1 Chronicles 21

1 And the Satan stood up against Yisrael, and provoked Dawid to number Yisrael.

2 And Dawid said to Yoav and to the rulers of the people, “Go, number Yisrael from Beer-Sheva even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.”

3 And Yoav answered, “יהוה make His people a hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord (adoni) the king, are they not all my lord (adoni)’s servants? Why then doth my lord (adoni) require this thing? Why will he be a cause of trespass to Yisrael?”

4 Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Yoav. Wherefore Yoav departed, and went throughout all Yisrael, and came to Jerusalem (Yerushalayim).

5 And Yoav gave the sum of the number of the people unto Dawid. And all they of Yisrael were a thousand thousand and a hundred thousand men that drew sword; and Judah (Yehudah) was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.

6 But Lewi and Benjamin (Binyamin) counted he not among them, for the king’s word was abominable to Yoav.

7 And God (Elohim) was displeased with this thing; therefore He smote Yisrael.

8 And Dawid said unto God (Elohim), “I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing; but now, I beseech You, do away the iniquity of Your servant; for I have done very foolishly.”

9 And יהוה spake unto Gad, Dawid’s seer, saying,

10 “Go and tell Dawid, saying, ‘Thus saith יהוה: “I offer you three things: choose you one of them, that I may do it unto you.”’”

11 So Gad came to Dawid, and said unto him, “Thus saith יהוה: ‘Choose you,

12 Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before your foes, while that the sword of your enemies overtaketh you; or else three days the sword of יהוה, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of יהוה destroying throughout all the coasts of Yisrael.’ Now therefore advise yourself what word I shall bring again to Him that sent me.”

13 And Dawid said unto Gad, “I am in a great distress; let me fall now into the hand of יהוה, for very great are His mercies; but let me not fall into the hand of man.”

14 So יהוה sent pestilence upon Yisrael; and there fell of Yisrael seventy thousand men.

15 And God (Elohim) sent an angel unto Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) to destroy it; and as he was destroying, יהוה beheld, and He regretted of the disaster (raah), and said to the angel that destroyed, “It is enough, stay now your hand.” And the angel of יהוה stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Yevusi.

16 And Dawid lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of יהוה stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem (Yerushalayim). Then Dawid and the elders of Yisrael, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

17 And Dawid said unto God (Elohim), “Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? Even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, please, O יהוה my God (Elohim), be on me, and on my father’s house; but not on Your people, that they should be plagued.”

18 Then the angel of יהוה commanded Gad to say to Dawid, that Dawid should go up, and set up an altar unto יהוה in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Yevusi.

19 And Dawid went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of יהוה.

20 And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.

21 And as Dawid came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw Dawid, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to Dawid with his face to the ground.

22 Then Dawid said to Ornan, “Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto יהוה. You shalt grant it me for the full price; that the plague may be stayed from the people.”

23 And Ornan said unto Dawid, “Take it to you, and let my lord (adoni) the king does that which is good in his eyes. Behold, I give you the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all.”

24 And King Dawid said to Ornan, “Nay, but I will verily buy it for the full price; for I will not take that which is your for יהוה, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.”

25 So Dawid gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.

26 And Dawid built there an altar unto יהוה, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon יהוה; and He answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.

27 And יהוה commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.

28 At that time when Dawid saw that יהוה had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Yevusi, then he sacrificed there.

29 For the tabernacle of יהוה, which Moses (Mosheh) made in the wilder-ness, and the altar of the burnt offering, were at that season in the high place at Giveon.

30 But Dawid could not go before it to enquire of God (Elohim), for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of יהוה.