1 Again the Lord's anger burned against Israel, and He incited David against them, saying, "Go, count the people of Israel and Judah."

And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

2 So the king said to Joab, the commander of the army who was with him, "Go through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and enroll the people, so that I may know how many there are."

For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.

3 But Joab said to the king, "May the Lord your God multiply the people a hundredfold while the eyes of my lord the king still see it. But why does my lord the king want to do this thing?"

And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?

4 Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed over Joab and the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders went out from the presence of the king to count the people of Israel.

Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.

5 They crossed the Jordan and camped at Aroer, on the right side of the city in the middle of the valley of Gad, and proceeded to Jazer.

And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer:

6 Then they went to Gilead and the land of Tahtim Hodshi, and they came to Dan Jaan and around to Sidon.

Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtimhodshi; and they came to Danjaan, and about to Zidon,

7 They went to the fortress of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Then they went to the Negev of Judah in Beersheba.

And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beersheba.

8 After traveling through the entire land, they returned to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

9 Joab reported the number of the people to the king: Israel had eight hundred thousand able men who could handle a sword, and Judah had five hundred thousand.

And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

10 David's heart was troubled after he had numbered the people. He said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, Lord, please take away the guilt of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly."

And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

11 The next morning, the word of the Lord came to Gad the prophet, David's seer, saying,

For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,

12 "Go and tell David, 'This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them, and I will carry it out against you.'"

Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.

13 So Gad went to David and said to him, "Shall there come seven years of famine in your land? Or shall you flee from your enemies for three months while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days of plague in your land? Now think it over and decide how I should reply to the One who sent me."

So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

14 David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for His mercies are many, but do not let me fall into human hands."

And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.

15 So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand men died from Dan to Beersheba.

So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.

16 But when the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was striking the people, "Enough! Withdraw your hand." The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.

17 When David saw the angel striking the people, he said to the Lord, "I alone have sinned; I, the shepherd, have acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand fall upon me and my family."

And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.

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."

And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.

19 So David went up, as the Lord had commanded through Gad.

And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded.

20 When Araunah saw the king and his officials coming toward him, he went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.

And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.

21 Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" David replied, "To buy your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the Lord, and the plague may be stopped from affecting the people."

And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.

22 Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take whatever pleases him and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.

And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood.

23 Everything, O king, Araunah gives to the king." Araunah also said to the king, "May the Lord your God accept you."

All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.

24 But the king said to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

25 David built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then the Lord answered prayer on behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.

And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.