24Once again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he caused David to harm them by taking a census. "Go and count the people of Israel and Judah," the LORD told him.H3254H639H3068H2734H3478H5496H1732H559H3212H4487H3478H30632So the king said to Joab and the commanders of the army, "Take a census of all the tribes of Israel—from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south—so I may know how many people there are."H4428H559H3097H8269H2428H7751H7626H3478H1835H884H6485H5971H3045H4557H59713But Joab replied to the king, "May the LORD your God let you live to see a hundred times as many people as there are now! But why, my lord the king, do you want to do this?"H3097H559H4428H3068H430H3254H5971H1992H3967H6471H5869H113H4428H7200H113H4428H2654H16974But the king insisted that they take the census, so Joab and the commanders of the army went out to count the people of Israel.H4428H1697H2388H3097H8269H2428H3097H8269H2428H3318H6440H4428H6485H5971H34785First they crossed the Jordan and camped at Aroer, south of the town in the valley, in the direction of Gad. Then they went on to Jazer,H5674H3383H2583H6177H3225H5892H8432H5158H1410H32706then to Gilead in the land of Tahtim-hodshi and to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon.H935H1568H776H8483H935H1842H5439H67217Then they came to the fortress of Tyre, and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went south to Judah as far as Beersheba.H935H4013H6865H5892H2340H3669H3318H5045H3063H8848Having gone through the entire land for nine months and twenty days, they returned to Jerusalem.H7751H776H935H3389H7097H8672H2320H6242H31179Joab reported the number of people to the king. There were 800,000 capable warriors in Israel who could handle a sword, and 500,000 in Judah.H3097H5414H4557H4662H5971H4428H3478H8083H3967H505H2428H376H381H8025H2719H376H3063H2568H3967H505H376
Judgment for David’s Sin
10But after he had taken the census, David's conscience began to bother him. And he said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt, LORD, for doing this foolish thing."H1732H3820H5221H310H5608H5971H1732H559H3068H2398H3966H6213H3068H5674H5771H5650H3966H552811The next morning the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, who was David's seer. This was the message.H1732H6965H1242H1697H3068H5030H1410H1732H2374H55912"Go and say to David, 'This is what the LORD says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.'"H1980H559H1732H1696H3068H5190H7969H977H259H621313So Gad came to David and asked him, "Will you choose three years of famine throughout your land, three months of fleeing from your enemies, or three days of severe plague throughout your land? Think this over and decide what answer I should give the LORD who sent me."H1410H935H1732H5046H559H7651H8141H7458H935H776H5127H7969H2320H6440H6862H7291H7969H3117H1698H776H3045H7200H1697H7725H797114"I'm in a desperate situation!" David replied to Gad. "But let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands."H1732H559H1410H3966H6887H5307H3027H3068H7356H7227H5307H3027H12015So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel that morning, and it lasted for three days. A total of 70,000 people died throughout the nation, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south.H3068H5414H1698H3478H1242H6256H4150H4191H5971H1835H884H7657H505H37616But as the angel was preparing to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented and said to the death angel, "Stop! That is enough!" At that moment the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.H4397H7971H3027H3389H7843H3068H5162H7451H559H4397H7843H5971H7227H7503H3027H4397H3068H1637H728H298317When David saw the angel, he said to the LORD, "I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep—what have they done? Let your anger fall against me and my family."H1732H559H3068H7200H4397H5221H5971H559H2398H5753H6629H6213H3027H1H1004
David Builds an Altar
18That day Gad came to David and said to him, "Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite."H1410H935H3117H1732H559H5927H6965H4196H3068H1637H728H298319So David went up to do what the LORD had commanded him.H1732H1697H1410H5927H3068H668020When Araunah saw the king and his men coming toward him, he came and bowed before the king with his face to the ground.H728H8259H7200H4428H5650H5674H728H3318H7812H4428H639H77621"Why have you come, my lord the king?" Araunah asked. David replied, "I have come to buy your threshing floor and to build an altar to the LORD there, so that he will stop the plague."H728H559H113H4428H935H5650H1732H559H7069H1637H1129H4196H3068H4046H6113H597122"Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish," Araunah said to David. "Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and you can use the threshing boards and ox yokes for wood to build a fire on the altar.H728H559H1732H113H4428H3947H5927H2896H5869H7200H1241H5930H4173H3627H1241H608623I will give it all to you, Your Majesty, and may the LORD your God accept your sacrifice."H728H4428H5414H4428H728H559H4428H3068H430H752124But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the LORD my God that have cost me nothing." So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen.H4428H559H728H7069H7069H4242H5927H5930H3068H430H2600H1732H7069H1637H1241H2572H8255H370125David built an altar there to the LORD and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the LORD answered his prayer for the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.H1732H1129H4196H3068H5927H5930H8002H3068H6279H776H4046H6113H3478
Ashburn, VA
of the army, "Take a census of all the tribes of Israel—from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south—so I may know how many people there are."H4428
