1 Chronicles 21 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Census Brings Plague

1 Then Satan ^H7854 stood ^H5975 up against ^H5921 Israel ^H3478 and incited ^H5496 David ^H1732 to count ^H4487 Israel ^H3478.

2 So David ^H1732 said ^H559 to Joab ^H3097 and to the leaders ^H8269 of the people ^H5971, “Go ^H1980, count ^H5608 Israel ^H3478 from Beersheba ^H884 to Dan ^H1835, and bring ^H935 me word so that I may know ^H3045 their number ^H4557.” 3 But Joab ^H3097 said ^H559, “May the LORD ^H3068 add ^H3254 to His people ^H5971 a hundred ^H3967 times ^H6471 as many as they are! My lord ^H113 the king ^H4428, are they not all ^H3605 my lord’s ^H113 servants ^H5650? Why ^H4100 does my lord ^H113 seek ^H1245 this ^H2088 thing ^H2088? Why ^H4100 should he be a cause ^H819 of ^H819 guilt ^H819 to Israel ^H3478?” 4 Nevertheless, the king’s ^H4428 word ^H1697 prevailed ^H2388 against ^H5921 Joab ^H3097. Therefore, Joab ^H3097 departed ^H3318 and went ^H1980 throughout ^H3605 Israel ^H3478, and came ^H935 to Jerusalem ^H3389. 5 Then Joab ^H3097 gave ^H5414 the number ^H4557 of the census ^H4662 of the people ^H5971 to David ^H1732. Israel ^H3478 was 1,100,000 ^H505 H3967 men ^H376 in all ^H3605 who drew ^H8025 the sword ^H2719; and Judah ^H3063 was 470,000 ^{H702 H3967 H7657 H505} men ^H376 who drew ^H8025 the sword ^H2719. 6 But he did not [fn]count ^H6485 Levi ^H3878 and Benjamin ^H1144 among ^H8432 them, because ^H3588 the king’s ^H4428 [fn]command ^H1697 was ^H8581 abhorrent ^H8581 to Joab ^H3097.

7 Now [fn]God ^H430 was displeased ^H7489 H5869 with this ^H2088 thing ^H1697, so He struck ^H5221 Israel ^H3478. 8 David ^H1732 said ^H559 to God ^H430, “I have sinned ^H2398 greatly ^H3966, [fn]by doing ^H6213 this ^H2088 thing ^H1697. But now ^H6258, please ^H4994 overlook ^H5674 Your servant’s ^H5650 guilt ^H5771, for I have behaved ^H5528 very ^H3966 foolishly ^H5528.”

9 The LORD ^H3068 spoke ^H1696 to Gad ^H1410, David’s ^H1732 seer ^H2374, saying ^H559, 10 “Go ^H1980 and speak ^H1696 to David ^H1732, saying ^H559, ‘This ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 the LORD ^H3068 says ^H559: “I extend ^H5186 to you three ^H7969 choices; choose ^H977 for yourself one ^H259 of them, which I will do ^H6213 to you.”’” 11 So Gad ^H1410 came ^H935 to David ^H1732 and said ^H559 to him, “This ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 the LORD ^H3068 says ^H559: ‘Take ^H6901 for yourself 12 three ^H7969 years ^H8141 of famine ^H7458, or three ^H7969 months ^H2320 to be swept ^H5595 away ^H5595 before ^H4480 H6440 your foes ^H6862 while the sword ^H2719 of your enemies ^H340 overtakes ^H5381 you, or else three ^H7969 days ^H3117 of the sword ^H2719 of the LORD ^H3068: a plague ^H1698 in the land ^H776, and the angel ^H4397 of the LORD ^H3068 destroying ^H7843 throughout ^H3605 the territory ^H1366 of Israel ^H3478.’ Now ^H6258, therefore, consider ^H7200 what ^H4100 answer ^H1697 I shall bring ^H7725 back ^H7725 to Him who sent ^H7971 me.” 13 David ^H1732 said ^H559 to Gad ^H1410, “I am ^H6887 in ^H6887 great ^H3966 distress ^H6887; please ^H4994 let me fall ^H5307 into the hand ^H3027 of the LORD ^H3068, for His mercies ^H7356 are very ^H3966 great ^H7227. But do not let me fall ^H5307 into human ^H120 hands ^H3027.”

