Historical

21 And Satan stood up against Yisroel, and provoked Dovid to number Yisroel.

² And Dovid said to Yoav and to the sarei HaAm, Go, number Yisroel from Beer Sheva even to Dan; and bring the mispar (number) of them to me, that I may know it.

³ But Yoav answered, Hashem make His people a hundred times so many more as they be, but, adoni HaMelech, are not they all the avadim of adoni? Why then doth adoni require this thing? Why will he be a cause of ashmah to Yisroel?

⁴ Nevertheless the davar HaMelech prevailed against Yoav. Therefore, Yoav departed, and went throughout kol Yisroel, and came to Yerushalayim.

⁵ And Yoav gave up the sum of the number of HaAm unto Dovid. And kol Yisroel were 1,100,000 ish that drew cherev; and Yehudah was 470,000 ish that drew cherev.

⁶ But Levi and Binyamin counted he not among them, for the davar HaMelech was abominable to Yoav.

⁷ And HaElohim was displeased with this thing; therefore He struck Yisroel.

⁸ And Dovid said unto HaElohim, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing, but now, take away the avon of Thy eved, for I have done very foolishly.

⁹ And Hashem spoke unto Gad, Chozeh Dovid (seer of David) saying,

¹⁰ Go and tell Dovid, saying, Thus saith Hashem, I offer thee shalosh (three); choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.

¹¹ So Gad came to Dovid, and said unto him, Thus saith Hashem, Choose for thee

¹² Either shalosh shanim ra’av (famine); or shloshah chodashim to be subdued before thy foes, while that the cherev of thine oyevim overtaketh thee; or else sheloshet yamim cherev Hashem, even the dever, in HaAretz, and the Malach Hashem destroying throughout all the borders of Yisroel. Now therefore advise thyself what davar I shalll bring to Him that sent me.

¹³ And Dovid said unto Gad, I am in a great distress; let me fall now into the Yad Hashem; for rabbim me’od (very great) are His rachamim but let me not fall into the yad adam.

¹⁴ So Hashem sent dever upon Yisroel, and there fell of Yisroel shiv’im elef ish.

¹⁵ And HaElohim sent a Malach unto Yerushalayim to destroy her, and as he was destroying, Hashem beheld, and He relented Him of the ra’ah, and said to the Malach that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine yad. And the Malach Hashem stood by the goren (threshing floor) of Ornan the Yevusi.

¹⁶ And Dovid lifted up his eyes, and saw the Malach Hashem stand between Ha’Aretz and HaShomayim, having a drawn cherev in his yad stretched out over Yerushalayim. Then Dovid and the Zekenim, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

¹⁷ And Dovid said unto HaElohim, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? Even I it is that have sinned and done harah indeed; but as for these tzon, what have they done? Let Thine Yad, Hashem Elohai, be on me, and on the Bais Avi, but not on Thy people, not with magefah (plague, see Isa 53:8 for fulfillment).

¹⁸ Then the Malach Hashem commanded Gad to say to Dovid, that Dovid should go up, and set up a Mizbe’ach unto Hashem in the goren (threshing floor) of Ornan the Yevusi.

¹⁹ And Dovid went up at the davar of Gad, which he spoke B’Shem Hashem.

²⁰ And Ornan turned back, and saw the Malach, and his four banim with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing chittim (wheat).

²¹ And as Dovid came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw Dovid, and went out from the goren (threshing floor), and prostated himself to Dovid with his face to the ground.

²² Then Dovid said to Ornan, Give me the makom of this goren (threshing floor), that I may build a Mizbe’ach therein unto Hashem; thou shalt give it me for the kesef male (full price), that the magefah (plague) may be withdrawn from HaAm.

²³ And Ornan said unto Dovid, Take it to thee, and let adoni HaMelech do that which is tov in his eyes; see, I give thee the bakar also for olot (burnt offerings), and the threshing tools for wood, and the chittim (wheat) for the minchah (grain offering, meal offering); I give it all.

²⁴ And HaMelech Dovid said to Ornan, Lo (no), but I will verily buy it for the kesef male (full price), for I will not take that which is thine for Hashem, nor offer olah (burnt offerings) without cost.

²⁵ So Dovid gave to Ornan for the makom (place, site) six hundred shekels of zahav by weight.

