Parallel Bible results for "1 chronicles 21:1-17"

1 Chronicles 21:1-17

New International Reader's Version NIRV

1 Satan rose up against Israel. He stirred up David to count the men of Israel.

2 So David spoke to Joab and the commanders of the troops. He said, "Go! Count the men of Israel from Beersheba all the way to Dan. Report back to me. Then I'll know how many there are."

3 Joab replied, "May the LORD multiply his troops 100 times. King David, you are my master. Aren't all of the men under your control? Why would you want me to count them? Do you want to make Israel guilty?"

4 In spite of what Joab said, the king's word had more authority than Joab's word did. So Joab left and went all through Israel. Then he came back to Jerusalem.

5 Joab reported to David how many fighting men he had counted. In the whole land of Israel there were 1,100,000 men who could use a sword well. That included 470,000 men in Judah.

6 But Joab didn't include the tribes of Levi and Benjamin in the total number. The king's command was sickening to Joab.

7 It was also evil in the sight of God. So he punished Israel.

8 Then David said to God, "I committed a great sin when I counted Israel's men. I beg you to take away my guilt. I've done a very foolish thing."

9 The LORD spoke to David's prophet Gad. He said,

10 "Go and tell David, 'The LORD says, "I could punish you in three different ways. Choose one of them for me to use against you." ' "

11 So Gad went to David. He said to him, "The LORD says, 'Take your choice.

12 You can have three years when there will not be enough food in the land. You can have three months when your enemies will sweep you away. They will catch up with you. They will cut you down with their swords. Or you can have three days when my sword will punish you. That means there would be three days of plague in the land. My angel would strike people down in every part of Israel.' "So take your pick. Tell me how to answer the One who sent me."

13 David said to Gad, "I'm suffering terribly. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord. His mercy is very great. But don't let me fall into the hands of men."

14 So the LORD sent a plague on Israel. And 70,000 Israelites died.

15 God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing it, the LORD saw it. He was very sad because of the plague. So he spoke to the angel who was destroying the people. He said, "That is enough! Do not kill any more people!" The angel of the LORD was standing at Araunah's threshing floor. Araunah was from the city of Jebus.

16 David looked up. He saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth. The angel was holding out a sword over Jerusalem. David and the elders fell with their faces to the ground. They were wearing black clothes.

17 David said to God, "I ordered the fighting men to be counted. I'm the one who has sinned. I'm the one who has done what is wrong. These people are like sheep. What have they done? LORD my God, let your powerful hand punish me and my family. But don't let this plague continue to strike your people."

New International Version NIV

1 Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.

2 So 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.”

3 But 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?”

4 The king’s word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem.

5 Joab 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.

6 But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king’s command was repulsive to him.

7 This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel.

8 Then 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.”

9 The LORD said to Gad, David’s seer,

10 “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.’ ”

11 So Gad went to David and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Take your choice:

12 three 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.”

13 David 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 human hands.”

14 So the LORD sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead.

15 And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the LORD saw it and relented concerning the disaster 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.

16 David 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.

17 David said to God, “Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I, the shepherd, have sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? LORD my God, let your hand fall on me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on your people.”