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

1 The LORD burned with anger against Israel again, and he incited David against them: Go and count the people of Israel and Judah.

2 So the king said to Joab and the military commanders who were with him, "Go throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba, and take a census of the people so I know how many people there are."

3 Joab said to the king, "May the LORD your God increase the number of people a hundred times while the eyes of my master the king can still see it! But why does my master the king want to do this?"

4 But the king's word overruled Joab and the military commanders. So Joab and the commanders left the king's presence to take a census of the Israelites.

5 They crossed the Jordan River and began from Aroer and from the town that is in the middle of the valley of Gad, then on to Jazer.

6 They continued to Gilead and on to Kadesh in Hittite territory. They came to Dan and went around to Sidon.

7 They went to the fortress of Tyre and to all the towns of the Hivites and the Canaanites. They went out to Beer-sheba in the arid southern plain of Judah.

8 At the end of nine months and twenty days, after going through the entire country, they came back to Jerusalem.

9 Joab reported to the king the number of the people who had been counted: in Israel there were eight hundred thousand strong men who could handle a sword; in Judah the total was five hundred thousand men.

10 But after this David felt terrible that he had counted the people. David said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, LORD, please take away the guilt of your servant because I have done something very foolish."

11 When David got up the next morning, the LORD's word came to the prophet Gad, David's seer:

12 Go and tell David, This is what the LORD says: I'm offering you three punishments. Choose one of them, and that is what I will do to you.

13 So Gad went to David and said to him, "Will three years of famine come on your land? Or will you run from your enemies for three months while they chase you? Or will there be three days of plague in your land? Decide now what answer I should take back to the one who sent me."

14 "I'm in deep trouble," David said to Gad. "Let's fall into the LORD's hands because his mercy is great, but don't let me fall into human hands."

15 So the LORD sent a plague on Israel from that very morning until the allotted time. Seventy thousand people died, from Dan to Beer-sheba.

16 But when the divine messenger stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD regretted doing this disaster and said to the messenger who was destroying the people, "That's enough! Withdraw your hand." At that time the LORD's messenger was by the threshing floor of Araunah from Jebus.

17 When David saw the messenger who was striking down the people, he said, "I'm the one who sinned! I'm the one who has done wrong. But these sheep—what have they done wrong? Turn your hand against me and my household."

18 That same day Gad came to David and told him, "Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah from Jebus."

19 So David went up, following Gad's instructions, just as the LORD had commanded.

20 Araunah looked up and saw the king and his servants approaching him. Araunah rushed out and bowed low before the king, his nose to the ground.

21 Araunah said, "Why has my master and king come to his servant?" David said, "To buy this threshing floor from you to build an altar to the LORD, so the plague among the people may come to an end."

22 Then Araunah said to David, "Take it for yourself, and may my master the king do what he thinks is best. Here are oxen for the entirely burned offering, and here are threshing boards and oxen yokes for wood.

23 All this, Your Majesty, Araunah gives to the king." Then he added, "May the LORD your God respond favorably to you!"

24 "No," the king said to Araunah. "I will buy them from you at a fair price. I won't offer up to the LORD my God entirely burned offerings that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

25 David built an altar there for the LORD and offered entirely burned offerings and well-being sacrifices. The LORD responded to the prayers for the land, and the plague against Israel came to an end.

1 A heavenly Adversary arose against Israel and incited David to count Israel.

2 So David told Joab and the leaders of the people, "Go throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba, and take a census of the people so I know how many people there are."

3 But Joab replied, "May the LORD increase his people a hundred times! Sir, aren't you the king, and aren't they all your servants? Why do you want to do this? Why bring guilt on Israel?"

4 But the king overruled Joab, who left and traveled throughout all Israel. When he returned to Jerusalem,

5 he reported to David the total number: there were 1,100,000 men available for military service in all Israel, while Judah alone had 470,000.

6 He didn't include Levi and Benjamin among them, because Joab disagreed with the king's order.

7 God was offended by this census and punished Israel.

8 Then David said to God, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done! Now please take away the guilt of your servant because I have done something very foolish."

9 The LORD told Gad, David's seer:

10 Go and tell David, This is what the LORD says: I'm offering you three punishments. Choose one of them, and that is what I will do to you.

11 When Gad came to David, he said to him, "This is what the LORD says: Take your choice:

12 three years of famine, three months of fleeing from your enemies while your enemies' sword overtakes you, or three days of the LORD's sword, that is, plague in the land and the LORD's messenger bringing disaster in every part of Israel. Decide now what answer I should take back to the one who sent me."

13 "I'm in deep trouble," David said to Gad. "I'd rather fall into the hands of the LORD, who is very merciful; don't let me fall into human hands."

14 So the LORD sent a plague throughout Israel, and seventy thousand Israelites fell dead.

15 Then God sent a messenger to Jerusalem to destroy it. But just as the messenger was about to destroy it, the LORD looked and changed his mind about the destruction. He said to the messenger who was destroying it, "That's enough! Withdraw your hand!" At that time the LORD's messenger was standing near the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

16 When David looked up, he saw the LORD's messenger stationed between the earth and the sky with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out against Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, dressed in mourning clothes, fell on their faces;

17 and David said to God, "Wasn't it I who ordered the numbering of the people? I'm the sinner, the one responsible for this evil. But these sheep—what have they done? LORD, my God, turn your hand against me and my household, but spare your people from the plague."

