1 Chronicles 21

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.	1 Satan took his stand against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.
2 And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.	2 David said to Joab and the people's princes, 'Go, and take a census of Israel, from Beersheba to Dan,then bring it back to me and let me know the total.'
3 And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?	3 Joab replied, 'May Yahweh multiply his people to a hundred times what they are today! But my lordking, are they not all my lord's servants in any case? Why should my lord insist on this? Why should he involveIsrael in guilt?'
4 Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.	4 But the king enforced his order on Joab, and Joab set out, travelled throughout al Israel, and thenreturned to Jerusalem.
5 And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.	5 Joab gave David the census results for the people: al Israel had eleven hundred thousand men whocould wield a sword; Judah had four hundred and seventy thousand men who could wield a sword.
6 But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.	6 Joab had found the king's command so distasteful that he did not include Levi and Benjamin.
7 And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.	7 God looked with displeasure on this and punished Israel in consequence.
8 And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.	8 David then said to God, 'I have committed a grave sin by doing this. But now I beg you to forgive yourservant for this fault, for I have acted very foolishly.'
9 And the LORD spake unto Gad, David's seer, saying,	9 Yahweh then spoke to Gad, David's seer,
10 Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.	10 'Go and say to David, "Yahweh says this: I offer you three things; choose which one of them I am toinflict on you." '
11 So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee	11 So Gad went to David and said, 'Yahweh says this,
12 Either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.	12 "Take your choice between three years of famine; or three months of disaster at the hands of yourenemies, with your enemies' sword overtaking you; or three days of Yahweh's sword, an epidemic in the country,while the angel of Yahweh wreaks havoc throughout the territory of Israel." Now decide how I am to answer himwho sends me.'
13 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.	13 David said to Gad, 'I am very apprehensive. Better for me to fal into Yahweh's hand, since hismercies are very great, than for me to fal into the hands of human enemies.'
14 So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.	14 So Yahweh unleashed an epidemic on Israel, and seventy thousand Israelites succumbed.
15 And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.	15 Next, God sent the angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, but as he was about to destroy it, Yahwehlooked down and felt sorry about the calamity; and he said to the destroying angel, 'Enough now! Hold yourhand!' The angel of Yahweh was standing by the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
16 And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.	16 David, raising his eyes, saw the angel of Yahweh standing between earth and heaven, a drawnsword in his hand stretched out towards Jerusalem. David and the elders then put on sackcloth and fel on theirfaces,
17 And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.	17 and David said to God, 'Did I not order the people to be counted? I was the one who sinned andactual y committed the wrong. But these, the flock, what have they done? Yahweh my God, let your hand lieheavy on me and on my family; but spare your people from the plague!'
18 Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.	18 The angel of Yahweh then ordered Gad to tel David that David should go up and erect an altar toYahweh on the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19 And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD.	19 So, at Gad's bidding, given in Yahweh's name, David went up.
20 And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.	20 Ornan had turned round and seen the angel, and he and his four sons with him had hidden.
21 And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.	21 When David arrived Ornan was threshing wheat. He looked up and saw David and came off thethreshing-floor and prostrated himself on the ground at David's feet.
22 Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.	22 David then said to Ornan, 'Let me have the site of the threshing-floor, so that I can build an altar toYahweh on it; let me have it at the ful price -- so that the plague may be lifted from the people.' Ornan said toDavid,
23 And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo,I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all.	23 'Take it, and let my lord the king do what he thinks fit. Look, I shal give you the oxen for burntofferings, the threshing-sleds for the wood and the wheat for the oblation. I shal give everything.'
24 And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.	24 'No,' said King David to Ornan, 'I insist on buying it at the ful price. I wil not offer Yahweh whatbelongs to you or bring burnt offerings which have cost me nothing.'
25 So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.	25 So David gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the site.
26 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.	26 There David built an altar to Yahweh and brought burnt offerings and peace offerings. He called onYahweh, and Yahweh answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.
27 And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.	27 Then Yahweh ordered the angel to sheathe his sword.
28 At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.	28 Whereupon, seeing that Yahweh had answered him on the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite,David offered sacrifice there.
29 For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering, were at that season in the high place at Gibeon.	29 The Dwel ing which Moses had made in the desert and the altar of burnt offering were at that time onthe high place at Gibeon,
30 But David could not go before it to inquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.	30 but David could not go there to consult God because he was terrified of the angel's sword.