2 Samuel 24 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

David Sins in Taking a Census

1 And again ^H3254 the anger ^H639 of Yahweh ^H3068 burned ^H2734 against Israel ^H3478, and it incited ^H5496 David ^H1732 against them to say ^H559, “Go ^H1980, number ^H4487 Israel ^H3478 and Judah ^H3063.”

2 So the king ^H4428 said ^H559 to Joab ^H3097 the commander ^H8269 of the military ^H2428 force ^H2428 who ^H834 was with him, “Go ^H7751 about ^H7751 now ^H4994 through all ^H3605 the tribes ^H7626 of Israel ^H3478, from Dan ^H1835 to Beersheba ^H884, and [fn]take ^H6485 a ^H6485 census ^H6485 of the people ^H5971, that I may know ^H3045 the total count ^H4557 of the people ^H5971.” 3 But Joab ^H3097 said ^H559 to the king ^H4428, “Now may Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 add ^H3254 to the people ^H5971 a hundred ^H3967 times ^H6471 as many as they are, while the eyes ^H5869 of my lord ^H113 the king ^H4428 still see ^H7200; but why ^H4100 does my lord ^H113 the king ^H4428 delight ^H2654 in this ^H2088 thing ^H1697?” 4 Nevertheless, the king’s ^H4428 word ^H1697 stood strong ^H2388 against ^H413 Joab ^H3097 and against ^H5921 the commanders ^H8269 of the military ^H2428 force ^H2428. So Joab ^H3097 and the commanders ^H8269 of the military ^H2428 force ^H2428 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 from the presence ^H6440 of the king ^H4428 to [fn]take ^H6485 a ^H6485 census ^H6485 of the people ^H5971 of Israel ^H3478. 5 And they crossed ^H5674 the Jordan ^H3383 and camped ^H2583 in Aroer ^H6177, on the right ^H3225 side ^H3225 of the city ^H5892 that is in the middle ^H8432 of the valley ^H5158 of Gad ^H1410 and toward ^H413 Jazer ^H3270. 6 Then they came ^H935 to Gilead ^H1568 and to [fn]the land ^H776 of Tahtim-hodshi ^H8483, and they came ^H935 to Dan-jaan ^H1842 and around ^H5439 to Sidon ^H6721, 7 and came ^H935 to the fortified ^H4013 city of Tyre ^H6865 and to all ^H3605 the cities ^H5892 of the Hivites ^H2340 and of the Canaanites ^H3669, and they went ^H3318 out ^H3318 to the south ^H5045 of Judah ^H3063, to Beersheba ^H884. 8 So they had gone ^H7751 about ^H7751 through the whole ^H3605 land ^H776, and they came ^H935 to Jerusalem ^H3389 at the end ^H7097 of nine ^H8672 months ^H2320 and twenty ^H6242 days ^H3117. 9 And Joab ^H3097 gave ^H5414 the total count ^H4557 of the [fn]census ^H4662 of the people ^H5971 to the king ^H4428; and there were in Israel ^H3478 800,000 ^{H8083 H3967 H505} valiant ^H2428 men ^H376 who drew ^H8025 the sword ^H2719, and the men ^H376 of Judah ^H3063 were 500,000 ^{H2568 H3967 H505} men ^H376.

10 Then David’s ^H1732 heart ^H3820 struck ^H5221 him after ^H310 H3651 he had counted ^H5608 the people ^H5971. So David ^H1732 said ^H559 to Yahweh ^H3068, “I have sinned ^H2398 greatly ^H3966 in what ^H834 I have done ^H6213. But now ^H6258, O Yahweh ^H3068, please ^H4994 [fn]take ^H5674 away ^H5674 the iniquity ^H5771 of Your slave ^H5650, for I have acted ^H5528 very ^H3966 foolishly ^H5528.” 11 Then David ^H1732 arose ^H6965 in the morning ^H1242, and the word ^H1697 of Yahweh ^H3068 came ^H1961 to the prophet ^H5030 Gad ^H1410, David’s ^H1732 seer ^H2374, saying ^H559, 12 “Go ^H1980 and speak ^H1696 to David ^H1732, ‘Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068, “I am offering ^H5190 you three ^H7969 things ^H7969; choose ^H977 for yourself one ^H259 of them, and I will do ^H6213 that to you.”’” 13 So Gad ^H1410 came ^H935 to David ^H1732 and told ^H5046 him, and said ^H559 to him, “Shall seven ^H7651 years ^H8141 of famine ^H7458 come ^H935 to you in your land ^H776? Or ^H518 will you flee ^H5127 three ^H7969 months ^H2320 before ^H6440 your adversaries ^H6862 while they pursue ^H7291 you? Or shall there be three ^H7969 days’ ^H3117 pestilence ^H1698 in your land ^H776? Now ^H6258, know ^H3045 and see ^H7200 what ^H4100 word ^H1697 I should return ^H7725 to Him who sent ^H7971 me.” 14 Then David ^H1732 said ^H559 to Gad ^H1410, “I am in great ^H3966 distress ^H6887. Let us now ^H4994 fall ^H5307 into the hand ^H3027 of Yahweh ^H3068, for His compassions ^H7356 are abundant ^H7227. But do not let me fall ^H5307 into the hand ^H3027 of man ^H120.”

