2
The kingsaid to Joab the commander of the armywho was with him, "Goaboutnow through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and register the people, that I may know the number of the people."
3
But Joabsaid to the king, "Now may the LORD your Godadd to the people a hundredtimes as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see; but why does my lord the kingdelight in thisthing?"
4
Nevertheless, the king'swordprevailedagainstJoab and against the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the armywent out from the presence of the king to register the people of Israel.
9
And Joabgave the number of the registration of the people to the king; and there were in Israeleighthundredthousandvaliantmen who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were fivehundredthousandmen.
10
Now David'shearttroubled him after* he had numbered the people. So Davidsaid to the LORD, "I have sinnedgreatly in what I have done. But now, O LORD, pleasetakeaway the iniquity of Your servant, for I have actedveryfoolishly."
13
So Gadcame to David and told him, and said to him, "Shall sevenyears of faminecome to you in your land? Or will you fleethreemonthsbefore your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be threedays'pestilence in your land? Nowconsider and seewhatanswer I shall return to Him who sent me."
14
Then Davidsaid to Gad, "I am in greatdistress. Let us nowfall into the hand of the LORD for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man."
16
When the angelstretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORDrelented from the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people, "It is enough! Nowrelax your hand!" And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.
17
Then Davidspoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was strikingdown the people, and said, "Behold, it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have donewrong; but thesesheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and against my father'shouse."
21
Then Araunahsaid, "Why has my lord the kingcome to his servant?" And Davidsaid, "To buy the threshingfloor from you, in order to build an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be heldback from the people."
22
Araunahsaid to David, "Let my lord the kingtake and offer up what is good in his sight. Look, the oxen for the burntoffering, the threshingsledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood.
24
However, the kingsaid to Araunah, "No, but I will surelybuy it from you for a price, for I will not offerburntofferings to the LORD my Godwhichcost me nothing." So Davidbought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fiftyshekels of silver.
25
Davidbuiltthere an altar to the LORD and offeredburntofferings and peaceofferings. Thus the LORD was moved by prayer for the land, and the plague was heldback from Israel.