2 Samuel 24
King James Version
24 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 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 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 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 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 came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtimhodshi; and they came to Danjaan, and about to Zidon,
7 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 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
9 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the Lord commanded.
20 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 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 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 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 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 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.
2 Samuel 24
1599 Geneva Bible
24 1 David causeth the people to be numbered. 10 He repenteth,and chooseth to fall into God’s hands. 15 Seventy thousand perish with the pestilence.
1 And the wrath of the Lord was [a]again kindled against Israel, and [b]he moved David against them, in that he said, Go, number Israel and Judah.
2 For the King said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go speedily now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the [c]number of the people.
3 And Joab said unto the King, The Lord thy God increase the people an hundredfold more than they be, and that the eyes of my lord the King may see it: but why doth my lord the King desire this thing?
4 Notwithstanding the King’s word prevailed against Joab and against the captains of the host: therefore Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the King to number the people of Israel.
5 ¶ And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer at the right side of the city that is in the midst of the [d]valley of Gad, and toward Jazer.
6 Then they came to Gilead, and to [e]Tahtim Hodshi, so they came to Dan Jaan, and so about to Sidon,
7 And came to the fortress of [f]Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and of the Canaanites, and went toward the South of Judah, even to Beersheba.
8 ¶ So when they had gone about all the land, they returned to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
9 ¶ And Joab delivered the number and sum of the people unto the King: and there were in Israel [g]eight hundred thousand strong men that drew swords, and the men of Judah were [h]five hundred thousand men.
10 Then David’s heart smote him, after that he had numbered the people: and David said unto the Lord, I have sinned exceedingly, in that I have done: therefore now, Lord, I beseech thee, take away the trespass of thy servant: for I have done very foolishly.
11 ¶ And when David was up in the morning, the word of the Lord came unto the Prophet Gad David’s [i]Seer, saying,
12 Go, and say unto David, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things, choose thee which of them I shall do unto thee.
13 So Gad came to David, and showed him, and said unto him, Wilt thou that [j]seven years famine come upon thee in thy land, or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, they following thee, or that there be three days pestilence in my land? now advise thee, and see, what answer I shall give to him that sent me.
14 ¶ And David said unto Gad, I am in a wonderful 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 pestilence in Israel from the morning even unto the time appointed: and there died of the people from [k]Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.
16 And when the Angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord (A)repented of the evil, and said to the Angel, that destroyed the people, It is sufficient, [l]hold now thine hand. And the Angel of the Lord was by the threshing place of Araunah the Jebusite.
17 And David spake unto the Lord (when he saw the Angel that smote the people) and said, Behold, I have sinned, yea, I have done wickedly, but these sheep, what have they [m]done? let thine hand, I pray, thee, be against me and against my father’s house.
18 ¶ So Gad came the same day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the Lord in the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
19 And David (according to the saying of Gad) went up, as the Lord had commanded.
20 And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the King on his face to the ground.
21 And [n]Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? Then David answered, to buy the threshing floor of thee for to build an altar unto the Lord, that the plague may cease from the people.
22 Then Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the King take and offer what seemeth him good in his eyes: behold the oxen for the burnt offering, and chariots, and the instruments of the oxen for wood.
23 (All these things did Araunah [o]as a king give unto the king: and Araunah said unto the king, The Lord thy God be favorable unto thee.)
24 Then the king said unto Araunah, Not so, but I will buy it of thee at a price, and will not offer burnt offering unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor, and the oxen for [p]fifty shekels of silver.
25 And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and the Lord was appeased toward the land, and the plague ceased from Israel.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 24:1 Before they were plagued with famine, 2 Sam. 21:1.
- 2 Samuel 24:1 The Lord permitted Satan, as 1 Chron. 21:2.
- 2 Samuel 24:2 Because he did this to try his power, and so to trust therein, it offended God, else it was lawful to number the people, Exod. 30:12; Num. 1:2.
- 2 Samuel 24:5 Or, river.
- 2 Samuel 24:6 Or, to the nether land newly inhabited.
- 2 Samuel 24:7 Or, Zor.
- 2 Samuel 24:9 According to Joab’s count: for in all there were eleven hundred thousand, 1 Chron. 21:5.
- 2 Samuel 24:9 Concluding under them the Benjamites: for else they had but four hundred and seventy thousand, 1 Chron. 21:5.
- 2 Samuel 24:11 Whom God had appointed for David and his time.
- 2 Samuel 24:13 For three years of famine were past for the Gibeonites’ matter: this was the fourth year to the which should have been added other three years more, 1 Chron. 21:12.
- 2 Samuel 24:15 From the one side of the country to the other.
- 2 Samuel 24:16 The Lord spared this place, because he had chosen it to build his Temple there.
- 2 Samuel 24:17 David saw not the just cause why God plagued the people, and therefore he offereth himself to God’s corrections as the only cause of this evil.
- 2 Samuel 24:21 Called also Ornan, 1 Chron. 21:20.
- 2 Samuel 24:23 That is, abundantly: for as some write, he was King of Jerusalem before David won the tower.
- 2 Samuel 24:24 Some write that every tribe gave 50 which makes 600, or that afterward he bought as much as came to 550 shekels, 1 Chron. 21:25.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
