore David went up by the word of Gad, which he spake to him by the word of the Lord. (And so David went up by the word of Gad, which he spoke to him in the name of the Lord.)

²⁰ And when Ornan had beheld, and saw the angel, and his four sons with him had seen (him also), they hid them[selves], for in that time Ornan threshed wheat in the cornfloor. (And when Ornan, and his four sons who were with him, beheld, and saw the angel, his sons ran and hid themselves; for at that time Ornan threshed wheat at the threshing floor.)

²¹ Therefore when David came to Ornan, Ornan beheld David, and went forth from the cornfloor against him, and worshipped him lowly upon the ground. (And so when David came to Ornan, Ornan saw David, and went out from the threshing floor to greet him, and he bowed low before him, with his face to the ground.)

²² And David said to him, Give the place of the cornfloor to me, that I build therein an altar to the Lord; so (long as) that thou take as much silver as it is worth, and that the vengeance cease from the people. (And David said to him, Give me the place of the threshing floor, so that I can build on it an altar to the Lord; yea, take thou as much silver as it is worth; so only that this vengeance cease from destroying the people.)

²³ And Ornan said to David, Take thou it, and my lord the king do he whatever thing pleaseth him; but also I give oxen into burnt sacrifice, and instruments of wood, whereby corns be threshed, into sticks to be burnt, and wheat into sacrifice; I give gladly all these things. (And Ornan said to David, Take thou it, and my lord the king do he whatever thing pleaseth him; and also I give oxen for the burnt sacrifices, and the wooden instruments, with which the corns be threshed, for sticks to be burned, and wheat for the offering; I willingly, or I gladly, give you all these things.)

²⁴ And king David said to him, It shall not be done so, but I shall give to thee silver (for) as much as it is worth; for I ought not to take away from thee, and offer so to the Lord burnt sacrifices freely given. (And King David said to him, It shall not be done so, but I shall give thee as much silver as it is worth; for I ought not to take what is thine to give to the Lord, nor to offer burnt sacrifices given for free.)

²⁵ Therefore David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold of full just weight. (And so David gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold of full just weight for the place.)

²⁶ And David builded there an altar to the Lord, and offered thereon burnt sacrifices and peaceable sacrifices, and he inwardly called (on) God; and God heard him in fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt sacrifice. (And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered on it burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, and he inwardly called on God; and God answered him from heaven with fire on the altar of burnt sacrifice.)

²⁷ And the Lord commanded to the angel, and he turned his sword again into the sheath.

²⁸ Then anon David saw, that the Lord had heard him in the cornfloor of Ornan (the) Jebusite, and he offered there slain sacrifices. (And David saw at once, that the Lord had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, and he offered slain sacrifices there.)

²⁹ Forsooth the tabernacle of the Lord, that Moses had made in the desert, and the altar of burnt sacrifices, was in that tempest in the high place of Gibeon; (For the Tabernacle of the Lord, that Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt sacrifices, were at that time at the hill shrine in Gibeon;)

³⁰ and David might not go to the altar, to beseech God there, for he was afeared with full great dread (for he was afraid with a very great fear), seeing the sword of the angel of the Lord.

22 And David said, This is the house of God, and this altar is into burnt sacrifice of Israel. (And David said, This is the House of God, and this is the altar of burnt sacrifice for Israel.)

² And David commanded that all converts, that is, all men turned from heathenness to the law of Israel, should be gathered together of the land of Israel (And David commanded that all male converts, that is, all men turned from heathenness to the Law of Israel, in the land of Israel, should be gathered together); and he ordained (some) of them (to be) masons for to cut, or (to) hew, stones and to polish them, and that the house of the Lord should be builded;

³ also David made ready full much iron to the nails of the gates, and to the mixings and jointures, and unnumberable weight of brass; (and David made ready a great deal of iron for the nails of the gates, and for the joints, and innumerable weight of bronze;)

⁴ also the (number of) trees of cedar might not be guessed (and the amount of cedar timber could not be guessed), which the men of Sidon and the men of Tyre brought to David.

⁵ And David said, Solomon, my son, is a little child and delicate, that is, for tenderness of age; soothly the house, which I will (to) be builded to the Lord, oughteth to be such, that it be named in all countries; therefore I shall make ready necessaries to him. And for this cause David before his death made ready all [the] costs. (And David said, My son Solomon is a young and delicate man, that is, of tender age; and the House, which I desire to build to the Lord, ought to be such that it be famous in every country; and so I shall prepare its necessities. And for this reason David prepared all the expenses and the materials before his death.)

⁶ And he called Solomon, his son, and commanded to him, that he should build an house to the Lord God of Israel. (And he called for his son Solomon, and commanded him to build a House for the Lord God of Israel.)

⁷ And David said to Solomon, My son, it was my will to build an house to the name of the Lord my God; (And David said to Solomon, My son, it was my desire to build a House to honour the name of the Lord my God;)

⁸ but the word of the Lord was made to me, and said, Thou hast shed out (too) much blood, and thou hast fought full many battles; thou mayest not build an house to my name (so thou mayest not build a House to honour my name), for thou hast shed out so much blood before me;

⁹ the son that shall be born to thee, shall be a man most peaceable; for I shall make him to have rest of all his enemies by compass, and for this cause he shall be called Peaceable; and I shall give peace and rest in Israel in all his days. (the son who shall be born to thee shall be a man of peace; for I shall give him rest from all his enemies about, and for this reason he shall be called Solomon; and I shall give peace and rest to Israel in all his days.)

