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.
Daudi gũtara Arũi a Mbaara
124:1 Thaam 30:12; 1Maũ 27:23Ningĩ marakara ma Jehova magĩakanĩra Isiraeli, nake agĩĩkĩra Daudi meciiria nĩguo amokĩrĩre, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Thiĩ ũgatare andũ a Isiraeli na a Juda.”
224:2 2Sam 3:10; 2Maũ 2:17Nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũthamaki akĩĩra Joabu na anene a mbũtũ cia ita arĩa maarĩ hamwe nake atĩrĩ, “Thiĩi kũndũ guothe mĩhĩrĩga-inĩ ya Isiraeli kuuma Dani nginya Birishiba na mũtare andũ arĩa mangĩthiĩ mbaara, nĩgeetha menye ũrĩa maigana.”
324:3 Gũcook 1:11No Joabu agĩcookeria mũthamaki atĩrĩ, “Jehova Ngai waku angĩrongerera mbũtũ cia ita maita igana, namo maitho ma mũthamaki marokĩĩonera. No nĩ kĩĩ gĩgũtũma mũthamaki mwathi wakwa ende gwĩka ũndũ ta ũyũ?”
4No rĩrĩ, mũthamaki, agĩkararia Joabu na anene a mbũtũ cia ita; nĩ ũndũ ũcio makĩehera mbere ya mũthamaki, magĩthiĩ gũtara andũ a Isiraeli arĩa mangĩathiire mbaara.
524:5 Josh 13:9; Ndar 21:32Nao marĩkia kũringa Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani, makĩamba hema hakuhĩ na Aroeri, mwena wa gũthini wa itũũra mũkuru-inĩ ũcio, magĩtuĩkanĩria bũrũri wa Gadi magĩkinya Jazeri. 6Magĩthiĩ Gileadi na bũrũri-inĩ ũcio wa Tahatimu-Hodishi, magĩkinya Dani-Jaani magĩthiũrũrũka magĩkinya Sidoni. 7Magĩcooka magĩthiĩ merekeire kĩirigo kĩa hinya gĩa Turo na matũũra-inĩ mothe ma andũ a Ahivi na ma Kaanani. Marigĩrĩrio-ini magĩthiĩ Birishiba kũu Negevu ya Juda.
8Maarĩkia gũthiĩ bũrũri-inĩ wothe, magĩcooka Jerusalemu thuutha wa mĩeri kenda na matukũ mĩrongo ĩĩrĩ.
9Joabu agĩcookeria mũthamaki ũhoro wa mũigana wa andũ arĩa mangĩathiire mbaara: Thĩinĩ wa Isiraeli kwarĩ andũ ngiri magana manana andũ marĩ na hinya wa mwĩrĩ na mangĩahotire kũhũthĩra rũhiũ rwa njora, nakuo Juda maarĩ ngiri magana matano.
1024:10 1Sam 24:5; Ndar 12:11Nake Daudi agĩthĩĩnĩka mũno ngoro thuutha wa gũtara andũ acio a mbaara, akĩĩra Jehova atĩrĩ, “Nĩnjĩhĩtie mũno nĩ ũndũ wa ũguo njĩkĩte. Rĩu, Wee Jehova-rĩ, ndagũthaitha ũnjehererie mahĩtia, niĩ ndungata yaku. Nĩnjĩkĩte ũndũ wa ũrimũ mũno.”
1124:11 1Sam 22:5; 1Sam 9:9Daudi atanokĩra rũciinĩ rũrũ rũngĩ-rĩ, kiugo kĩa Jehova gĩgĩkinyĩra mũnabii Gadi, ũrĩa wonagĩra Daudi maũndũ, akĩĩrwo atĩrĩ: 12“Thiĩ ũkeere Daudi ũũ, ‘Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ: Ũrĩ na maũndũ matatũ ma gũthuura. Nawe ũthuure ũmwe wamo ũrĩa ngũkũherithia naguo.’ ”
13Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Gadi agĩthiĩ kũrĩ Daudi, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Nĩũkwenda bũrũri waku ũgĩe ngʼaragu mĩaka ĩtatũ? Kana ũũrĩre thũ ciaku mĩeri ĩtatũ igũtengʼeretie? Kana kũgĩe matukũ matatũ ma mũrimũ wa mũthiro bũrũri-inĩ waku? Rĩu-rĩ, wĩciirie ũhoro ũcio ũtue itua rĩrĩa ngũcookeria ũcio ũndũmĩte.”
