David Counts His Fighting Men
1The Lord was very angry with Israel. He stirred up David against them. He said, “Go! Count the men of Israel and Judah.”
2So the king spoke to Joab and the army commanders with him. He said, “Go all through the territories of the tribes of Israel. Go from the town of Dan all the way to Beersheba. Count the fighting men. Then I’ll know how many there are.”
3Joab replied to the king. He said, “King David, you are my master. May the Lord your God multiply the troops 100 times. And may you live to see it. But why would you want me to count the fighting men?”
4The king’s word had more authority than the word of Joab and the army commanders. That was true in spite of what Joab had said. So they left the king and went out to count the fighting men of Israel.
5They went across the Jordan River. They camped south of the town in the middle of the Arnon River valley near Aroer. Then they went through Gad and continued on to Jazer. 6They went to Gilead and the area of Tahtim Hodshi. They continued to Dan Jaan and on around toward Sidon. 7Then they went toward the fort of Tyre. They went to all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba. It was in the Negev Desert of Judah.
8They finished going through the entire land. Then they came back to Jerusalem. They had been gone for nine months and 20 days.
9Joab reported to the king how many fighting men he had counted. In Israel there were 800,000 men who were able to handle a sword. In Judah there were 500,000.
10David felt sorry that he had counted the fighting men. So he said to the Lord, “I committed a great sin when I counted Judah and Israel’s men. Lord, I beg you to take away my guilt. I’ve done a very foolish thing.”
11Before David got up the next morning, a message from the Lord came to Gad the prophet. He was David’s seer. The message said, 12“Go and tell David, ‘The Lord says, “I could punish you in three different ways. Choose one of them for me to use against you.” ’ ”
13So Gad went to David. He said to him, “Take your choice. Do you want three years when there won’t be enough food in your land? Or do you want three months when you will run away from your enemies while they chase you? Or do you want three days when there will be a plague in your land? Think it over. Then take your pick. Tell me how to answer the one who sent me.”
14David said to Gad, “I’m suffering terribly. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord. His mercy is great. But don’t let me fall into human hands.”
15So the Lord sent a plague on Israel. It lasted from that morning until he decided to end it. From Dan all the way to Beersheba 70,000 people died. 16The angel reached his hand out to destroy Jerusalem. But the Lord stopped sending the plague. So he spoke to the angel who was making the people suffer. He said, “That is enough! Do not kill any more people.” The angel of the Lord was at Araunah’s threshing floor. Araunah was from the city of Jebus.
17David saw the angel who was striking down the people. David said to the Lord, “I’m the one who has sinned. I’m the one who has done what is wrong. I’m like a shepherd for these people. These people are like sheep. What have they done? Let your judgment be on me and my family.”
David Builds an Altar
18On that day Gad went to David. Gad said to him, “Go up to the threshing floor of Araunah, the Jebusite. Build an altar there to honor the Lord.” 19So David went up and did it. He did what the Lord had commanded through Gad. 20Araunah looked and saw the king and his officials coming toward him. So he went out to welcome them. He bowed down to the king with his face toward the ground.
21Araunah said, “King David, you are my master. Why have you come to see me?”
“To buy your threshing floor,” David answered. “I want to build an altar there to honor the Lord. When I do, the plague on the people will be stopped.”
22Araunah said to David, “Take anything you wish. Offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering. Here are threshing sleds. And here are wooden collars from the necks of the oxen. Use all the wood to burn the offering. 23Your Majesty, I’ll give all of it to you.” Araunah continued, “And may the Lord your God accept you.”
24But the king replied to Araunah, “No. I want to pay you for it. I won’t sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that haven’t cost me anything.”
So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen. He paid 20 ounces of silver for them. 25David built an altar there to honor the Lord. He sacrificed burnt offerings and friendship offerings. Then the Lord answered David’s prayer and blessed the land. The plague on Israel was stopped.
Davide Awerenga Ankhondo
1Nthawi inanso Yehova anawakwiyira Aisraeli ndipo anawutsa mtima wa Davide kuti awavutitse ndipo anati, “Pita kawerenge Aisraeli ndi Ayuda.”
2Choncho mfumu inati kwa Yowabu pamodzi ndi atsogoleri a ankhondo amene anali nawo. “Pitani pakati pa mafuko onse a Israeli kuyambira ku Dani mpaka ku Beeriseba kuti mukawerenge anthu omenya nkhondo ndi cholinga choti ndidziwe chiwerengero chawo.”
3Koma Yowabu anayankha mfumu kuti, “Yehova Mulungu wanu achulukitse ankhondo anu kukhala miyandamiyanda, ndipo alole inu mbuye wanga mfumu mudzazione zimenezi. Koma nʼchifukwa chiyani inu mbuye wanga mfumu mukufuna kuchita zimenezi?”
4Komabe mawu a mfumu anapambana mawu a Yowabu ndi atsogoleri a ankhondo. Choncho anachoka pamaso pa mfumu kupita kukawerenga anthu omenya nkhondo mu Israeli.