14 So the LORD ^H3068 [fn]sent ^H5414 a plague ^H1698 on Israel ^H3478; seventy ^H7657 thousand ^H505 men ^H376 of Israel ^H3478 fell ^H5307. 15 And God ^H430 sent ^H7971 an angel ^H4397 to Jerusalem ^H3389 to destroy ^H7843 it; but as he was about to destroy ^H7843 it, the LORD ^H3068 saw ^H7200 and was ^H5162 sorry ^H5162 about ^H5921 the catastrophe ^H7451, and said ^H559 to the destroying ^H7843 angel ^H4397, “It is enough ^H7227; now ^H6258 relax ^H7503 your hand ^H3027.” And the angel ^H4397 of the LORD ^H3068 was standing ^H5975 by the threshing ^H1637 floor ^H1637 of [fn]Ornan ^H771 the Jebusite ^H2983. 16 Then David ^H1732 raised ^H5375 his eyes ^H5869 and saw ^H7200 the angel ^H4397 of the LORD ^H3068 standing ^H5975 between ^H996 earth ^H776 and heaven ^H8064, with his drawn ^H8025 sword ^H2719 in his hand ^H3027 stretched ^H5186 out ^H5186 over ^H5921 Jerusalem ^H3389. Then David ^H1732 and the elders ^H2205, covered ^H3680 with sackcloth ^H8242, fell ^H5307 on their faces ^H6440. 17 And David ^H1732 said ^H559 to God ^H430, “Is it not I who [fn]commanded ^H559 to count ^H4487 the people ^H5971? Indeed, I am the one who ^H834 has sinned ^H2398 and acted ^H7489 very ^H7489 wickedly ^H7489, but these ^H428 sheep ^H6629, what ^H4100 have they done ^H6213? LORD ^H3068, my God ^H430, just ^H4994 let Your hand ^H3027 be against me and my father’s ^H1 household ^H1004, and not against Your people ^H5971 as a plague ^H4046.”

David’s Altar

18 Then the angel ^H4397 of the LORD ^H3068 [fn]commanded ^H559 Gad ^H1410 to say ^H559 to David ^H1732, that David ^H1732 was to go ^H5927 up ^H5927 and build ^H6965 an altar ^H4196 to the LORD ^H3068 on the threshing ^H1637 floor ^H1637 of Ornan ^H771 the Jebusite ^H2983.

19 So David ^H1732 went ^H5927 up ^H5927 at the word ^H1697 of Gad ^H1410, which ^H834 he spoke ^H1696 in the name ^H8034 of the LORD ^H3068. 20 Now Ornan ^H771 turned ^H7725 back ^H7725 and saw ^H7200 the angel ^H4397, and his four ^H702 sons ^H1121 who were with him hid ^H2244 themselves. And Ornan ^H771 was threshing ^H1758 wheat ^H2406. 21 As David ^H1732 came ^H935 to Ornan ^H771, Ornan ^H771 looked ^H5027 and saw ^H7200 David ^H1732, and went ^H3318 out ^H3318 from the threshing ^H1637 floor ^H1637 and prostrated ^H2331 himself to David ^H1732 with his face ^H639 to the ground ^H776. 22 Then David ^H1732 said ^H559 to Ornan ^H771, “Give ^H5414 me the [fn]site ^H4725 of this threshing ^H1637 floor ^H1637, so that I may build ^H1129 on it an altar ^H4196 to the LORD ^H3068; you shall give ^H5414 it to me for the full ^H4392 price ^H3701, so that the plague ^H4046 may be brought ^H6113 to ^H6113 a ^H6113 halt ^H6113 from the people ^H5971.” 23 But Ornan ^H771 said ^H559 to David ^H1732, “Take ^H3947 it for yourself, and may my lord ^H113 the king ^H4428 do ^H6213 what ^H2896 is ^H2896 good ^H2896 in his sight ^H5869. See ^H7200, I am giving ^H5414 the oxen ^H1241 for burnt ^H5930 offerings ^H5930, and the threshing ^H4173 sledges ^H4173 for wood ^H6086 and the wheat ^H2406 for the grain offering ^H4503; I am giving ^H5414 it all ^H3605.” 24 Nevertheless, King ^H4428 David ^H1732 said ^H559 to Ornan ^H771, “No ^H3808, but I will certainly ^H7069 buy ^H7069 it for the full ^H4392 price ^H3701; for I will not take ^H5375 what ^H834 is yours for the LORD ^H3068, nor offer ^H5927 a burnt ^H5930 offering ^H5930 [fn]which ^H2600 costs ^H2600 me nothing ^H2600.” 25 So David ^H1732 gave ^H5414 Ornan ^H771 six ^H8337 hundred ^H3967 shekels ^H8255 of gold ^H2091 by weight ^H4948 for the [fn]site ^H4725. 26 Then David ^H1732 built ^H1129 an altar ^H4196 there ^H8033 to the LORD ^H3068, and offered ^H5927 burnt ^H5930 offerings ^H5930 and peace ^H8002 offerings ^H8002. And he called ^H7121 to the LORD ^H3068, and He answered ^H6030 him with fire ^H784 from heaven ^H8064 on the altar ^H4196 of burnt ^H5930 offering ^H5930. 27 The LORD ^H3068 commanded ^H559 the angel ^H4397, and he returned ^H7725 his sword ^H2719 to its sheath ^H5084.

28 At that time ^H6256, when David ^H1732 saw ^H7200 that the LORD ^H3068 had answered ^H6030 him on the threshing ^H1637 floor ^H1637 of Ornan ^H771 the Jebusite ^H2983, he offered ^H2076 sacrifice ^H2076 there ^H8033. 29 For the tabernacle ^H4908 of the LORD ^H3068, which ^H834 Moses ^H4872 had made ^H6213 in the wilderness ^H4057, and the altar ^H4196 of burnt ^H5930 offering ^H5930 were on the high ^H1116 place ^H1116 at Gibeon ^H1391 at that time ^H6256. 30 But David ^H1732 could ^H3201 not go ^H1980 before ^H6440 it to inquire ^H1875 of God ^H430, for he was terrified ^H1204 by the sword ^H2719 of the angel ^H4397 of the LORD ^H3068.