The Census of Israel and Judah
1 NowSatan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.
2 So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, “Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan,and bring the number of them to me that I may knowit.”
3 And Joab answered, “May theLordmake His people a hundred times more than they are. But, my lord the king,arethey not all my lord’s servants? Why then does my lord require this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt in Israel?”
4 Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came to Jerusalem.
5 Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to David. All Israelhadone million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and Judahhadfour hundred and seventy thousand men who drew the sword.
6 But he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.
7 And God was displeased with this thing; therefore He struck Israel.
8 So David said to God,“I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing;but now, I pray, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”
9 Then theLordspoke to Gad, David’sseer, saying,
10 “Go and tell David,saying, ‘Thus says theLord: “I offer you threethings;choose one of them for yourself, that I may doitto you.” ’ ”
11 So Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says theLord: ‘Choose for yourself,
12 either three years of famine, or three months to be defeated by your foes with the sword of your enemies overtakingyou,or else for three days the sword of theLord—the plague in the land, with the angel of theLorddestroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ Now consider what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.”
13 And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let me fall into the hand of theLord, for Hismerciesarevery great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”
14 So theLordsent aplague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.
15 And God sent anangel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was destroying, theLordlooked andrelented of the disaster, and said to the angel who was destroying, “It is enough; now restrain your hand.” And the angel of theLordstood by thethreshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
16 Then David lifted his eyes andsaw the angel of theLordstanding between earth and heaven, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. So David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces.
17 And David said to God, “Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but thesesheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, OLordmy God, be against me and my father’s house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.”
18 Therefore, theangel of theLordcommanded Gad to say to David that David should go and erect an altar to theLordon the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19 So David went up at the word of Gad, which he had spoken in the name of theLord.
20 Now Ornan turned and saw the angel; and his four sonswhowerewith him hid themselves, but Ornan continued threshing wheat.
21 So David came to Ornan, and Ornan looked and saw David. And he went out from the threshing floor, and bowed before David withhisface to the ground.
22 Then David said to Ornan, “Grant me the place ofthisthreshing floor, that I may build an altar on it to theLord. You shall grant it to me at the full price, that the plague may be withdrawn from the people.”
23 But Ornan said to David, “Takeitto yourself, and let my lord the king dowhatisgood in his eyes. Look, Ialsogiveyouthe oxen for burnt offerings, the threshing implements for wood, and the wheat for the grain offering; I giveitall.”
24 Then King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will surely buyitfor the full price, for I will not take what is yours for theLord, nor offer burnt offerings withthatwhichcostsmenothing.”
25 SoDavid gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the place.
26 And David built there an altar to theLord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called on theLord; andHe answered him from heaven by fire on the altar of burnt offering.
27 So theLordcommanded the angel, and he returned his sword to its sheath.
28 At that time, when David saw that theLordhad answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there.
29 For the tabernacle of theLordand the altar of the burnt offering, which Moses had made in the wilderness,wereat that time at the high place inGibeon.
30 But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of theLord.