1Chronicles 21

David Counts the Fighting Men

21Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.H7854H5975H3478H5496H1732H4487H34782So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, "Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are."H1732H559H3097H8269H5971H3212H5608H3478H884H1835H935H4557H30453But Joab replied, "May the LORD multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord's subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?"H3097H559H3068H5971H3967H6471H3254H1992H113H4428H113H5650H113H1245H819H34784The king's word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem.H4428H1697H2388H3097H3097H3318H1980H3478H935H33895Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah.H3097H5414H4557H4662H5971H1732H3478H505H505H3967H505H376H8025H2719H3063H702H3967H7657H505H376H8025H27196But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king's command was repulsive to him.H3878H1144H6485H8432H4428H1697H8581H30977This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel.H430H3415H5869H1697H5221H34788Then David said to God, "I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing."H1732H559H430H2398H3966H6213H1697H5674H5771H5650H3966H55289The LORD said to Gad, David's seer,H3068H1696H1410H1732H2374H55910"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.'"H3212H1696H1732H559H559H3068H5186H7969H977H259H2007H621311So Gad went to David and said to him, "This is what the LORD says: 'Take your choice:H1410H935H1732H559H559H3068H690112three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the LORD—days of plague in the land, with the angel of the LORD ravaging every part of Israel.' Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me."H7969H8141H7458H7969H2320H5595H6440H6862H2719H341H5381H518H7969H3117H2719H3068H1698H776H4397H3068H7843H1366H3478H7200H1697H7725H797113David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men."H1732H559H1410H3966H6887H5307H3027H3068H3966H7227H7356H5307H3027H12014So the LORD sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead.H3068H5414H1698H3478H5307H3478H7657H505H37615And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the LORD saw it and was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, "Enough! Withdraw your hand." The angel of the LORD was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.H430H7971H4397H3389H7843H7843H3068H7200H5162H7451H559H4397H7843H7227H7503H3027H4397H3068H5975H1637H771H298316David looked up and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.H1732H5375H5869H7200H4397H3068H5975H776H8064H8025H2719H3027H5186H3389H1732H2205H3680H8242H5307H644017David said to God, "Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? O LORD my God, let your hand fall upon me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on your people."H1732H559H430H559H5971H4487H2398H7489H7489H6629H6213H3027H3068H430H1H1004H5971H4046

David Builds an Altar

18Then the angel of the LORD ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.H4397H3068H559H1410H559H1732H1732H5927H6965H4196H3068H1637H771H298319So David went up in obedience to the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the LORD.H1732H5927H1697H1410H1696H8034H306820While Araunah was threshing wheat, he turned and saw the angel; his four sons who were with him hid themselves.H771H7725H7200H4397H702H1121H2244H771H1758H240621Then David approached, and when Araunah looked and saw him, he left the threshing floor and bowed down before David with his face to the ground.H1732H935H771H771H5027H7200H1732H3318H1637H7812H1732H639H77622David said to him, "Let me have the site of your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the LORD, that the plague on the people may be stopped. Sell it to me at the full price."H1732H559H771H5414H4725H1637H1129H4196H3068H5414H4392H3701H4046H6113H597123Araunah said to David, "Take it! Let my lord the king do whatever pleases him. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give all this."H771H559H1732H3947H113H4428H6213H2896H5869H7200H5414H1241H5930H4173H6086H2406H4503H541424But King David replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing."H4428H1732H559H771H7069H7069H4392H3701H5375H3068H5927H5930H260025So David paid Araunah six hundred shekels of gold for the site.H1732H5414H771H4725H8337H3967H8255H2091H494826David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the LORD, and the LORD answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.H1732H1129H4196H3068H5927H5930H8002H7121H3068H6030H8064H784H4196H593027Then the LORD spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.H3068H559H4397H7725H2719H7725H508428At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there.H6256H1732H7200H3068H6030H1637H771H2983H207629The tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses had made in the desert, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time on the high place at Gibeon.H4908H3068H4872H6213H4057H4196H5930H6256H1116H139130But David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD.H1732H3201H3212H6440H1875H430H1204H6440H2719H4397H3068