18 The LORD's messenger ordered Gad to tell David that he should go up to the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite in order to set up an altar for the LORD.

19 So David went up, following the instructions Gad had delivered in the LORD's name.

20 Ornan turned around and saw the king. His four sons who were with him hid themselves, but Ornan continued threshing wheat.

21 When David approached Ornan, Ornan looked up, recognized David, left the threshing floor, and bowed to David with his face to the ground.

22 David said to Ornan, "Give me the site of the threshing floor, charging me full price, so that I may build an altar to the LORD, and the plague among the people may come to an end."

23 Ornan replied to David, "Take it for yourself, and may my master the king do what he thinks is best. I'll even provide the oxen for the entirely burned offerings, the threshing boards for wood, and the wheat for the grain offering—I'll provide everything!"

24 But King David said to Ornan, "No, I will buy them from you at a fair price. I won't offer to the LORD what belongs to you nor offer an entirely burned offering that costs me nothing."

25 Then David gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the site.

26 David built an altar there for the LORD and offered entirely burned offerings and well-being sacrifices. He called on the LORD, who answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of the entirely burned offering, consuming the entirely burned offering.

27 Then the LORD commanded the messenger to return his sword to its sheath.

28 At that time, after David saw that the LORD had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there.

29 The LORD's dwelling that Moses had made in the desert and the altar for entirely burned offerings were then at the shrine in Gibeon,

30 but David couldn't go there to seek God because he feared the sword of the LORD's messenger.

1 Then David said, "This is where the LORD God's temple will be, along with Israel's altar for entirely burned offerings."

2 David gave orders to gather the immigrants living in the land of Israel, and he appointed masons who would cut stones for building God's temple.

3 David also provided a huge amount of iron for nails for the doors of the gates and for the braces, so much bronze that it couldn't be weighed,

4 and innumerable cedar logs from the Sidonians and the Tyrians, who gave them to David.

5 David thought, My son Solomon is too inexperienced to build the LORD's temple. It must be great beyond compare in order to win fame and glory throughout all lands, so I myself will prepare things for him. So David made extensive preparations before his death.

6 David sent for his son Solomon and instructed him to build a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel.

7 David said to Solomon, “My son, I had intended to build a temple for the name of the LORD my God.

8 But the LORD told me: You've shed much blood and waged great wars. You won't build a temple for my name because you've spilled so much blood on the ground before me.

9 A son has just been born to you. He'll be a man of peace, and I'll give him peace with all his surrounding enemies. In fact, his name will be Solomon, and I'll give Israel peace and quiet during his reign.

10 He will be the one to build a temple for my name. He'll become my son, and I'll become his father, and I'll establish his royal throne over Israel forever.

11 "Now, my son, may the LORD be with you so that you may successfully build the temple of the LORD your God, as he promised you.

12 May the LORD be sure to give you insight and understanding so that when he appoints you over Israel, you will observe the Instruction from the LORD your God.

13 Then, if you carefully follow the regulations and case laws that the LORD commanded Moses concerning Israel, you'll prosper. Be strong and brave. Don't be afraid or lose heart!

14 With great effort I've now provided for the LORD's temple one hundred thousand kikkars of gold, one million kikkars of silver, and so much bronze and iron that it can't be weighed, as well as wood and stone, though you may add to these.

15 You also have innumerable people to do the work: stonecutters, masons, and carpenters with every skill required for any task,

16 whether in gold, silver, bronze, or iron. So get to work, and may the LORD be with you."

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

18 "The LORD your God is with you! He's given you peace on every side. He's placed under my power the land's people, so that the land is under the control of the LORD and his people.

19 Now then, dedicate yourselves to seeking the LORD your God. Get to work and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that the chest containing the LORD's covenant together with God's holy equipment may be brought into the temple built for the LORD's name."

1 I exalt you, LORD, because you pulled me up; you didn't let my enemies celebrate over me.

2 LORD, my God, I cried out to you for help, and you healed me.

3 LORD, you brought me up from the grave, brought me back to life from among those going down to the pit.

4 You who are faithful to the LORD, sing praises to him; give thanks to his holy name!

5 His anger lasts for only a second, but his favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may stay all night, but by morning, joy!

6 When I was comfortable, I said, "I will never stumble."

7 Because it pleased you, LORD, you made me a strong mountain. But then you hid your presence. I was terrified.

8 I cried out to you, LORD. I begged my Lord for mercy:

9 "What is to be gained by my spilled blood, by my going down into the pit? Does dust thank you? Does it proclaim your faithfulness?

10 LORD, listen and have mercy on me! LORD, be my helper!"

11 You changed my mourning into dancing. You took off my funeral clothes and dressed me up in joy

12 so that my whole being might sing praises to you and never stop. LORD, my God, I will give thanks to you forever.