David manda fazer um recenseamento
(1 Cr 21.1-17)
1A ira do Senhor tornou a acender-se contra Israel e David foi levado a tomar uma decisão que trouxe uma desgraça para o povo: fazer um recenseamento de Israel e Judá.
2O rei disse a Joabe, comandante do seu exército: “Faz o recenseamento geral de toda a população, desde Dan até Berseba, para que se saiba quantos são ao todo.”
3Joabe replicou: “Que o Senhor, teu Deus, permita que vivas o bastante para veres este povo multiplicado cem vezes neste reino! Que interesse tens tu nesse recenseamento?”
4A vontade do rei prevaleceu contra a argumentação de Joabe. Este, acompanhado de outros oficiais do exército, começou a tarefa da contagem do povo de Israel.
5Primeiramente atravessaram o Jordão e instalaram-se em Aroer, a sul da cidade que fica no meio do vale de Gad, junto de Jazer. 6Depois foram para Gileade, na terra de Tatim-Hodchi, para Dan-Jaã e para os arredores de Sídon. 7Seguidamente, deslocaram-se para a fortaleza de Tiro e para todas as cidades dos heveus e dos cananeus e depois para o sul de Judá até Berseba. 8Passaram pela terra toda, tendo completado a sua missão em nove meses e vinte dias. 9Joabe trouxe o número total do povo ao rei: eram 800 000 homens em idade de serviço militar em Israel e 500 000 em Judá.
10Após ter mandado fazer o recenseamento, a consciência de David começou a acusá-lo e disse ao Senhor: “Pequei gravemente ao fazer tal coisa. Peço-te que me perdoes, porque reconheço que agi loucamente.”
11Na manhã seguinte, quando David se levantou, veio a palavra do Senhor ao profeta Gad, vidente de David. O Senhor disse a Gad: 12“Vai dizer a David: O Senhor propõe-te três coisas; escolhe a que preferes.”
13Gad veio ter com David e perguntou-lhe: “Preferes sete anos de fome em toda a terra, ou fugir diante dos teus inimigos durante três meses, ou que haja três dias de praga na tua terra? Pensa nisto e depois dá-me uma resposta, para que a transmita a quem me enviou.”
14“É uma decisão muito difícil”, respondeu David. “É melhor cair nas mãos do Senhor, porque grande é a sua misericórdia, do que nas mãos dos homens.”
15Então o Senhor enviou uma praga sobre Israel naquela manhã, que durou três dias, e morreram 70 000 pessoas desde Dan, no norte, até Berseba, no sul. 16Quando o anjo do Senhor se preparava para estender a sua mão sobre Jerusalém para a destruir, por causa da grande compaixão que sentiu, o Senhor ordenou ao anjo destruidor: “Para! Já basta!” O anjo do Senhor estava sobre a eira de Arauna, o jebuseu.
17Quando David viu o anjo, disse ao Senhor: “Senhor, eu sou o único culpado deste pecado! Estas ovelhas nada fizeram! Destrói-me a mim e à minha família.”
David constrói um altar
(1 Cr 21.18-27)
18Nesse dia, Gad foi ter com David e disse-lhe: “Sobe à eira de Arauna, o jebuseu, e constrói ali um altar ao Senhor.”
19David pôs-se logo a caminho, como o Senhor lhe tinha ordenado por intermédio de Gad. 20Quando Arauna viu o rei e os seus homens virem na sua direção, foi e inclinou-se com o rosto no chão perante o rei. 21“Porque vieste aqui?”, perguntou Arauna. David respondeu: “Para te comprar a eira e construir ali um altar ao Senhor, a fim de que cesse esta praga.”
22Arauna disse-lhe: “Fica já com ela, meu senhor, e usa-a como bem entenderes. Estão aqui bois para o holocausto e podes usar o carro e os jugos dos bois como madeira para o fogo do altar. 23Tudo te dou. Assim, o Senhor Deus aceite o teu sacrifício.”
24“Não”, disse David. “Quero comprar-ta pelo seu preço, pois não oferecerei ao Senhor, meu Deus, holocaustos que nada me custem.” David pagou-lhe então 50 peças de prata pela eira e pelos bois; 25Construiu ali um altar ao Senhor e sacrificou holocaustos e ofertas de paz sobre ele.
O Senhor respondeu à sua oração e a praga cessou.
1And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. 2For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.24.2 Go: or, Compass 3And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing? 4Notwithstanding the king’s word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.
5¶ And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer:24.5 river: or, valley 6Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi; and they came to Dan-jaan, and about to Zidon,24.6 land of Tahtim-hodshi: or, nether land newly inhabited 7And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beer-sheba. 8So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
10¶ And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. 11For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, 12Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. 13So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days’ pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me. 14And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.24.14 are great: or, are many
15¶ So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men. 16And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.24.16 Araunah: also called, Ornan 17And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house.
18¶ And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.24.18 Araunah: Heb. Araniah 19And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded. 20And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground. 21And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people. 22And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood. 23All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee. 24And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
