1
And Satan stood up against Israel, and provokedDavid to numberIsrael.
2
And Davidsaid to Joab and to the rulers of the people,Go, numberIsrael from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.
3
And Joabanswered, The LORD make his people an hundredtimes so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord'sservants? why then doth my lordrequire this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?
4
Nevertheless the king'swordprevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joabdeparted, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
5
And Joabgave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousandthousand and an hundredthousandmen that drewsword: and Judah was fourhundred threescore and tenthousandmen that drewsword.
6
But Levi and Benjamincounted he not among them: for the king'sword was abominable to Joab.
7
And God was displeased* with this thing; therefore he smoteIsrael.
8
And Davidsaid unto God, I have sinnedgreatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done veryfoolishly.
10
Go and tellDavid,saying, Thus saith the LORD, I offer[a] thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
11
So Gadcame to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD,Choose[b] thee
12
Either threeyears'famine; or threemonths to be destroyedbefore thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemiesovertaketh thee; or else threedays the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORDdestroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.
13
And Davidsaid unto Gad, I am in a greatstrait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for verygreat[c] are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.
14
So the LORDsentpestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israelseventythousandmen.
15
And Godsent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORDbeheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough,stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORDstood by the threshingfloor of Ornan[d] the Jebusite.
16
And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORDstand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawnsword 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 Davidsaid unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evilindeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father'shouse; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.
18
Then the angel of the LORDcommandedGad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
Excepting the three last verses, is contained in 2Sa 24:1-25 with some few variations, which are there observed; see the notes there. 18894-950102-2025-1Ch21.2