| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1The LORD's anger again raged against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, "Go count Israel and Judah." | 1Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, "Go and take a census of Israel and Judah." |
| 2The king told Joab, the general in command of his army, "Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba and muster the army, so I may know the size of the army." | 2So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, "Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are." |
| 3Joab replied to the king, "May the LORD your God make the army a hundred times larger right before the eyes of my lord the king! But why does my master the king want to do this?" | 3But Joab replied to the king, "May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?" |
| 4But the king's edict stood, despite the objections of Joab and the leaders of the army. So Joab and the leaders of the army left the king's presence in order to muster the Israelite army. | 4The king's word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel. |
| 5They crossed the Jordan and camped at Aroer, on the south side of the city, at the wadi of Gad, near Jazer. | 5After crossing the Jordan, they camped near Aroer, south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer. |
| 6Then they went on to Gilead and to the region of Tahtim Hodshi, coming to Dan Jaan and on around to Sidon. | 6They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon. |
| 7Then they went to the fortress of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Then they went on to the Negev of Judah, to Beer Sheba. | 7Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba in the Negev of Judah. |
| 8They went through all the land and after nine months and twenty days came back to Jerusalem. | 8After they had gone through the entire land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. |
| 9Joab reported the number of warriors to the king. In Israel there were 800,000 sword-wielding warriors, and in Judah there were 500,000 soldiers. | 9Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand. |
| 10David felt guilty after he had numbered the army. David said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly by doing this! Now, O LORD, please remove the guilt of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly." | 10David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, LORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing." |
| 11When David got up the next morning, the LORD had already spoken to Gad the prophet, David's seer: | 11Before David got up the next morning, the word of the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David's seer: |
| 12"Go, tell David, 'This is what the LORD says: I am offering you three forms of judgment. Pick one of them and I will carry it out against you.'" | 12"Go and tell David, 'This is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.'" |
| 13Gad went to David and told him, "Shall seven years of famine come upon your land? Or shall you flee for three months from your enemy with him in hot pursuit? Or shall there be three days of plague in your land? Now decide what I should tell the one who sent me." | 13So Gad went to David and said to him, "Shall there come on you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me." |
| 14David said to Gad, "I am very upset! I prefer that we be attacked by the LORD, for his mercy is great; I do not want to be attacked by men!" | 14David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands." |
| 15So the LORD sent a plague through Israel from the morning until the completion of the appointed time. Seventy thousand men died from Dan to Beer Sheba. | 15So the LORD sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. |
| 16When the angel extended his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented from his judgment. He told the angel who was killing the people, "That's enough! Stop now!" (Now the LORD's angel was near the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.) | 16When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, "Enough! Withdraw your hand." The angel of the LORD was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. |
| 17When he saw the angel who was destroying the people, David said to the LORD, "Look, it is I who have sinned and done this evil thing! As for these sheep--what have they done? Attack me and my family." | 17When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the LORD, "I have sinned; I, the shepherd, have done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall on me and my family." |
| 18So Gad went to David that day and told him, "Go up and build an altar for the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." | 18On that day Gad went to David and said to him, "Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." |
| 19So David went up as Gad instructed him to do, according to the LORD's instructions. | 19So David went up, as the LORD had commanded through Gad. |
| 20When Araunah looked out and saw the king and his servants approaching him, he went out and bowed to the king with his face to the ground. | 20When Araunah looked and saw the king and his officials coming toward him, he went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground. |
| 21Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" David replied, "To buy from you the threshing floor so I can build an altar for the LORD, so that the plague may be removed from the people." | 21Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" "To buy your threshing floor," David answered, "so I can build an altar to the LORD, that the plague on the people may be stopped." |
| 22Araunah told David, "My lord the king may take whatever he wishes and offer it. Look! Here are oxen for burnt offerings, and threshing sledges and harnesses for wood. | 22Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take whatever he wishes and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. |
| 23I, the servant of my lord the king, give it all to the king!" Araunah also told the king, "May the LORD your God show you favor!" | 23Your Majesty, Araunah gives all this to the king." Araunah also said to him, "May the LORD your God accept you." |
| 24But the king said to Araunah, "No, I insist on buying it from you! I will not offer to the LORD my God burnt sacrifices that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty pieces of silver. | 24But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them. |
| 25Then David built an altar for the LORD there and offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings. And the LORD accepted prayers for the land, and the plague was removed from Israel. | 25David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the LORD answered his prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped. |
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