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 the sum of the number of the people to David. And all [they of] Israel were a thousand thousand and a hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah [was] four hundred and seventy thousand men that drew sword.
6
But Levi and Benjamin he counted not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.
7
And God was displeased with this thing, therefore he smote Israel.
8
And David said to God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
9
And the LORD spoke to Gad, David's seer, saying,
10
Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee [three] things; choose thee one of them, that I may do [it] to thee.
11
So Gad came to David, and said to him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee
12
Either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while the sword of thy enemies overtaketh [thee]; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.
13
And David said to Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great [are] his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.
14
So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.
15
And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thy hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
16
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 [of Israel], [who were] clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
17
And David said to God, [Is it] not I [that] commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but [as for] these sheep, what have they done? let thy hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be afflicted.
18
Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and erect an altar to the LORD in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19
And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spoke in the name of the LORD.
20
And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.
21
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 ground.
22
Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of [this] threshing-floor, that I may build an altar in it to the LORD: thou shalt grant it to me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.
23
And Ornan said to 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 [also] for burnt-offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat-offering; I give it all.
24
And king David said to Ornan, No; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take [that] which [is] thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt-offerings without cost.