1And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. 2And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it. 3And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel? 4Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
5¶ And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword. 6But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.
7And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.21.7 And…: Heb. And it was evil in the eyes of the LORD concerning this thing 8And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
9¶ And the LORD spake unto Gad, David’s seer, saying, 10Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.21.10 offer: Heb. stretch out 11So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee21.11 Choose…: Heb. Take to thee 12Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me. 13And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.21.13 very great: or, very many
14¶ So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men. 15And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.21.15 Ornan: also called, Araunah 16And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. 17And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father’s house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.
18¶ Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. 19And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD. 20And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.21.20 And Ornan…: or, When Ornan turned back and saw the angel, then he and his four sons with him hid themselves 21And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground. 22Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.21.22 Grant: Heb. Give 23And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all. 24And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost. 25So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight. 26And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering. 27And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.
28¶ At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there. 29For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering, were at that season in the high place at Gibeon. 30But David could not go before it to enquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.
Davids mønstring af hæren
2.Sam. 24,1-25
1Satan ønskede at bringe Israels folk i ulykke, så han gav David den tanke at foretage en optælling af Israels samlede hærstyrke.
2David sagde derfor til Joab og de øvrige officerer: „Rejs rundt blandt alle Israels stammer fra Dan i nord til Be’ersheba i syd og optæl alle de våbenføre mænd. Kom så tilbage og fortæl mig, hvor mange jeg råder over.”
3Men Joab svarede: „Gud give, at din hær må vokse til 100 gange af, hvad den er nu. Min herre og konge, er de ikke alle loyale over for dig? Hvorfor vil du begå denne synd? Hvorfor bringe ulykke over Israels folk?”
4Imidlertid sejrede kongens ord over Joabs protester, så Joab rejste landet rundt for at foretage optællingen. Da han vendte tilbage til Jerusalem, 5meddelte han David det samlede tal på landets våbenføre mænd: I hele Israel var der 1.100.000 mand, heraf 470.000 i Juda. 6Joab havde dog undladt at foretage optælling i Levis og Benjamins stammeområde, for han var meget ilde til mode over kongens befaling. 7Gud var også vred over optællingen. Derfor ville han straffe Israel.
8Da sagde David til Gud: „Jeg har begået en stor synd! Det var tåbeligt af mig at gøre sådan noget. Tilgiv mig!”
9Så sagde Herren til profeten Gad, som var i Davids tjeneste: 10„Gå hen og sig til David: Jeg, Herren, giver dig tre muligheder for straf, og du må selv vælge, hvilken en af dem det skal være.” 11Gad gik derefter hen til David og forelagde ham de tre muligheder: 12„Vælger du tre år med hungersnød? Eller tre måneder på flugt for dine fjender? Eller tre dage, hvor Herrens engel sender pest over hele Israels land? Sig mig, hvad jeg skal svare Herren, som har sendt mig!”
13„Det er et frygteligt valg,” sukkede David. „Men det er bedre at være prisgivet Herren, for hans nåde er stor. Lad mig ikke være prisgivet mennesker.”
14Da sendte Herren pest over hele Israel, og 70.000 mænd døde. 15Da dødsenglen skulle til at ramme Jerusalem, blev Herren bedrøvet over den store ulykke, der var ved at ske. „Stop!” sagde han til englen. „Nu kan det være nok!” Englen stod da ved jebusitten Ornans tærskeplads. 16Da David så Herrens engel stå stille i luften med sit sværd rettet mod Jerusalem, kastede han og hans ledere sig på knæ med ansigtet mod jorden. De var alle klædt i sæk og aske.
17„Det er mig, der har syndet ved at mønstre min hær,” sagde han. „Alle disse mennesker er som uskyldige får. Herre, min Gud, lad dog straffen ramme mig og min familie. Du må ikke tilintetgøre dit folk.”
18Derpå sagde Herrens engel til Gad: „Sig til David, at han skal bygge et alter for Herren på jebusitten Ornans tærskeplads.” 19-20David var lydig mod Herrens befaling og opsøgte Ornan, der var i færd med at tærske hvede. Da Ornan vendte sig om, fik han øje på englen, og hans fire sønner løb i skjul, mens han selv fortsatte med at tærske. 21Kort efter opdagede Ornan kongen, der nærmede sig. Straks forlod han tærskepladsen, løb kong David i møde og kastede sig på knæ med ansigtet mod jorden foran ham.
22David sagde til Ornan: „Lad mig købe tærskepladsen af dig til dens fulde pris, så jeg kan bygge Herren et alter og få pesten til at standse.”
23„Tag den bare, min herre og konge, og gør med den, hvad du vil,” svarede Ornan. „Her, jeg giver dig mine okser til brændofferet, tærskeslæderne til offerbrænde og brug min hvede til afgrødeofferet. Jeg giver dig det hele!”
24„Nej,” svarede kong David, „jeg vil betale dig den fulde pris. Jeg kan ikke tage, hvad der tilhører en anden, og ofre det til Herren. Jeg vil ikke bringe ofre, der ikke har kostet mig noget!”
25Så betalte David Ornan 600 guldstykker for hele området, 26hvorefter han byggede et alter for Herren og ofrede brændofre og takofre. Han bad Herren om nåde, og Herren svarede ved at sende ild fra himlen, som fortærede ofrene på alteret. 27Herren befalede derefter englen at stikke sværdet i skeden.
28David fortsatte nu med at ofre til Herren på jebusitten Ornans tærskeplads, fordi Herren dér havde svaret på hans bøn. 29Herrens telt og brændofferalteret, som Moses havde lavet i ørkenen, stod stadig på højen ved Gibeon. 30Men David turde ikke tage derhen for at søge Herren, for han var bange for Herrens engels sværd.