²⁶ And Dovid built there a Mizbe’ach unto Hashem, and offered olot (burnt offerings) and shelamim (peace offerings), and called upon Hashem, and He answered him from Shomayim by eish upon the Mizbe’ach HaOlah.

²⁷ And Hashem commanded the Malach, and He put back his cherev again into the nedan (sheath) thereof.

²⁸ At that time when Dovid saw that Hashem had answered him on the goren (threshing floor) of Ornan the Yevusi, then he sacrificed there.

²⁹ For the Mishkan Hashem, which Moshe made in the midbar, and the Mizbe’ach HaOlah, were at that time in the bamah (high place) at Giveon.

³⁰ But Dovid could not go before it to inquire of Elohim, for he was afraid because of the cherev Malach Hashem.

22 Then Dovid said, This is the Beis Hashem HaElohim, and this is the Mizbe’ach L’olah (Altar of the Burnt Offering) for Yisroel.

² And Dovid commanded to gather together the gerim (aliens) that were in Eretz Yisroel; and he set masons to carve hewn stones to build the Beis HaElohim.

³ And Dovid prepared barzel (iron) in abundance for the masmerim (nails) for the daletot (doors) of the she’arim, and for the joints; and nechoshet unweighable in abundance;

⁴ Also cedar timber in abundance, for the Tzidonim and the Tzorim brought much cedar lumber to Dovid.

⁵ And Dovid said, Sh’lomo beni (my son) is na’ar and tender, and the Bayit that is to be built for Hashem must be exceeding magnificent, of fame and of tiferet before all nations. I will therefore now make preparation for it. So Dovid prepared abundantly before his mot (death).

⁶ Then he called for Sh’lomo bno, and charged him to build Bayit (House) for Hashem Elohei Yisroel.

⁷ And Dovid said to Sh’lomo, Beni (my son), as for me, it was in my mind to build Bayit (House) for the Shem of Hashem Elohai,

⁸ But the Devar Hashem came to me, saying, Thou hast done much shefach dahm, and hast made milchamot gedolot. Thou shalt not build Bayit (House) unto Shemi (My Name), because thou hast done much shefach dahm upon ha’aretz in My sight.

⁹ Hinei, Ben shall be born to thee, who shall be an ish menuchah (man of rest); and I will give him rest from all his oyevim all around; for shmo shall be Sh’lomo, and I will grant shalom and sheket (quiet) unto Yisroel in his yamim (days).

¹⁰ He shall build Bayit (House) for Shmi (My Name); and he shall be to Me as Ben and I will be to him as Av (Father); and I will establish the kisse of his Malchut over Yisroel ad olam.

¹¹ Now, beni (my son), Hashem be with thee; and prosper thou, to succeed building the Beis Hashem Eloheicha, just as He hath said about thee.

¹² Only Hashem give thee seichel and binah, so that when He give you command over Yisroel, that thou mayest be shomer over the torat Hashem Eloheicha.

¹³ Then shalt thou prosper, if thou art shomer to observe the chukkim and mishpatim which Hashem charged Moshe with concerning Yisroel. Chazak (be strong)! And be of good courage! Dread nothing in fear, nor be dismayed.

¹⁴ Now, hinei, in my oni (poor strivings) I have prepared for the Beis Hashem a hundred elef talents of zahav, and an elef alafim talents of kesef; and of nechoshet and barzel (iron) an unweighable abundance; timber also and even (stone) have I provided; and thou mayest add thereto.

¹⁵ Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and carvers of even (stone) and etz (wood), and all manner of artisans chacham in every task.

¹⁶ Of the zahav, the kesef, and the nechoshet, and the barzel, there is no number. Arise therefore, and begin and work, and Hashem be with thee.

¹⁷ Dovid also commanded all the sarim of Yisroel to help Sh’lomo bno, saying,

¹⁸ Is not Hashem Eloheichem with you? And hath He not given you rest on every side? For He hath given the inhabitants of ha’aretz into mine yad, and ha’aretz is subdued before Hashem, and before His people.

¹⁹ Now set your levav and your nefesh to seek Hashem Eloheichem; arise therefore, and build ye the Mikdash Hashem HaElohim, to bring Aron Brit Hashem, and the K’lei Kodesh HaElohim (Holy Vessels of G-d), into the Bayit that is to be built to the Shem of Hashem.

