David Counts the Israelites^(A)

21 ·Satan was against [or An adversary opposed] Israel, and he ·caused [incited] David to ·count [take a census of; ^Cdoing so implied trust in themselves rather than in God] the people of Israel. ² So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and ·count [take a census of] all the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan [^Cthe whole expanse of Israel from south to north]. Then tell me so I will know how many there are.”

³ But Joab said, “May the Lord give the ·nation [or army] a hundred times more people. My ·master [lord] the king, ·all the Israelites are [^Lare they not all…?] your servants. Why do you want to do this, my master? ·You will make Israel guilty of sin [Why should you bring guilt/judgment to Israel?].”

⁴ But the ·king commanded [king’s word/edict prevailed despite] Joab, so Joab left and went through all Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem. ⁵ Joab gave the ·list [number] of the ·people [soldiers; warriors] to David. There were one million one hundred thousand men in all of Israel who could use the sword, and there were four hundred seventy thousand men in Judah who could use the sword. ⁶ But Joab did not count the tribes of Levi and Benjamin, because he ·didn’t like [was repulsed/disgusted/distressed by] King David’s order. ⁷ David had done something ·God had said was wrong [that displeased/offended God], so God ·punished [attacked; struck] Israel [^Ctaking a census of the army indicated confidence in military strength].

⁸ Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by what I have done! Now, I beg you to ·forgive me, [take away the guilt/iniquity of] your servant, because I have been very foolish.”

⁹ The Lord said to Gad, who was David’s ·seer [prophet], ¹⁰ “Go and tell David, ‘·This is what the Lord says [^TThus says the Lord]: I offer you three ·choices [^Lthings]. Choose one of them and I will ·do it [inflict it on you].’”

¹¹ So Gad went to David and said to him, “·This is what the Lord says [^TThus says the Lord]: ‘·Choose for yourself [Take your choice:] ¹² three years of ·hunger [famine]. Or choose three months of ·running from [being swept away by] your enemies as they ·chase [overtake] you with their swords. Or choose three days of ·punishment from [^Lthe sword of] the Lord, in which a ·terrible disease [plague; pestilence] will spread through the ·country [land]. The angel of the Lord will go through Israel ·destroying [ravaging] the people.’ Now, David, decide ·which of these things [what answer] I should ·tell [give] the Lord who sent me.”

¹³ David said to Gad, “I am in ·great trouble [deep distress; a desperate situation]. Let ·the Lord punish me [^Lme fall into the hand of the Lord], because the Lord is very merciful. Don’t let ·my punishment come from [^Lme fall into the hand of] human beings.”

¹⁴ So the Lord sent a ·terrible disease [plague; pestilence] on Israel, and seventy thousand people died. ¹⁵ God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem, but when the angel ·started [was about/preparing] to destroy it, the Lord saw it and ·felt very sorry about the terrible things that had happened [^Lrelented regarding the disaster/calamity]. So he said to the angel who was destroying, “That is enough! ·Put down your arm [^LWithhold your hand]!” The angel of the Lord was then standing at the threshing floor of ·Araunah [or Ornan; or Aravna; 2 Sam. 24:16] the Jebusite.

¹⁶ David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord ·in the sky [^Lstanding between earth and heaven], with his drawn sword in this hand ·pointing toward [extended over] Jerusalem. Then David and the ·elders [leaders] bowed facedown on the ground. They were wearing ·rough cloth [sackcloth; burlap; ^Ca sign of grief or repentance]. ¹⁷ David said to God, “·I am [^LAm not I…?] the one who sinned and did wrong. I gave the order for the ·people to be counted [census]. ·These people only followed me like sheep. They did nothing wrong. [^LThese sheep—what have they done?] Lord my God, please ·punish [^Llet your hand fall on] me and my ·family [^Lfather’s house], but ·stop the terrible disease that is killing [lift the plague from] your people.”

¹⁸ Then the angel of the Lord ·told [ordered; commanded] Gad to tell David that he should build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of ·Araunah [or Ornan; or Aravna; 2 Sam. 24:16] the Jebusite. ¹⁹ So David ·did what Gad told him to do, [went up as Gad had spoken/instructed/commanded] in the name of the Lord.

²⁰ ·Araunah [or Ornan; or Aravna; 2 Sam. 24:16] was ·separating the wheat from the straw [threshing wheat]. When he turned around, he saw the angel. Araunah’s four sons who were with him hid themselves. ²¹ David came to Araunah, and when Araunah saw him, he left the threshing floor and bowed facedown on the ground before David.

²² David said to him, “·Sell me [Let me have] your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the Lord here. Then the ·terrible disease will stop [plague will be lifted from the people]. ·Sell it to me for the full price [I’ll pay top price; ^LFull silver].”

²³ ·Araunah [or Ornan; or Aravna; v. 18] said to David, “Take this threshing floor. My master the king, do ·anything you want [^Lwhatever is good in your eyes]. Look, I will also give you oxen for the whole burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17], the threshing ·boards [sledges; sleds] for the wood, and wheat for the ·grain [^Lgift; tribute] offering [Lev. 2:1]. I give everything to you.”

²⁴ But King David answered Araunah, “No, I ·will pay [insist on paying] the full price for the land. I won’t take anything that is yours and give it to the Lord. I won’t offer a burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] that costs me nothing.”

²⁵ So David paid ·Araunah [or Ornan; or Aravna; v. 18] ·about fifteen pounds [^Lsix hundred shekels] of gold for the place. ²⁶ David built an altar to the Lord there [^Cthe site of the future Temple; 2 Chr. 3:1] and offered whole burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1]. David ·prayed to [called on] the Lord, and he answered him by sending down fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. ²⁷ Then the Lord commanded the angel to put his sword back into its ·holder [sheath].

²⁸ When David saw that the Lord had answered him on the threshing floor of ·Araunah [or Ornan; or Aravna; v. 18], he offered sacrifices there. ²⁹ The ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle] that Moses made while the Israelites were in the ·desert [wilderness] and the altar of burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] were in Gibeon at the ·place of worship [^Lhigh place]. ³⁰ But David could not go ·to the Holy Tent to speak with [before it to inquire of] God, because he was ·afraid [terrified] of the sword of the angel of the Lord.