¹⁰ He shall build an house to my name; he shall be to me into a son, and I shall be to him into a father; and I shall make steadfast the seat of his realm on Israel without end. (He shall build a House to honour my name; he shall be a son to me, and I shall be a father to him; and I shall make steadfast the throne of his kingdom upon Israel forevermore.)

¹¹ Now therefore, my son, the Lord be with thee; and have thou prosperity, and build thou an house to the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken of thee. (And so now, my son, the Lord be with thee; and be thou prosperous, and build thou the House of the Lord thy God, as he hath said of thee.)

¹² And the Lord give to thee prudence and wit, that thou may govern Israel, and keep the law of the Lord thy God (and obey the Law of the Lord thy God).

¹³ For then thou mayest profit, if thou keepest the behests and dooms, which the Lord commanded to Moses, that he should teach Israel; be thou strengthened, and do thou manly, dread thou not withoutforth, neither dread thou within. (For then thou shalt prosper, if thou obeyest the commands and the judgements, or the laws, which the Lord commanded to Moses, that he should teach Israel; be thou strengthened, and be thou confident, fear thou not anything withoutforth, nor fear thou anything within.)

¹⁴ Lo! in my poverty I have made ready the costs of the house of the Lord; an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; soothly of brass and iron is no weight, for the number is overcome by greatness; I have (also) made ready wood and stones at all costs. (Lo! in spite of my tribulations I have prepared the expenses and the materials for the House of the Lord; a hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of bronze and iron there is no weight, for the number hath overpassed greatness; I have also prepared some timber and stones, but you will need more.)

¹⁵ Also thou hast full many craftsmen, masons, and layers of stones, and craftsmen of timber, and of all crafts, most prudent to make work (most able to do the work),

¹⁶ in gold, and silver, and brass (and bronze), and in iron, of which (there) is no number; therefore rise thou up, and make it, and the Lord shall be with thee.

¹⁷ Also David commanded to all the princes of Israel, that they should help Solomon, his son, and said,

¹⁸ Ye see, that the Lord your God is with you, and he hath given to you rest by compass/about, and he hath betaken all [the] enemies in your hand, and the earth is subject before the Lord, and before his people. (Ye see, that the Lord your God is with you, and he hath given you rest all around, and he hath delivered all the enemies into your hands, or your power, and the land is subject before the Lord, and before his people.)

¹⁹ Therefore give ye your hearts and your souls, that ye seek the Lord your God; and rise ye up together, and build ye a saintuary to the Lord our God, that the ark of [the] bond of peace of the Lord be brought in thither, and that vessels hallowed to the Lord be brought into the house, that is builded to the name of the Lord. (And so give ye your hearts and your souls, that ye seek the Lord your God; and rise ye up together, and build ye a sanctuary for the Lord our God, so that the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord can be brought in there, and that vessels dedicated, or consecrated, to the Lord can be brought into the House, that is built to honour the name of the Lord.)

30 The psalm of [the] song, for the hallowing of the house of David. Lord, I shall enhance thee, for thou hast up-taken me; and thou delightedest not mine enemies on me. (The psalm of the song, for the dedication of the house of David. Lord, I shall exalt thee, for thou hast taken me up/for thou hast lifted me up; and thou hast not let my enemies have delight, or to gloat, over me.)

² My Lord God, I cried to thee; and thou madest me whole.

³ Lord, thou leddest out my soul from hell; thou savedest me from them that go down into the pit. (Lord, thou hast led me up from Sheol, or the land of the dead; thou hast pulled me out from among those who go down into the pit.)

⁴ Ye saints of the Lord, sing to the Lord; and acknowledge ye to the mind of his holiness (and give ye thanks at the remembrance of his holiness).

⁵ For ire is in his indignation; and life is in his will (For there is anger in his indignation; but there is life in his favour). Weeping shall dwell at eventide; and gladness at the morrowtide.

⁶ Forsooth I said in my plenty; I shall not be moved [into] without end. (But I said in the midst of my plenty, or of my abundance, I shall never be shaken, or defeated.)

⁷ Lord, in thy will; thou hast given virtue to my fairness. Thou turnedest away thy face from me; and I am made troubled. (Lord, by thy favour, thou hast protected me; yea, like a mountain stronghold. But then thou hast turned thy face away from me; and I was greatly troubled.)

⁸ Lord, I shall cry to thee; and I shall pray to my God. (Lord, I cried to thee; yea, I prayed to my God.)

⁹ What profit is in my blood; while I go down into corruption? Whether dust shall acknowledge to thee; either it shall tell thy truth? (And I said, What profit is there in my death; if I go down into the pit? Shall the dust then praise thee? or can it tell about thy truth?)

¹⁰ The Lord heard, and had mercy on me; the Lord is made mine helper. (Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me; Lord, be thou my helper.)

¹¹ Thou hast turned my wailing into joy to me; thou hast rent my sackcloth, and hast (en)compassed me with gladness. (And now, thou hast turned my wailing into joy for me; thou hast torn off my sackcloth, and surrounded me with gladness.)

¹² That my glory sing to thee, and I be not compunct; my Lord God, I shall acknowledge to thee [into] without end. (So that my spirit may sing to thee, and I shall never be silent; my Lord God, I shall thank thee forever.)