23 So when Dovid was old and full of days, he made Sh’lomo bno Melech Yisroel.

² And he gathered together all the sarim of Yisroel, with the Kohanim and the Levi’im.

³ Now the Levi’im were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward; and their number by their gulgelot (totals, head count), gevarim (men), was thirty and eight elef.

⁴ Of which, twenty and four elef were to look after the work of the Beis Hashem; and six alafim were shoterim (officials) and shofetim (judges);

⁵ Moreover four alafim were sho’arim (gatekeepers); and four alafim praised Hashem with the kelim (instruments) which I made, said Dovid, to praise therewith.

⁶ And Dovid divided them into divisions among the Bnei Levi, namely, Gershon, Kehat, and Merari.

⁷ Of the Gershoni were La’dan, and Shimei.

⁸ The Bnei La’dan; the rosh was Yechiel, and Zetam, and Yoel, three.

⁹ The Bnei Shimei; Shlomit, and Chaziel, and Haran, three. These were the rashei avot of La’dan.

¹⁰ And the Bnei Shimei were Yachat, Zina, and Yeush, and Beriah. These four were the Bnei Shimei.

¹¹ And Yachat was rosh, and Zizah the second; but Yeush and Beriah had not many banim; therefore they were in pekudah echad (one reckoning), according to their bais av.

¹² The Bnei Kehat; Amram, Yitzhar, Chevron, and Uzziel, four.

¹³ The Bnei Amram; Aharon and Moshe; Aharon was separated, to set him apart as Kodesh Kodashim, he and his banim ad olam, to burn offerings before Hashem, to minister unto Him, and to bless b’Shmo ad olam.

¹⁴ Now concerning Moshe the Ish HaElohim, his banim were reckoned of the Shevet Levi.

¹⁵ The Bnei Moshe were Gershom, and Eliezer.

¹⁶ Of the Bnei Gershom, Shevuel was the rosh.

¹⁷ And the Bnei Eliezer were Rechavyah the rosh. And Eliezer had no banim acharim; but the Bnei Rechavyah were very many.

¹⁸ Of the Bnei Yitzhar: Shlomit the rosh.

¹⁹ Of the Bnei Chevron: Yeriyahu the first, Amaryah the seond, Yachziel the third, and Yekam’am the fourth.

²⁰ Of the Bnei Uzziel: Michah the first and Yishiyah the second.

²¹ The Bnei Merari: Machli, and Mushi. The Bnei Machli; Eleazar, and Kish.

²² And Eleazar died, and had no banim, only banot, and their brethren the Bnei Kish took them as wives.

²³ The Bnei Mushi; Machli, and Eder, and Yeremot, three.

²⁴ These were the Bnei Levi after the bais avoteihem; even the rashei avot, as they were counted by number of shmot by their head count, that did the work for the avodas Beis Hashem, from the age of twenty shanah and upward.

²⁵ For Dovid said, Hashem Elohei Yisroel hath given rest unto His people, that they may dwell in Yerushalayim ad l’olam;

²⁶ And also unto the Levi’im; they shall no more carry the Mishkan, nor any kelim (vessels) of it for the avodah thereof.

²⁷ According to the last instructions of Dovid the Bnei Levi were numbered from those twenty shanah and above;

²⁸ Because their ma’amad (position) was to wait on the Bnei Aharon for the avodas Beis Hashem, in the khatzerot, and in the rooms, and in the tahorat (cleansing) of kol kodesh, and the work of the avodas Beis HaElohim;

²⁹ Both for the Lechem HaMa’arechet (showbread), and for the solet (flour) for minchah, and for the cakes of matzot, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is scalded, and for all manner of measure and size;

³⁰ And to stand baboker baboker to thank and praise Hashem, and likewise at erev (evening);

³¹ And to offer all olot (burnt offerings) unto Hashem on Shabbatot, at Rosh Chodesh, and at mo’adim, according to their number ordained for them, tamid before Hashem;

³² And that they should be shomer to keep the mishmeret (watch, guard responsibility) of the Ohel Mo’ed and the mishmeret of the Kodesh, and the mishmeret of the Bnei Aharon their brethren, in the avodas Beis Hashem.