15 So Yahweh ^H3068 [fn]sent ^H5414 a pestilence ^H1698 against Israel ^H3478 from the morning ^H1242 until ^H5704 the appointed ^H4150 time ^H6256, and 70,000 ^H7657 H505 men ^H376 of the people ^H5971 from Dan ^H1835 to Beersheba ^H884 died ^H4191. 16 Then the angel ^H4397 sent ^H7971 forth ^H7971 his hand ^H3027 toward Jerusalem ^H3389 to destroy ^H7843 it, and Yahweh ^H3068 [fn]relented ^H5162 of the calamity ^H7451 and said ^H559 to the angel ^H4397 who destroyed ^H7843 the people ^H5971, “It is enough ^H7227! Now ^H6258 relax ^H7503 your hand ^H3027!” And the angel ^H4397 of Yahweh ^H3068 was by the threshing ^H1637 floor ^H1637 of Araunah ^H728 the Jebusite ^H2983. 17 Then David ^H1732 spoke ^H559 to Yahweh ^H3068 when he saw ^H7200 the angel ^H4397 who was striking ^H5221 down ^H5221 the people ^H5971, and said ^H559, “Behold ^H2009, it is I who have sinned ^H2398, and it is I who have done ^H5753 unrighteousness ^H5753; but these ^H428 sheep ^H6629, what ^H4100 have they done ^H6213? Please ^H4994 let Your hand ^H3027 be against me and my father’s ^H1 house ^H1004.”

David Erects an Altar

18 So Gad ^H1410 came ^H935 to David ^H1732 that day ^H3117 and said ^H559 to him, “Go ^H5927 up ^H5927, erect ^H6965 an altar ^H4196 to Yahweh ^H3068 on the threshing ^H1637 floor ^H1637 of [fn]Araunah ^H728 the Jebusite ^H2983.”

19 So David ^H1732 went ^H5927 up ^H5927 according to the word ^H1697 of Gad ^H1410, just ^H834 as Yahweh ^H3068 had commanded ^H6680. 20 And Araunah ^H728 looked ^H8259 down ^H8259 and saw ^H7200 the king ^H4428 and his servants ^H5650 crossing ^H5674 over ^H5674 toward ^H5921 him; and Araunah ^H728 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 and bowed ^H2331 his face ^H639 to the ground ^H776 before the king ^H4428. 21 Then Araunah ^H728 said ^H559, “Why ^H4069 has my lord ^H113 the king ^H4428 come ^H935 to his servant ^H5650?” And David ^H1732 said ^H559, “To buy ^H7069 the threshing ^H1637 floor ^H1637 from you, in order to build ^H1129 an altar ^H4196 to Yahweh ^H3068, that the plague ^H4046 may be checked ^H6113 from being upon the people ^H5971.” 22 And Araunah ^H728 said ^H559 to David ^H1732, “Let my lord ^H113 the king ^H4428 take ^H3947 and offer ^H5927 up ^H5927 what ^H2896 is ^H2896 good ^H2896 in his sight ^H5869. Look ^H7200, the oxen ^H1241 for the burnt ^H5930 offering ^H5930, the threshing ^H4173 sledges ^H4173 and the yokes ^H3627 of the oxen ^H1241 for the wood ^H6086. 23 Everything ^H3605, O king ^H4428, Araunah ^H728 gives ^H5414 to the king ^H4428.” And Araunah ^H728 said ^H559 to the king ^H4428, “May Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 accept ^H7521 you.” 24 However, the king ^H4428 said ^H559 to Araunah ^H728, “No ^H3808, but I will surely ^H7069 buy ^H7069 it from you for a price ^H4242, for I will not offer ^H5927 burnt ^H5930 offerings ^H5930 to Yahweh ^H3068 my God ^H430 [fn]which ^H2600 cost ^H2600 me nothing ^H2600.” So David ^H1732 bought ^H7069 the threshing ^H1637 floor ^H1637 and the oxen ^H1241 for fifty ^H2572 [fn]shekels ^H8255 of silver ^H3701. 25 Then David ^H1732 built ^H1129 there ^H8033 an altar ^H4196 to Yahweh ^H3068 and offered ^H5927 burnt ^H5930 offerings ^H5930 and peace ^H8002 offerings ^H8002. Thus Yahweh ^H3068 was moved ^H6279 by ^H6279 the entreaty ^H6279 for the land ^H776, and the plague ^H4046 was checked ^H6113 from being upon Israel ^H3478.