1424:14 Thab 103:8, 13; Jer 33:8; Dan 9:9Daudi akĩĩra Gadi atĩrĩ, “Rĩu ndĩ na thĩĩna mũnene mũno. Nĩtũrekwo tũgwĩre moko-inĩ ma Jehova, nĩgũkorwo tha ciake nĩ nyingĩ; no ndũkareke ngwe moko-inĩ ma andũ.”
1524:15 1Maũ 27:24Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Jehova akĩrehera Isiraeli mũthiro kuuma rũciinĩ rũu nginya ihinda rĩrĩa rĩatuĩtwo; nao andũ ngiri mĩrongo mũgwanja kuuma Dani nginya Birishiba magĩkua. 1624:16 Kĩam 6:6; Thaam 12:23Rĩrĩa mũraika aatambũrũkirie guoko gwake nĩguo aanange Jerusalemu-rĩ, Jehova akĩigua kĩeha nĩ ũndũ wa kĩnyariirĩko kĩu akĩĩra mũraika ũcio wanangaga andũ atĩrĩ, “Tigĩra hau! Eheria guoko gwaku.” Hĩndĩ ĩyo mũraika ũcio wa Jehova aarũgamĩte kĩhuhĩro-inĩ kĩa ngano kĩa Arauna, ũrĩa Mũjebusi.
1724:17 Thab 74:1; Kĩam 18:23Rĩrĩa Daudi onire mũraika ũcio woragaga andũ-rĩ, akĩĩra Jehova atĩrĩ, “Niĩ nĩ niĩ njĩhĩtie o na ngeeka ũũru. Andũ aya matariĩ o ta ngʼondu. Nĩatĩa mekĩte? Reke guoko gwaku kũnjũkĩrĩre niĩ na nyũmba yakwa.”
Daudi gwaka Kĩgongona
1824:18 Kĩam 22:2; 2Maũ 3:1Mũthenya o ro ũcio-rĩ, Gadi agĩthiĩ kũrĩ Daudi, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ambata, ũthiĩ wakĩre Jehova kĩgongona, hau kĩhuhĩro-inĩ kĩa ngano24:18 Ihuhĩro cia ngano ciakagwo kũndũ kũrĩa gũtũũgĩru nĩ ũndũ wa rũhuho. kĩa Arauna ũrĩa Mũjebusi.” 19Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Daudi akĩambata o ta ũrĩa Jehova aathanĩte na kanua ka Gadi. 20Rĩrĩa Arauna aacũthĩrĩirie akĩona mũthamaki na andũ ake magĩũka marorete na kũrĩ we, akiuma nja, akĩinamĩrĩra mbere ya mũthamaki aturumithĩtie ũthiũ thĩ.
2124:21 Ndar 16:44-50Arauna akiuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kĩĩ gĩatũma mũthamaki mwathi wakwa oke kũrĩ ndungata yake?”
Nake Daudi akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Ndooka kũgũra kĩhuhĩro gĩaku kĩa ngano, nĩguo njakĩre Jehova kĩgongona, nĩgeetha mũthiro ũyũ ũkorete andũ ũthire.”
2224:22 1Sam 6:14Arauna akĩĩra Daudi atĩrĩ, “Reke mũthamaki mwathi wakwa oe kĩrĩa gĩothe angĩenda akĩrute igongona. Ici nĩ ndegwa cia igongona rĩa njino, na ici nĩcio indo cia kũhuhĩra ngano namo macooki ma ndegwa matuĩke ngũ. 2324:23 Kĩam 23:11Atĩrĩrĩ, wee mũthamaki, Arauna nĩaheana indo icio ciothe kũrĩ mũthamaki.” Arauna agĩcooka akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Jehova Ngai waku arogwĩtĩkĩra.”
2424:24 Mal 1:13-14; Kĩam 23:16Mũthamaki agĩcookeria Arauna atĩrĩ, “Aca, no nginya ngũrĩhe nĩ ũndũ wakĩo. Ndikũrutĩra Jehova Ngai wakwa igongona rĩa njino rĩa kĩndũ kĩrĩa itarĩhĩire thogora.”
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Daudi akĩgũra kĩhuhĩro kĩu kĩa ngano na ndegwa icio na cekeri mĩrongo ĩtano cia betha.24:24 nĩ ta giramu 660 2524:25 2Sam 21:14Daudi agĩakĩra Jehova kĩgongona hau, na akĩruta maruta ma njino na maruta ma ũiguano. Hĩndĩ ĩyo Jehova agĩcookia mahooya nĩ ũndũ wa bũrũri, naguo mũthiro ũrĩa warĩ Isiraeli ũgĩthira.
