1st Dabar-Hayamym (1 Chronicles) — 21

The Census of Yashar'AL and Yahudah

1 Now ha'shatan stood up against Yashar'AL, and moved king Daud to number Yashar'AL. 

2 So Daud said to Yuab and to the leaders of the people, “Go, number Yashar'AL from Baarshaba to Dan, and bring the number of them to me that I may know it.”

3 And Yuab answered, “May 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH  make His people a hundred times more than they are. But, my master the king, the people are all my master’s servants? Why then does my master require this counting? Why should he be a cause of guilt in Yashar'AL?”

4 Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Yuab. Therefore Yuab departed and went throughout all Yashar'AL and came to Yahushalam. 

5 Then Yuab gave the sum of the number of the people to Daud. All Yashar'AL had one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and Yahudah had four hundred and seventy thousand men who drew the sword. 

6 But he did not count Lauy and Banyamin among them, for the king’s word was abominable to Yuab.

7 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH was displeased with this Daud's actions; therefore 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH struck Yashar'AL. 

8 So Daud said to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, “I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing; but now, I pray take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”

9 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH spoke to Gad, Daud’s seer, saying, 

10 “Go and tell Daud, saying, ‘Thus says  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH: “I offer you three things;  choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you.” ’ ”

11 So Gad came to Daud and said to him, “Thus says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH: ‘Choose for yourself, 

12 either three years of famine, or three months to be defeated by your foes with the sword of your enemies overtaking you, or else for three days the sword of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH,  which will plague the land, with the Malak of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH destroying throughout all the territory of Yashar'AL.’ Now consider what answer I should take back to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH who sent me.”

13 And Daud said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let me fall into the hand of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

14 So 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH sent a plague upon Yashar'AL, and seventy thousand men of Yashar'AL fell. 

15 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH sent a Malak to Yahushalam to destroy it. As the Malak was destroying, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH looked and relented of the disaster, and said to the Malak who was destroying, “It is enough; now restrain your hand.” And the Malak of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH stood by the threshing floor of Urnan the Yabusite.

16 Then Daud lifted his eyes and saw the Malak of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH standing between Arath and Shamaym, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Yahushalam. So Daud and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces. 

17 And Daud said to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, “Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH my 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, be against me and my father’s house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.”

18 Therefore, the Malak of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH  commanded Gad to say to Daud that he should go and erect an altar to  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH on the threshing floor of Urnan the Yabusite. 

19 So Daud went up at the word of Gad, which he had spoken in the Name of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH

20 Now Urnan turned and saw the Malak; and his four sons who were with him hid themselves, but Urnan continued threshing wheat. 

21 So king Daud came to Urnan, and Urnan looked and saw King Daud. And he went out from the threshing floor, and bowed before Daud with his face to the ground. 

22 Then Daud said to Urnan, “Grant me the place of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar on it to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH. You shall grant it to me at the full price, that the plague may be withdrawn from the people.”

23 But Urnan said to king Daud, “Take it to yourself, and let my master the king do what is good in his eyes. Look, I also give you the oxen for burnt offerings, the threshing implements for wood, and the wheat for the grain offering; I give it all.”

24 Then King Daud said to Urnan, “No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me  nothing.” 

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

26 And Daud built there an altar to  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, and offered burnt offerings and Shalum offerings, and called on  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH; and He answered him from Shamaym by fire on the altar of burnt offering.

27 So 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH commanded the Malak, and he returned his sword to its sheath.

28 At that time, when Daud saw that  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH had answered him on the threshing floor of Urnan the Yabusite, he sacrificed there. 

29 For the tabernacle of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH and the altar of the burnt offering, which Musha had made in the wilderness, were at that time at the high place in Gibaun. 

30 But Daud could not go before it to inquire of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, for he was afraid of the sword of the Malak of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.