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2 Samuel 24
Names of God Bible
2 Samuel 24
Names of God Bible
David’s Sin—He Takes a Census(A)
24 Yahweh became angry with Israel again, so he provoked David to turn against Israel. He said, “Go, count Israel and Judah.”
2 King David said to Joab, the commander of the army who was with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and count the people. That way I will know how many there are.”
3 Joab responded to the king, “May Yahweh your Elohim multiply the people a hundred times over, and may Your Majesty live to see it. But why does Your Majesty wish to do this?”
4 However, the king overruled Joab and the commanders of the army. So they left the king in order to count the people of Israel. 5 They crossed the Jordan River and camped at Aroer, south of the city in the middle of the valley. Then they went to Gad and to Jazer. 6 They went to Gilead and to Tahtim Hodshi and then to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon. 7 They went to the fortified city of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Then they went to Beersheba in the Negev of Judah. 8 When they had covered the whole country, they came to Jerusalem after 9 months and 20 days. 9 Joab reported the census figures to the king: In Israel there were 800,000 able-bodied men who could serve in the army, and in Judah there were 500,000.
10 After David counted the people, his conscience troubled him. David said to Yahweh, “I have committed a terrible sin by what I have done. Yahweh, please forgive me because I have acted very foolishly.”
11 When David got up in the morning, Yahweh spoke his word to the prophet Gad, David’s seer.[a] 12 “Go and tell David, ‘This is what Yahweh says: I’m offering you three choices. Choose the one you want me to do to you.’”
13 When Gad came to David, he told David this and asked, “Should seven years of famine come to you and your land, or three months during which you flee from your enemies as they pursue you, or should there be a three-day plague in your land? Think it over, and decide what answer I should give the one who sent me.”
14 “I’m in a desperate situation,” David told Gad. “Please let us fall into Yahweh’s hands because he is very merciful. But don’t let me fall into human hands.”
15 So Yahweh sent a plague among the Israelites from that morning until the time he had chosen. Of the people from Dan to Beersheba, 70,000 died. 16 But when the Messenger stretched out his arm to destroy Jerusalem, Yahweh changed his mind about the disaster. “Enough!” he said to the Messenger who was destroying the people. “Put down your weapon.” The Messenger of Yahweh was at the threshing floor[b] of Araunah the Jebusite.
17 When David saw the Messenger who had been killing the people, he said to Yahweh, “I’ve sinned. I’ve done wrong. What have these sheep done? Please let your punishment be against me and against my father’s family.”
18 That day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go, set up an altar for Yahweh at Araunah the Jebusite’s threshing floor.”
19 David went as Gad had told him and as Yahweh had commanded him. 20 When Araunah looked down and saw the king and his men coming toward him, he went out and bowed down with his face touching the ground in front of the king. 21 “Why has Your Majesty come to me?” Araunah asked.
David answered, “To buy the threshing floor from you and to build an altar for Yahweh. Then the plague on the people will stop.”
22 Araunah said to David, “Take it, Your Majesty, and offer whatever you think is right. There are oxen for the burnt offering, and there are threshers and oxen yokes[c] for firewood.” 23 All this Araunah gave to the king and said, “May Yahweh your Elohim accept you.”
24 “No!” the king said to Araunah. “I must buy it from you at a fair price. I won’t offer Yahweh my Elohim burnt sacrifices that cost me nothing.”
So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for 1¼ pounds of silver. 25 David built an altar for Yahweh there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. So Yahweh heard the prayers for the country, and the plague on Israel stopped.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 24:11 A seer is a prophet.
- 2 Samuel 24:16 A threshing floor is an outdoor area where grain is separated from its husks.
- 2 Samuel 24:22 A thresher is a device used to separate grain from its husks. A yoke is a wooden bar placed over the necks of work animals so that they can pull plows or carts.
2 Samuel 24
New International Version
2 Samuel 24
New International Version
David Enrolls the Fighting Men(A)
24 Again(B) the anger of the Lord burned against Israel,(C) and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of(D) Israel and Judah.”
2 So the king said to Joab(E) and the army commanders[a] with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba(F) and enroll(G) the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.”
3 But Joab(H) replied to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over,(I) and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”
4 The 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.
5 After crossing the Jordan, they camped near Aroer,(J) south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer.(K) 6 They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon.(L) 7 Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre(M) and all the towns of the Hivites(N) and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba(O) in the Negev(P) of Judah.
8 After they had gone through the entire land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
9 Joab 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.(Q)
10 David was conscience-stricken(R) after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, “I have sinned(S) 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.(T)”
11 Before David got up the next morning, the word of the Lord had come to Gad(U) the prophet, David’s seer:(V) 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.’”
13 So Gad went to David and said to him, “Shall there come on you three[b] years of famine(W) in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague(X) in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”
14 David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy(Y) is great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”
15 So 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.(Z) 16 When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relented(AA) concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the Lord(AB) was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
17 When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord, “I have sinned; I, the shepherd,[c] have done wrong. These are but sheep.(AC) What have they done?(AD) Let your hand fall on me and my family.”(AE)
David Builds an Altar(AF)
18 On 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(AG) the Jebusite.” 19 So David went up, as the Lord had commanded through Gad. 20 When 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.
21 Araunah 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.”(AH)
22 Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever he wishes and offer it up. Here are oxen(AI) for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. 23 Your Majesty, Araunah[d] gives(AJ) all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the Lord your God accept you.”
24 But 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.”(AK)
So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels[e](AL) of silver for them. 25 David built an altar(AM) to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered his prayer(AN) in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 24:2 Septuagint (see also verse 4 and 1 Chron. 21:2); Hebrew Joab the army commander
- 2 Samuel 24:13 Septuagint (see also 1 Chron. 21:12); Hebrew seven
- 2 Samuel 24:17 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; Masoretic Text does not have the shepherd.
- 2 Samuel 24:23 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts King Araunah
- 2 Samuel 24:24 That is, about 1 1/4 pounds or about 575 grams
2 Samuel 24
King James Version
2 Samuel 24
King James Version
24 And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
2 For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.
3 And Joab said unto the king, Now the Lord thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?
4 Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.
5 And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer:
6 Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtimhodshi; and they came to Danjaan, and about to Zidon,
7 And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beersheba.
8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
9 And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
10 And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the Lord came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,
12 Go and say unto David, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.
14 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the Lord; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.
15 So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.
16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the Lord was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.
17 And David spake unto the Lord when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.
18 And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the Lord in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.
19 And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the Lord commanded.
20 And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.
21 And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the Lord, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
22 And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood.
23 All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The Lord thy God accept thee.
24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
25 And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
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