David’s Census of Israel and Judah

24 Again athe anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, b“Go, 1number Israel and Judah.”

2 So the king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him, “Now go throughout all the tribes of Israel, cfrom Dan to Beersheba, and count the people, that dI may know the number of the people.”

3 And Joab said to the king, “Now may the Lord your God eadd to the people a hundred times more than there are, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king desire this thing?” 4 Nevertheless the king’s word 2prevailed against Joab and against the captains of the army. Therefore Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king to count the people of Israel.

5 And they crossed over the Jordan and camped in fAroer, on the right side of the town which is in the midst of the ravine of Gad, and toward gJazer. 6 Then they came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtim Hodshi; they came to hDan Jaan and around to iSidon; 7 and they came to the stronghold of jTyre and to all the cities of the kHivites and the Canaanites. Then they went out to South Judah as far as Beersheba. 8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to the king. lAnd there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

The Judgment on David’s Sin

10 And mDavid’s heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So nDavid said to the Lord, o“I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have pdone very foolishly.”

11 Now when David arose in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet qGad, David’s rseer, saying, 12 “Go and tell David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you.” ’ ” 13 So Gad came to David and told him; and he said to him, “Shall sseven 3years of famine come to you in your land? Or shall you flee three months before your enemies, while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ plague in your land? Now consider and see what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.”

14 And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, tfor His mercies are great; but udo not let me fall into the hand of man.”

15 So vthe Lord sent a plague upon Israel from the morning till the appointed time. From Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men of the people died. 16 wAnd when the 4angel stretched out His hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, xthe Lord relented from the destruction, and said to the 4angel who was destroying the people, “It is enough; now restrain your hand.” And the 4angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of 5Araunah the Jebusite.

17 Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Surely yI have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house.”

The Altar on the Threshing Floor

18 And Gad came that day to David and said to him, z“Go up, erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19 So David, according to the word of Gad, went up as the Lord commanded. 20 Now Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming toward him. So Araunah went out and bowed before the king with his face to the ground.

21 Then Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”

aAnd David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, to build an altar to the Lord, that bthe plague may be withdrawn from the people.”

22 Now Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up whatever seems good to him. cLook, here are oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing implements and the yokes of the oxen for wood. 23 All these, O king, Araunah has given to the king.”

And Araunah said to the king, “May the Lord your God daccept you.”

24 Then the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing.” So eDavid bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25 And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. fSo the Lord heeded the prayers for the land, and gthe plague was withdrawn from Israel.

The Report of Saul’s Death

1 Now it came to pass after the adeath of Saul, when David had returned from bthe slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag, 2 on the third day, behold, it happened that ca man came from Saul’s camp dwith his clothes 1torn and dust on his head. So it was, when he came to David, that he efell to the ground and prostrated himself.

3 And David said to him, “Where have you come from?”

So he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.”

4 Then David said to him, f“How did the matter go? Please tell me.”

And he answered, “The people have fled from the battle, many of the people are fallen and dead, and Saul and gJonathan his son are dead also.”

5 So David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?”

6 Then the young man who told him said, “As I happened by chance to be on hMount Gilboa, there was iSaul, leaning on his spear; and indeed the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. 7 Now when he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 8 And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ So I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ 9 He said to me again, ‘Please stand over me and kill me, for 2anguish has come upon me, but my life still remains in me.’ 10 So I stood over him and jkilled him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord.”

11 Therefore David took hold of his own clothes and ktore them, and so did all the men who were with him. 12 And they lmourned and wept and mfasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the npeople of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

13 Then David said to the young man who told him, “Where are you from?”

And he answered, “I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite.”

14 So David said to him, “How owas it you were not pafraid to qput forth your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” 15 Then rDavid called one of the young men and said, “Go near, and execute him!” And he struck him so that he died. 16 So David said to him, s“Your blood is on your own head, for tyour own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s anointed.’ ”

The Song of the Bow

17 Then David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son, 18 uand he told them to teach the children of Judah the Song of the Bow; indeed it is written vin the Book 3of Jasher:

19 “The beauty of Israel is slain on your high places!

wHow the mighty have fallen!

20 xTell it not in Gath,

Proclaim it not in the streets of yAshkelon—

Lest zthe daughters of the Philistines rejoice,

Lest the daughters of athe uncircumcised triumph.

21 “O bmountains of Gilboa,

cLet there be no dew nor rain upon you,

Nor fields of offerings.

For the shield of the mighty is 4cast away there!

The shield of Saul, not danointed with oil.

22 From the blood of the slain,

From the fat of the mighty,

eThe bow of Jonathan did not turn back,

And the sword of Saul did not return empty.

23 “Saul and Jonathan were beloved and pleasant in their lives,

And in their fdeath they were not divided;

They were swifter than eagles,

They were gstronger than lions.

24 “O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,

Who clothed you in scarlet, with luxury;

Who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.

25 “How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle!

Jonathan was slain in your high places.

26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;

You have been very pleasant to me;

hYour love to me was wonderful,

Surpassing the love of women.

27 “How ithe mighty have fallen,

And the weapons of war perished!”

David Anointed King of Judah

2 It happened after this that David ainquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?”

And the Lord said to him, “Go up.”

David said, “Where shall I go up?”

And He said, “To bHebron.”

2 So David went up there, and his ctwo wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. 3 And David brought up dthe men who were with him, every man with his household. So they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

4 eThen the men of Judah came, and there they fanointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, g“The men of Jabesh Gilead were the ones who buried Saul.” 5 So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, h“You are blessed of the Lord, for you have shown this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him. 6 And now may ithe Lord show kindness and truth to you. I also will repay you this kindness, because you have done this thing. 7 Now therefore, let your hands be strengthened, and be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

Ishbosheth Made King of Israel

8 But jAbner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took 1Ishbosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to kMahanaim; 9 and he made him king over lGilead, …