5Atawoloka Yorodani, iwo anamanga misasa yawo pafupi ndi Aroeri kummwera kwa mzinda wa ku chigwa ndipo kenaka iwo anapita ku dziko la Gadi mpaka ku Yazeri. 6Iwo anapita ku Giliyadi ndi ku chigwa cha Tahitimu Hodisi ndipo anapitirira mpaka ku Dani Yaani ndi madera ozungulira Sidoni. 7Kenaka iwo anapita molunjika linga la ku Turo ndi ku mizinda yonse ya Ahivi ndi Akanaani. Pomaliza anapita ku Beeriseba ku Negevi wa ku Yuda.
8Atayendayenda mʼdziko lonse anabwerera ku Yerusalemu patapita miyezi isanu ndi inayi ndi masiku makumi awiri.
9Yowabu anapereka chiwerengero cha anthu ankhondo kwa mfumu: Mu Israeli munali anthu 800,000 amphamvu amene amadziwa kugwiritsa ntchito lupanga ndipo mu Yuda munali anthu 500,000.
10Davide anatsutsika mu mtima mwake atatha kuwerenga anthuwo ndipo anapemphera kwa Yehova kuti, “Ine ndachimwa kwambiri pa zimene ndachita. Tsono Yehova, ndikupempha kuti mukhululuke kulakwa kwa mtumiki wanu. Ine ndachita zopusa kwambiri.”
11Davide asanadzuke mmawa mwake mawu a Yehova anafika kwa mneneri Gadi, mlosi wa Davide kuti, 12“Pita ukamuwuze Davide kuti, ‘Yehova akuti, Ine ndikukupatsa zinthu zitatu izi. Usankhepo chimodzi pa zimenezi choti ndikuchitire.’ ”
13Choncho Gadi anapita kwa Davide ndipo anati kwa iye, “Kodi mungakonde kuti mʼdziko mwanu mukhale njala kwa zaka zitatu? Kapena kuti mukhale mukuthawa adani anu kwa miyezi itatu? Kapena kuti mʼdziko muno mukhale mliri kwa masiku atatu? Tsopano, ganizirani bwino ndipo musankhe chomwe mudzamuyankhe amene wandituma.”
14Davide anati kwa Gadi, “Ine ndavutika kwambiri mu mtima mwanga. Ife atilange ndi Yehova pakuti chifundo chake ndi chachikulu, koma ndisalangidwe ndi anthu.”
15Choncho Yehova anabweretsa mliri pa Aisraeli, kuyambira mmawa mpaka pa nthawi imene anafuna mwini wake, ndipo unapha anthu 70,000 kuyambira ku Dani mpaka ku Beeriseba. 16Pamene mngelo anatambasula dzanja lake kuti awononge Yerusalemu, Yehova anamva chisoni chifukwa cha zowawazo ndipo anati kwa mngelo amene ankawononga anthu uja, “Basi kwakwanira! Leka kuwononga.” Nthawi imeneyo mngelo wa Yehova anali atayima pamalo opunthira tirigu a Arauna Myebusi.
17Davide ataona mngelo amene ankakantha anthu uja, anati kwa Yehova, “Ine ndi amene ndachimwa. Ine mʼbusa ndiye ndachita zoyipa. Anthuwa ali ngati nkhosa zosalakwa. Kodi iwowa achita chiyani? Langani ineyo pamodzi ndi banja langa.”
Davide Amanga Guwa la Nsembe
18Tsiku limenelo Gadi anapita kwa Davide ndi kukanena kuti, “Pitani kamangeni guwa lansembe la Yehova pamalo opunthira tirigu a Arauna Myebusi.” 19Ndipo Davide anapita monga momwe Yehova anamulamulira kudzera mwa Gadi. 20Arauna atayangʼana ndi kuona mfumu ndi anthu ake akubwera kumene kunali iye, iyeyo anatuluka ndi kuwerama pamaso pa mfumu mpaka nkhope yake kugunda pansi.
21Arauna anati, “Nʼchifukwa chiyani mbuye wanga mfumu mwabwera kwa mtumiki wanu?”
Davide anayankha kuti, “Kudzagula malo ako opunthira tirigu kuti ndimangire Yehova guwa lansembe kuti mliri uli pa anthuwa usiye.”
22Arauna anati kwa Davide, “Mbuye wanga mfumu mutenge chilichonse chimene chikukondweretseni ndi kuchipereka nsembe. Nazi ngʼombe zazimuna za nsembe yopsereza, nazi zopunthira tirigu ndi magoli angʼombe kuti zikhale nkhuni. 23Inu mfumu, Arauna akupereka zonsezi kwa inu mfumu.” Arauna anatinso kwa iye, “Yehova Mulungu wanu akuvomerezeni.”
24Koma mfumu inayankha Arauna kuti, “Ayi, Ine ndikunenetsa kuti ndikulipira. Sindidzapereka kwa Yehova Mulungu wanga nsembe yopsereza imene sindinavutikire.”
Kotero Davide anagula malo wopunthira tiriguwo ndi ngʼombe ndipo anapereka kwa Araunayo masekeli asiliva makumi asanu. 25Davide anamanga guwa lansembe la Yehova pamenepo ndipo anaperekapo nsembe zopsereza ndi nsembe zachiyanjano. Ndipo Yehova anayankha pempherolo mʼmalo mwa dziko lonse, ndipo mliri unatha pa Aisraeli.
