24 And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them, saying, Go, number Israel 2 and Judah. And the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now to and fro through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the sum of the 3 people. And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing? 4 Notwithstanding the king's word. prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number 5 the people of Israel. And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the middle of the valley of Gad, and unto Jazer: 6 then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi; and they came to Dan-jaan, and 7 round about to Zidon, and came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, 8 at Beer-sheba. So when they had gone to and fro through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and 9 twenty days. And Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men. 1 Or, toward 21 And 'Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to num2 ber Israel. And David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, Go, number Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring me word, that I may know 3 the sum of them. And Joab said, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of guilt unto Israel ? 4 Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem. 5 And Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten 1 Or, an adversary IO And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: but now, O LORD, put away, I beseech thee, the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. II And when David rose up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, 12 David's seer, saying, Go and speak unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, 13 that I may do it unto thee. So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thy foes while they pursue thee? or shall there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise thee, and consider what answer I shall return to him that sent me. thousand men that drew sword. 6 But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to 7 Joab. And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he 8 smote Israel. And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing: but now, put away, I beseech thee, the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. 9 And the LORD spake unto Gad, 10 David's seer, saying, Go and speak unto David, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I 1offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. II So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, 12 Take which thou wilt; either 2 three years of famine; or three months to be consumed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even pestilence in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore consider what answer I shall 13 return to him that sent me. And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very 3great are his mercies: and let me not fall into the hand of man. 14 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men. 15 And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it and as he was about to destroy, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the 1 Heb. stretch out unto. 2 Or, and 3 Or, many of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: now stay thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing-floor of 'Araunah the 17 Jebusite. And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done perversely: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house. 18 And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshing-floor of Araunah 19 the Jebusite. And David went up according to the saying of Gad, as the LORD commanded. 20 And Araunah looked forth, and saw the king and his servants 2 coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king with his 21 face to the ground. And Arau nah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshing-floor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the 22 people. And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, the oxen for the burnt offering, and the threshing 1 Or, Ornah 2 Or, passing over destroying angel, It is enough; now stay thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshing-floor of Ornan 16 the Jebusite. And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sack17 cloth, fell upon their faces. And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to ✓ be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be against me, and against my father's house; but not against thy people, that they should be plagued. 18 Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshing-floor of Ornan the 19 Jebusite. And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD. 20 And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons that were with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was thresh21 ing wheat. And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshing-floor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the 22 ground. Then David said to Ornan, Give me the place of this threshing-floor, that I may build thereon an altar unto the LORD for the full price shalt thou give it me: that the plague may be stayed from the people. instruments and the furniture of 23 the oxen for the wood: 'all this, O king, doth Araunah give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD 24 thy God accept thee. And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will verily buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God which cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels 25 of silver. And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel. 2 23 And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meal offer24 ing; I give it all. And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer a burnt offering without 25 cost. So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels 26 of gold by weight. And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offer27 ing. And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof. 28 At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed 29 there. For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering, were at that time in 30 the high place at Gibeon. But David could not go before it to inquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel 22 of the LORD. Then David said, This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel. I Chronicles 22. 2. And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to 3 build the house of God. And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the couplings; and brass in 1 Or, all this did Araunah the king give &c. 4 abundance without weight; and cedar trees without number: for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought cedar trees in abundance to 5 David. And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death. 6 Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build an 7 house for the LORD, the God of Israel. And David said to Solomon 'his son, As for me, it was in my heart to build an house unto the 8 name of the LORD my God. But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars : thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed 9 much blood upon the earth in my sight: behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be 'Solomon, and I will 10 give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days: he shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever. II Now, my son, the LORD be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the ✓ 12 house of the LORD thy God, as he hath spoken concerning thee. Only the LORD give thee discretion and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel; that so thou mayest keep the law of the LORD 13 thy God. Then shalt thou prosper, if thou observe to do the statutes and the judgements which the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; fear not, neither be dismayed. 14 Now, behold, in my 3affliction I have prepared for the house of the LORD an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest 15 add thereto. Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all men that are cunning 16 in any manner of work; of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number; arise and be doing, and the LORD be with 17 thee. David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon 18 his son, saying, Is not the LORD your God with you? and hath he not given you rest on every side? for he hath delivered the inhabitants of the land into mine hand; and the land is subdued before the LORD, and before his people. Now set your heart and your soul to seek after the LORD your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the LORD. 19 23 Now David was old and full of days; and he made Solomon his 2 son king over Israel. And he gathered together all the princes of 3 Israel, with the priests and the Levites. And the Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward: and their number by their polls, 4 man by man, was thirty and eight thousand. Of these, twenty and four 1 According to another reading, My son, as for me &c. 2 That is, Peaceful. 3 Or, low estate |