2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21; 1 Chronicles 22; Psalms 30

2 Samuel 24

1 The LORD's anger burned against Israel. He stirred up David against them. He said, "Go! Count the men of Israel and Judah."

2 So the king spoke to Joab and the army commanders who were with him. He said, "Go all through the territories of the tribes of Israel. Go from Dan all the way to Beersheba. Count the fighting men. Then I'll know how many there are."

3 Joab replied to the king. He said, "King David, you are my master. May the LORD your God multiply the troops 100 times. And may you live to see it. But why would you want me to count the fighting men?"

4 In spite of what Joab said, the king's word had more authority than the word of Joab and the army commanders did. So they left the king and went out to count the fighting men of Israel.

5 They went across the Jordan River. They camped south of the town in the middle of the Arnon River valley near Aroer. Then they went through Gad and continued on to Jazer.

6 They went to Gilead and the area of Tahtim Hodshi. They continued to Dan Jaan and on around toward Sidon.

7 Then they went toward the fort of Tyre. They went to all of the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba. It was in the Negev Desert of Judah.

8 They finished going through the entire land. Then they came back to Jerusalem. They had been gone for nine months and 20 days.

9 Joab reported to the king how many fighting men he had counted. In Israel there were 800,000 men who were able to handle a sword. In Judah there were 500,000.

10 David felt sorry that he had counted the fighting men. So he said to the Lord, "I committed a great sin when I counted Judah and Israel's men. Lord, I beg you to take away my guilt. I've done a very foolish thing."

11 Before David got up the next morning, a message from the LORD came to the prophet Gad. He was David's seer. The message said,

12 "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." ' "

13 So Gad went to David. He said to him, "Take your choice. Do you want three years when there won't be enough food in your land? Or do you want three months when you will run away from your enemies while they chase you? Or do you want three days when there will be a plague in your land? Think it over. Then take your pick. Tell me how to answer the One who sent me."

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

15 So the LORD sent a plague on Israel. It lasted from that morning until he decided to end it. From Dan all the way to Beersheba 70,000 people died.

16 The angel reached his hand out to destroy Jerusalem. But the LORD was very sad because of the plague. So he spoke to the angel who was making the people suffer. He said, "That is enough! Do not kill any more people." The angel of the LORD was at Araunah's threshing floor. Araunah was from the city of Jebus.

17 David saw the angel who was striking the people down. David said to the Lord, "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? Let your powerful hand punish me and my family."

18 On that day Gad went to David. Gad said to him, "Go up to the threshing floor of Araunah, the Jebusite. Build an altar there to honor the Lord."

19 So David went up and did it. He did what the LORD had commanded through Gad.

20 Araunah looked and saw the king and his officials coming toward him. So he went out to welcome them. He bowed down to the king with his face toward the ground.

21 Araunah said, "King David, you are my master. Why have you come to see me?" "To buy your threshing floor," David answered. "I want to build an altar there to honor the Lord. When I do, the plague on the people will be stopped."

22 Araunah said to David, "Take anything that pleases you. Offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering. Here are threshing sleds. And here are wooden collars from the necks of the oxen. Use all of the wood to burn the offering.

23 King David, I'll give all of it to you." Araunah continued, "And may the LORD your God accept you."

24 But the king replied to Araunah, "No. I want to pay you for it. I won't sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that haven't cost me anything." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen. He paid 20 ounces of silver for them.

25 David built an altar there to honor the Lord. He sacrificed burnt offerings and friendship offerings. Then the LORD answered prayer and blessed the land. The plague on Israel was stopped.

1 Chronicles 21

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."

18 Then the angel of the LORD ordered Gad to tell David to go up to the threshing floor of Araunah, the Jebusite. He wanted David to build an altar there to honor the Lord.

19 So David went up and did it. He obeyed the message that Gad had spoken in the LORD's name.

20 Araunah was threshing wheat. He turned and saw the angel. His four children were with him. They hid themselves.

21 David approached the threshing floor. Araunah looked up and saw him. So Araunah left the threshing floor. He bowed down to David with his face toward the ground.

22 David said to him, "Let me have the property your threshing floor is on. I want to build an altar there to honor the Lord. When I do, the plague on the people will be stopped. Sell the threshing floor to me for the full price."

23 Araunah said to David, "Take it! King David, you are my master. Do what you please. I'll even provide the oxen for the burnt offerings. Use boards from the threshing sleds for the wood. Use the wheat for the grain offering. I'll give all of it to you."

