1 Chronicles 21

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 A satan rose up against Israel, and he enticed David into taking a census of Israel.	1 Satan took his stand against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.
2 David therefore said to Joab and to the other generals of the army, "Go, find out the number of the Israelites from Beer-sheba to Dan, and report back to me that I may know their number."	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 But Joab replied: "May the LORD increase his people a hundredfold! My lord king, are not all of them my lord's subjects? Why does my lord seek to do this thing? Why will he bring guilt upon 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 However, the king's command prevailed over Joab, who departed and traversed all of Israel, and then returned to Jerusalem.	4 But the king enforced his order on Joab, and Joab set out, travelled throughout al Israel, and thenreturned to Jerusalem.
5 Joab reported the result of the census to David: of men capable of wielding a sword, there were in all Israel one million one hundred thousand, and in Judah four hundred and seventy thousand.	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 Levi and Benjamin, however, he did not include in the census, for the king's command was repugnant to Joab.	6 Joab had found the king's command so distasteful that he did not include Levi and Benjamin.
7 This command displeased God, who began to punish Israel.	7 God looked with displeasure on this and punished Israel in consequence.
8 Then David said to God, "I have sinned greatly in doing this thing. Take away your servant's guilt, for I have acted 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 Then the LORD spoke to Gad, David's seer, in these words:	9 Yahweh then spoke to Gad, David's seer,
10 "Go, tell David: Thus says the LORD: I offer you three alternatives; choose one of them, and I will inflict it on you."	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 Accordingly, Gad went to David and said to him; "Thus says the LORD: Decide now--	11 So Gad went to David and said, 'Yahweh says this,
12 will it be three years of famine; or three months of fleeing your enemies, with the sword of your foes ever at your back; or three days of the LORD'S own sword, a pestilence in the land, with the LORD'S destroying angel in every part of Israel? Therefore choose: What answer am I to give him who 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 Then David said to Gad: "I am in dire straits. But I prefer to fall into the hand of the LORD, whose mercy is very great, than into the hands of men."	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 Therefore the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel died.	14 So Yahweh unleashed an epidemic on Israel, and seventy thousand Israelites succumbed.
15 God also sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem; but as he was on the point of destroying it, the LORD saw and decided against the calamity, and said to the destroying angel, "Enough now! Stay your hand!"The angel of the LORD was then standing by the threshing floor 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 When David raised his eyes, he saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, with a naked sword in his hand stretched out against Jerusalem. David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, prostrated themselves face to the ground,	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 prayed to God: "Was it not I who ordered the census of the people? I am the one who sinned, I did this wicked thing. But these sheep, what have they done? O LORD, my God, strike me and my father's family, but do not afflict your people with this plague!"	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 tell David to go up and erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor 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 David went up at Gad's command, given in the name of the LORD.	19 So, at Gad's bidding, given in Yahweh's name, David went up.
20 While Ornan was threshing wheat, he turned around and saw the king, and his four sons who were with him, without recognizing them.	20 Ornan had turned round and seen the angel, and he and his four sons with him had hidden.
21 But as David came on toward him, he looked up and saw that it was David. Then he left the threshing floor and bowed down before David, 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 David said to Ornan: "Sell me the ground of this threshing floor, that I may build on it an altar to the LORD. Sell it to me at its 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 But Ornan said to David: "Take it as your own, and let my lord the king do what seems best to him. See, I also give you the oxen for the holocausts, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the cereal offering. I give it all to you."	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 But King David replied to Ornan: "No! I will buy it from you properly, at its full price. I will not take what is yours for the LORD, nor offer up holocausts that cost me nothing."	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 paid Ornan six hundred shekels of gold for the place.	25 So David gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the site.
26 David then built an altar there to the LORD, and offered up holocausts and peace offerings. When he called upon the LORD, he answered him by sending down fire from heaven upon the altar of holocausts.	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 Then the LORD gave orders to the angel to return his sword to its sheath.	27 Then Yahweh ordered the angel to sheathe his sword.
28 Once David saw that the LORD had heard him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he continued to offer sacrifices there.	28 Whereupon, seeing that Yahweh had answered him on the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite,David offered sacrifice there.
29 The Dwelling of the LORD, which Moses had built in the desert, and the altar of holocausts were at that time on 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 there to worship God, for he was fearful 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.