David enrols the fighting men
1Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, ‘Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.’
2So the king said to Joab and the army commanders24:2 Septuagint (see also verse 4 and 1 Chron. 21:2); Hebrew Joab the army commander with him, ‘Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enrol the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.’
3But Joab replied to the king, ‘May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?’
4The king’s word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enrol the fighting men of Israel.
5After crossing the Jordan, they camped near Aroer, south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer. 6They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around towards Sidon. 7Then they went towards the fortress of Tyre and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba in the Negev of Judah.
8After they had gone through the entire land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
9Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: in Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand.
10David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, ‘I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.’
11Before David got up the next morning, the word of the Lord had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer: 12‘Go and tell David, “This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.” ’
13So Gad went to David and said to him, ‘Shall there come on you three24:13 Septuagint (see also 1 Chron. 21:12); Hebrew seven years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me.’
14David said to Gad, ‘I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands.’
15So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. 16When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, ‘Enough! Withdraw your hand.’ The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
17When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord, ‘I have sinned; I, the shepherd,24:17 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; Masoretic Text does not have the shepherd. have done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall on me and my family.’
David builds an altar
18On that day Gad went to David and said to him, ‘Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.’ 19So David went up, as the Lord had commanded through Gad. 20When Araunah looked and saw the king and his officials coming towards him, he went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.
21Araunah said, ‘Why has my lord the king come to his servant?’
‘To buy your threshing-floor,’ David answered, ‘so that I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped.’
22Araunah said to David, ‘Let my lord the king take whatever he wishes and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing-sledges and ox yokes for the wood. 23Your Majesty, Araunah24:23 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts King Araunah gives all this to the king.’ Araunah also said to him, ‘May the Lord your God accept you.’
24But the king replied to Araunah, ‘No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.’
So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels24:24 That is, about 575 grams of silver for them. 25David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered his prayer on behalf of the land, and 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.
