2 Samuel 24

Chapter 24

David Takes a Census

1 Once again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he caused David to harm them by taking a census. “Go and count the people of Israel and Judah,” the LORD told him.

2 So the king said to Joab and the commanderst of the army, “Take a census of all the tribes of Israel—from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south—so I may know how many people there are.”

3 But Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God let you live to see a hundred times as many people as there are now! But why, my lord the king, do you want to do this?”
4 But the king insisted that they take the census, so Joab and the commanders of the army went out to count the people of Israel.5 First they crossed the Jordan and camped at Aroer, south of the town in the valley, in the direction of Gad. Then they went on to Jazer,6 then to Gilead in the land of Tahtim-hodshit and to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon.

7 Then they came to the fortress of Tyre, and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went south to Judaht as far as Beersheba.
8 Having gone through the entire land for nine months and twenty days, they returned to Jerusalem.

9 Joab reported the number of people to the king. There were 800,000 capable warriors in Israel who could handle a sword, and 500,000 in Judah.

Judgment for David’s Sin

10 But after he had taken the census, David’s conscience began to bother him. And he said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt, LORD, for doing this foolish thing.”
11 The next morning the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, who was David’s seer. This was the message:

12 “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the LORD says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.’”

13 So Gad came to David and asked him, “Will you choose threet years of famine throughout your land, three months of fleeing from your enemies, or three days of severe plague throughout your land? Think this over and decide what answer I should give the LORD who sent me.”

14 “I’m in a desperate situation!” David replied to Gad. “But let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands.”
15 So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel that morning, and it lasted for three days.t A total of 70,000 people died throughout the nation, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south.

16 But as the angel was preparing to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented and said to the death angel, “Stop! That is enough!” At that moment the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

17 When David saw the angel, he said to the LORD, “I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep—what have they done? Let your anger fall against me and my family.”

David Builds an Altar

18 That day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
19 So David went up to do what the LORD had commanded him.20 When Araunah saw the king and his men coming toward him, he came and bowed before the king with his face to the ground.

21 “Why have you come, my lord the king?” Araunah asked.
David replied, “I have come to buy your threshing floor and to build an altar to the LORD there, so that he will stop the plague.”
22 “Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish,” Araunah said to David. “Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and you can use the threshing boards and ox yokes for wood to build a fire on the altar.

23 I will give it all to you, Your Majesty, and may the LORD your God accept your sacrifice.”

24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the LORD my God that have cost me nothing.” So David paid him fifty pieces of silvert for the threshing floor and the oxen.

25 David built an altar there to the LORD and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the LORD answered his prayer for the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.

2 SAMUEL 24

David Counts the People

(1 Chronicles 21.1-6)

1 The [Lord] was angry with Israel again, and he made David think it would be a good idea to count the people in Israel and Judah.

2 So David told Joab and the army officers, t “Go to every tribe in Israel, from the town of Dan in the north all the way south to Beersheba, and count everyone who can serve in the army. I want to know how many there are.”

3 Joab answered, “I hope the [Lord] your God will give you 100 times more soldiers than you already have. I hope you will live to see that day! But why do you want to do a thing like this?”
4 But when David refused to change his mind, Joab and the army officers went out and started counting the people. 5 They crossed the Jordan River and began witht Aroer and the town in the middle of the river valley. From there they went toward Gad and on as far as Jazer. 6 They went to Gilead and to Kadesh in Syria.t Then they went to Dan, Ijon, t and on toward Sidon. 7 They came to the fortress of Tyre, then went through every town of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Finally, they went to Beersheba in the Southern Desert of Judah.

8 After they had gone through the whole land, they went back to Jerusalem. It had taken them 9 months and 20 days.

9 Joab came and told David, “In Israel there are 800,000 who can serve in the army, and in Judah there are 500,000.”

The [Lord] Punishes David

(1 Chronicles 21.7-17)

10 After everyone had been counted, David realized he had done wrong. He told the [Lord], “What I did was stupid and terribly wrong. [Lord], please forgive me.”
11 Before David even got up the next morning, the [Lord] had told David's prophet Gad

12-13 to take a message to David. Gad went to David and told him:
You must choose one of three ways for the [Lord] to punish you: Will there be sevent years when the land won't grow enough food for your people? Or will your enemies chase you and make you run from them for three months? Or will there be three days of horrible disease in your land? Think about it and decide, because I have to give your answer to God, who sent me.

14 David was really frightened and said, “It's a terrible choice to make! But the [Lord] is kind, and I'd rather be punished by him than by anyone else.”

15-16 So that morning, the [Lord] sent an angel to spread a horrible disease everywhere in Israel, from Dan to Beersheba. And before it was over, 70,000 people had died.
When the angel was about to destroy Jerusalem, the [Lord] felt sorry for all the suffering he had caused and told the angel, “That's enough! Don't touch them.” This happened at the threshing place that belonged to Araunah the Jebusite.

17 David saw the angel killing everyone and told the [Lord], “These people are like sheep with me as their shepherd.t I have sinned terribly, but they have done nothing wrong. Please, punish me and my family instead of them!”

David Buys Araunah's //Threshing Place

(1 Chronicles 21.18—22.1)

18-19 That same day the prophet Gad came and told David, “Go to the threshing place that belongs to Araunah and build an altar there for the [Lord].”
So David went.
20 Araunah looked and saw David and his soldiers coming up toward him. He went over to David, bowed down low,

21 and said, “Your Majesty! Why have you come to see me?”
David answered, “I've come to buy your threshing place. I have to build the [Lord] an altar here, so this disease will stop killing the people.”
22 Araunah said, “Take whatever you want and offer your sacrifice. Here are some oxen for the sacrifice. You can use the threshing-boardst and the wooden yokes for the fire.

23 Take them—they're yours! I hope the [Lord] your God will be pleased with you.”
24 But David answered, “No! I have to pay you what they're worth. I can't offer the [Lord] my God a sacrifice that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing place and the oxen for 50 pieces of silver.

25 Then he built an altar for the [Lord]. He offered sacrifices to please the [Lord] and to ask for his blessings.
The [Lord] answered the prayers of the people, and no one else died from the terrible disease.