24 But King David replied to Araunah, "No! I want to pay the full price. I won't take what belongs to you and give it to the Lord. I won't sacrifice a burnt offering that hasn't cost me anything."

25 So David paid Araunah 15 pounds of gold for the property.

26 David built an altar there to honor the Lord. He sacrificed burnt offerings and friendship offerings. He called out to the Lord. The LORD answered him by sending fire from heaven on the altar for burnt offerings.

27 Then the LORD spoke to the angel. And the angel put his sword away.

28 When the angel did that, David was still at the threshing floor of Araunah, the Jebusite. David saw that the LORD had answered him. So he offered sacrifices there.

29 At that time, the LORD's holy tent was at the high place in Gibeon. The altar for burnt offerings was there too. Moses had made the holy tent in the desert.

30 David couldn't go to the tent to pray to God. That's because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord.

1 Chronicles 22

1 David announced, "The house of the LORD God will be built here. Israel's altar for burnt offerings will also be here."

2 David gave orders to bring together the outsiders who were living in Israel. He appointed some of them to cut stones. He wanted them to prepare blocks of stone for building the house of God.

3 David provided a large amount of iron to make nails. They were for the doors of the gates and for the fittings. He provided more bronze than anyone could weigh.

4 He also provided more cedar logs than anyone could count. The people of Sidon and Tyre brought large numbers of logs to David.

5 David said, "My son Solomon is young. He's never done anything like this before. The house that will be built for the LORD should be very grand and wonderful. It should be famous and beautiful in the eyes of all of the nations. I'll get things ready for it." So David got many things ready before he died.

6 Then he sent for his son Solomon. He told him to build a house for the Lord, the God of Israel.

7 David said to Solomon, "My son, with all my heart I wanted to build a house for the LORD my God. That's where his Name will be.

8 But a message from the LORD came to me. It said, 'You have spilled the blood of many people. You have fought many wars. You are not the one who will build a house for my Name. That is because I have seen you spill the blood of many people on the earth.

9 " 'But you are going to have a son. He will be a man of peace. And I will give him peace and rest from all of his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon. I will give Israel peace and quiet while he is king.

10 He will build a house for my Name. He will be my son. And I will be his father. I will make his kingdom secure over Israel. It will last forever.'

11 "My son, may the LORD be with you. May you have success. May you build the house of the LORD your God, just as he said you would.

12 May the LORD give you good sense. May he give you understanding when he makes you king over Israel. Then you will keep the law of the LORD your God.

13 "Be careful to obey the rules and laws the LORD gave Moses for Israel. Then you will have success. Be strong and brave. Don't be afraid. Don't lose hope.

14 "I've tried very hard to provide for the LORD's temple. I've provided 3,750 tons of gold and 37,500 tons of silver. I've provided more bronze and iron than anyone can weigh. I've also given plenty of wood and stone. You can add to it.

15 "You have a lot of workers. You have people who can cut stones and people who can lay the stones. You have people who can work with wood. You also have people who are skilled in every other kind of work.

16 Some of them can work with gold and silver. Others can work with bronze and iron. There are more workers than anyone can count. So begin the work. May the LORD be with you."

17 Then David ordered all of Israel's leaders to help his son Solomon.

18 He said to them, "The LORD your God is with you. He's given you peace and rest on every side. He's handed the people who are living in the land over to me. The land has been brought under the control of the LORD and his people.

19 "So look to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul. Start building the temple of the LORD God. Then bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD into it. Also bring in the sacred articles that belong to God. The temple will be built for the Name of the Lord."

Psalms 30

1 Lord, I will give you honor. You brought me out of deep trouble. You didn't give my enemies the joy of seeing me die.

2 LORD my God, I called out to you for help. And you healed me.

3 Lord, you brought me up from the edge of the grave. You kept me from going down into the pit.

4 Sing to the Lord, you who are faithful to him. Praise him, because his name is holy.

5 His anger lasts for only a moment. But his favor lasts for a person's whole life. Sobbing can remain through the night. But joy comes in the morning.

6 When I felt safe, I said, "I will always be secure."

7 Lord, when you showed me your favor, you made my mountain stand firm. But when you turned your face away from me, I was terrified.

8 Lord, I called out to you. I cried to you for your favor.

9 I said, "What good will come if I die? What good will come if I go down into the grave? Can the dust of my dead body praise you? Can it tell how faithful you are?

10 Lord, hear me. Show me your favor. Lord, help me."

11 You turned my loud crying into dancing. You removed my black clothes and dressed me with joy.

12 So my heart will sing to you. I can't keep silent. Lord, my God, I will give you thanks forever.