1
And the anger of Yahuah again burned against Yisra’el, and He moved Daviyd against them, saying: “Go, number Yisra’el and Yehudah.”
2
And the king said to Yoav, commander of the host who was with him: “Please go throughout all the tribes of Yisra’el, from Dan even to Be’er-Sheva, and number the people, that I may know the number of the people.”
3
And Yoav said to the king: “May Yahuah your Elohim add to the people, however many they are, one hundred times, while the eyes of my master the king see it. But why does my master the king delight in this matter?”
4
But the word of the king prevailed against Yoav and against the commanders of the host. And Yoav and the commanders of the host went out from before the face of the king to number the people of Yisra’el.
5
And they crossed the Yarden and encamped in Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the midst of the wadi of Gad, toward Yazer.
6
And they came to Gilad and to the land of Tachtim-Chodshi. And they came to Dan-Yaan and around toward Tzidon.
7
And they came to the stronghold of Tzor and to all the cities of the Chivvi and of the Kena’ani. And they went out to the Negev of Yehudah, to Be’er-Sheva.
8
And they went throughout all the land and came to Yerushalayim at the end of nine months and twenty days.
9
And Yoav gave the number of the counting of the people to the king. And Yisra’el was eight hundred thousand ish of strength who drew the sword, and the ish of Yehudah were five hundred thousand ish.
10
And the heart of Daviyd struck him after he had numbered the people. And Daviyd said to Yahuah: “I have sinned exceedingly in what I have done. And now, Yahuah, please cause the crookedness of Your servant to pass away, for I have acted very foolishly.”
11
And Daviyd rose in the morning, and the Word of Yahuah came to Gad the prophet, seer of Daviyd, saying:
12
“Go and speak to Daviyd: ‘Thus says Yahuah: Three things I am setting before you. Choose for yourself one of them, and I will do it to you.’”
13
And Gad came to Daviyd and declared it to him, and said to him: “Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or shall you flee three months before your adversaries while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days of pestilence in your land? Now know and see what word I shall return to the One who sent me.”
14
And Daviyd said to Gad: “I am exceedingly distressed. Please let us fall into the hand of Yahuah, for His compassions are many; but let me not fall into the hand of Adam.”
15
And Yahuah gave pestilence upon Yisra’el from the morning until the appointed time. And from the people, from Dan even to Be’er-Sheva, seventy thousand ish died.
16
And the messenger stretched out his hand toward Yerushalayim to destroy it. And Yahuah relented concerning the evil and said to the messenger who was destroying among the people: “Enough. Now let your hand drop.” And the messenger of Yahuah was beside the threshing floor of Aravnah the Yevusi.
17
And Daviyd spoke to Yahuah when he saw the messenger striking the people, and said: “See, I have sinned, and I have acted crookedly. But these sheep—what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and against the House of my father.”
18
And Gad came to Daviyd on that day and said to him: “Go up. Raise up an altar to Yahuah on the threshing floor of Aravnah the Yevusi.”
19
And Daviyd went up according to the word of Gad, as Yahuah commanded.
20
And Aravnah looked and saw the king and his servants crossing over toward him. And Aravnah went out and bowed himself to the king, with his face to the earth.
21
And Aravnah said: “Why has my master the king come to his servant?” And Daviyd said: “To buy the threshing floor from you, to build an altar to Yahuah, that the plague may be restrained from upon the people.”
22
And Aravnah said to Daviyd: “Let my master the king take and cause to go up what is good in his eyes. See, the oxen for the ascending offering, and the threshing sledges and the equipment of the oxen for wood.
23
All these, O king, Aravnah gives to the king.” And Aravnah said to the king: “May Yahuah your Elohim accept you.”
24
And the king said to Aravnah: “No. For buying, I will surely buy it from you for a price. And I will not cause ascending offerings to go up to Yahuah my Elohim that cost me nothing.” And Daviyd bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty sheqels of silver.
25
And Daviyd built there an altar to Yahuah and caused ascending offerings and peace offerings to go up. And Yahuah was entreated for the land, and the plague was restrained from upon Yisra’el.