David Displeases the Lord by Taking a Census
1The
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.”
3Joab replied to the king, “May the
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.
5They crossed the Jordan and camped at Aroer, on the south side of the city, at the wadi of Gad, near Jazer.
6Then they went on to Gilead and to the region of Tahtim Hodshi, coming to Dan Jaan and on around to 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.
8They went through all the land and after nine months and twenty days came back to Jerusalem.
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.
10David felt guilty after he had numbered the army. David said to the
11When David got up the next morning, the
12“Go, tell David, ‘This is what the
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.”
14David said to Gad, “I am very upset! I prefer that we be attacked by the
15So the
16When the angel extended his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the
17When he saw the angel who was destroying the people, David said to the
David Acquires a Threshing Floor and Constructs an Altar There
18So Gad went to David that day and told him, “Go up and build an altar for the
19So David went up as Gad instructed him to do, according to the
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.
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
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.
23I, the servant of my lord the king, give it all to the king!” Araunah also told the king, “May the
24But the king said to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it from you! I will not offer to the
So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty pieces of silver.
25Then David built an altar for the