Third Millennium Bible TMB
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he [Satan] moved David against them to say, "Go, number Israel and Judah."
1
The LORD became angry with Israel again, so he provoked David to turn against Israel. He said, "Go, count Israel and Judah."
2 For the king said to Joab the captain of the host who was with him, "Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people."
2
King David said to Joab, the commander of the army who was with him, "Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and count the people. That way I will know how many there are."
3 And Joab said unto the king, "Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many so ever they be, a hundredfold, that the eyes of my lord the king may see it. But why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?"
3
Joab responded to the king, "May the LORD your God multiply the people a hundred times over, and may Your Majesty [live] to see it. But why does Your Majesty wish to do this?"
4 Notwithstanding, the king's word prevailed against Joab and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king to number the people of Israel.
4
However, the king overruled Joab and the commanders of the army. So they left the king [in order] to count the people of Israel.
5 And they passed over the Jordan and pitched camp in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the valley of Gad and toward Jazer.
5
They crossed the Jordan River and camped at Aroer, south of the city in the middle of the valley. Then they went to Gad and to Jazer.
6 Then they came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtimhodshi; and they came to Danjaan and about to Sidon,
6
They went to Gilead and to Tahtim Hodshi and then to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon.
7 and came to the stronghold of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and of the Canaanites; and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beersheba.
7
They went to the fortified city of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Then they went to Beersheba in the Negev of Judah.
8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
8
When they had covered the whole country, they came to Jerusalem after 9 months and 20 days.
9 And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
9
Joab reported the census figures to the king: In Israel there were 800,000 able-bodied men who could serve in the army, and in Judah there were 500,000.
10 And David's heart smote him after he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. And now, I beseech Thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of Thy servant, for I have done very foolishly."
10
After David counted the people, his conscience troubled him. David said to the LORD, "I have committed a terrible sin by what I have done. LORD, please forgive me because I have acted very foolishly."
11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,
11
When David got up in the morning, the LORD spoke his word to the prophet Gad, David's seer.
12 "Go, and say unto David, `Thus saith the LORD: I offer thee three things. Choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.'"
12
"Go and tell David, 'This is what the LORD says: I'm offering you three choices. Choose the one you want me to do to you.'"
13 So Gad came to David and told him, and said unto him, "Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? Or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies while they pursue thee? Or shall there be three days' pestilence in thy land? Now advise, and see what answer I shall return to Him that sent me."
13
When Gad came to David, he told David this and asked, "Should seven years of famine come to you and your land, or three months during which you flee from your enemies as they pursue you, or should there be a three-day plague in your land? Think it over, and decide what answer I should give the one who sent me."
14 And David said unto Gad, "I am in a great strait. Let us fall now into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; and let me not fall into the hand of man."
14
"I'm in a desperate situation," David told Gad. "Please let us fall into the LORD's hands because he is very merciful. But don't let me fall into human hands."
15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed; and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.
15
So the LORD sent a plague among the Israelites from that morning until the time he had chosen. Of the people from Dan to Beersheba, 70,000 died.
16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented of the evil, and said to the angel who destroyed the people, "It is enough: stay now thine hand." And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing place of Araunah the Jebusite.
16
But when the Messenger stretched out his arm to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD changed his mind about the disaster. "Enough!" he said to the Messenger who was destroying the people. "Put down your weapon." The Messenger of the LORD was at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
17 And David spoke unto the LORD when he saw the angel who smote the people, and said, "Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Let Thine hand, I pray Thee, be against me and against my father's house."
17
When David saw the Messenger who had been killing the people, he said to the LORD, "I've sinned. I've done wrong. What have these sheep done? Please let your punishment be against me and against my father's family."
18 And Gad came that day to David and said unto him, "Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite."
18
That day Gad came to David and said to him, "Go, set up an altar for the LORD at Araunah the Jebusite's threshing floor."
19 And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded.
19
David went as Gad had told him and as the LORD had commanded him.
20 And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him; and Araunah went out and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.
20
When Araunah looked down and saw the king and his men coming toward him, he went out and bowed down with his face touching the ground in front of the king.
21 And Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" And David said, "To buy the threshing floor from thee to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people."
21
"Why has Your Majesty come to me?" Araunah asked. David answered, "To buy the threshing floor from you and to build an altar for the LORD. Then the plague on the people will stop."
22 And Araunah said unto David, "Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him. Behold, here are oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood."
22
Araunah said to David, "Take it, Your Majesty, and offer whatever you think is right. There are oxen for the burnt offering, and there are threshers and oxen yokes for firewood."
23 All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, "The LORD thy God accept thee."
23
All this Araunah gave to the king and said, "May the LORD your God accept you."
24 And the king said unto Araunah, "Nay; but I will surely buy it from thee at a price; neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
24
"No!" the king said to Araunah. "I must buy it from you at a [fair] price. I won't offer the LORD my God burnt sacrifices that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for 1¼ pounds of silver.
25 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
25
David built an altar for the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. So the LORD heard the prayers for the country, and the plague on Israel stopped.
Third Millennium Bible (TMB), New Authorized Version, Copyright 1998 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc., Gary, SD 57237. All rights reserved.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.