Chapter 21

Census Brings Pestilence

1 aThen Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel.

2 So David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, “aGo, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, and bring me word that I may know their number.”

3 Joab said, “aMay the Lord add to His people a hundred times as many as they are! But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord seek this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt to Israel?”

4 Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore, Joab departed and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.

5 Joab gave the number of the 1census of all the people to David. And aall Israel were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword; and Judah was 470,000 men who drew the sword.

6 aBut he did not 1number Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king’s 2command was abhorrent to Joab.

7 1God was displeased with this thing, so He struck Israel.

8 David said to God, “I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing. aBut now, please take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”

9 The Lord spoke to aGad, David’s bseer, saying,

10 “Go and speak to David, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “I 1offer you three things; choose for yourself one of them, which I will do to you.” ’ ”

11 So Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Take for yourself

12 aeither three years of famine, or three months to be swept away before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the Lord, even pestilence in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ Now, therefore, consider what answer I shall return to Him who sent me.”

13 David said to Gad, “I am in great distress; please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, afor His mercies are very great. But do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

14 aSo the Lord 1sent a pestilence on Israel; 70,000 men of Israel fell.

15 And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy it, the Lord saw and awas sorry over the calamity, and said to the destroying angel, “It is enough; now relax your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of 1Ornan the Jebusite.

16 Then David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, acovered with sackcloth, fell on their faces.

17 David said to God, “Is it not I who 1commanded to count the people? Indeed, I am the one who has sinned and done very wickedly, abut these sheep, what have they done? O Lord my God, please let Your hand be against me and my father’s household, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.”

David’s Altar

18 aThen the angel of the Lord 1commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

19 So David went up at the word of Gad, which he spoke in the name of the Lord.

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

21 As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out from the threshing floor and prostrated himself 1before David with his face to the ground.

22 Then David said to Ornan, “Give me the 1site of this threshing floor, that I may build on it an altar to the Lord; for the full price you shall give it to me, that the plague may be restrained from the people.”

23 Ornan said to David, “Take it for yourself; and let my lord the king do what is good in his sight. See, I will give the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for wood and the wheat for the grain offering; I will give it all.”

24 But King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will surely buy it for the full price; for I will not take what is yours for the Lord, or offer a burnt offering 1which costs me nothing.”

25 So aDavid gave Ornan 600 shekels of gold by weight for the 1site.

26 Then David built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And he called to the Lord and aHe answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.

27 The Lord commanded the angel, and he put his sword back in its sheath.

28 At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered sacrifice there.

29 aFor the tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were in the high place at Gibeon at that time.

30 But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was terrified by the sword of the angel of the Lord.