2 Samuel 24 – NIV & CCBT

New International Version

2 Samuel 24:1-25

David Enrolls 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 enroll 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 enroll 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 toward Sidon. 7Then they went toward 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 toward 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 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 1 1/4 pounds or 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 in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.

Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)

撒母耳記下 24:1-25

大衛統計人口

1耶和華又向以色列人發怒,祂促使大衛來對付他們,讓大衛統計以色列猶大的人口。 2大衛對統領軍隊的約押說:「你去走遍以色列各支派,從別示巴,統計以色列猶大的人口,讓我知道國民的數目。」 3約押說:「我主我王,願你的上帝耶和華使國民增加百倍,讓你親眼看到。但我主我王為什麼要統計人口呢?」 4大衛不聽約押和其他將領的規勸。他們只好去統計以色列的人數。 5他們過了約旦河,在谷中亞羅珥城南面安營,又經過迦得前往雅謝6然後,他們到基列他停·合示地區、但·雅安,繞到西頓7再去泰爾的堡壘及希未人和迦南人的城邑。最後,他們到了猶大南部的別示巴8他們花了九個月零二十天的時間,走遍全國,最後回到耶路撒冷9約押把統計的人數奏告大衛:「以色列有八十萬英勇的刀兵,猶大有五十萬。」

10大衛統計了人口以後,內心不安,就對耶和華說:「我做這事犯了大罪。耶和華啊,求你赦免僕人的罪,我做了極其愚昧的事。」 11第二天早上,耶和華對大衛的先見——迦得先知說: 12「你去告訴大衛,耶和華說,『我有三樣災禍,你可以選擇讓我降哪一樣給你。』」 13迦得就來見大衛,對他說:「你願意國內有七年饑荒呢?還是被敵人追殺三個月呢?還是國內發生三天瘟疫呢?請你考慮好後告訴我,我好回覆那差我來的。」 14大衛說:「我實在為難!不過我寧願落在耶和華的手中,也不願落在人的手中,因為耶和華有無限的憐憫。」

15於是,那天早晨,耶和華在以色列降下瘟疫,瘟疫持續了三天,從別示巴共有七萬人死亡。 16當天使準備伸手毀滅耶路撒冷的時候,耶和華心生憐憫,就對滅命天使說:「夠了,住手吧!」當時,耶和華的天使正站在耶布斯亞勞拿的麥場上。 17大衛看見滅命天使,就對耶和華說:「是我犯了罪,做了惡事,這些百姓有什麼過錯呢?願你的手懲罰我和我的家族。」

18就在那天,迦得來見大衛,對他說:「你要去耶布斯亞勞拿的麥場,在那裡為耶和華築一座壇。」 19大衛就照耶和華藉迦得所說的話去了亞勞拿的麥場。 20亞勞拿看見王及他的臣僕來了,就上前俯伏在地,向王跪拜, 21說:「我主我王到僕人這裡有什麼事?」大衛說:「我要買你的麥場,好在這裡為耶和華築一座壇,使百姓當中的瘟疫止住。」 22亞勞拿說:「我主我王喜歡什麼,就拿去獻祭吧。這裡有牛可以作燔祭,還有麥場的工具和牛軛可以作柴。 23王啊,僕人亞勞拿願意把這一切都獻給你,願你的上帝耶和華悅納你。」 24王卻說:「不可,我一定要出錢買,我不願意用白白得來之物作為燔祭獻給我的上帝耶和華。」大衛就用六百克銀子買了亞勞拿的麥場和牛。 25大衛在麥場上為耶和華建了一座壇,獻上燔祭和平安祭,耶和華垂聽了他的禱告,瘟疫就在以色列止住了。