1 Chronicles 21

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Satan took his stand against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.	1 Now Satan rose up against Israel, and he incited David so that he would number Israel.
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.'	2 And David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people: “Go, and number Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan. And bring me the number, so that I may know it.”
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?'	3 And Joab responded: “May the Lord increase his people a hundred times more than they are. But, my lord the king, are they not all your servants? Why would my lord seek this thing, which may be imputed as a sin to Israel?”
4 But the king enforced his order on Joab, and Joab set out, travelled throughout al Israel, and thenreturned to Jerusalem.	4 But the word of the king prevailed instead. And Joab went away, and he traveled around, through all of Israel. And he returned to Jerusalem.
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.	5 And he gave to David the number of those whom he had surveyed. And the entire number of Israel was found to be one million and one hundred thousand men who could draw the sword; but from Judah, there were four hundred and seventy thousand men of war.
6 Joab had found the king's command so distasteful that he did not include Levi and Benjamin.	6 But Levi and Benjamin he did not number. For Joab executed the orders of the king unwillingly.
7 God looked with displeasure on this and punished Israel in consequence.	7 Then God was displeased with what had been ordered, and so he struck Israel.
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.'	8 And David said to God: “I have sinned exceedingly in doing this. I beg you take away the iniquity of your servant. For I have acted unwisely.”
9 Yahweh then spoke to Gad, David's seer,	9 And the Lord spoke to Gad, the seer of David, saying:
10 'Go and say to David, "Yahweh says this: I offer you three things; choose which one of them I am toinflict on you." '	10 “Go, and speak to David, and tell him: Thus says the Lord: I give to you the option of three things. Choose the one that you will want, and I will do it to you.”
11 So Gad went to David and said, 'Yahweh says this,	11 And when Gad had gone to David, he said to him: “Thus says the Lord: Choose what you will want:
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.'	12 Either three years of famine, or three months for you to flee from your enemies, unable to escape from their sword, or three days for the sword of the Lord and a pestilence to turn within the land, with the Angel of the Lord killing in every part of Israel. Now therefore, see what I should respond to him who sent me.”
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.'	13 And David said to Gad: “There are difficulties pressing upon me from every side. But it is better for me to fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercies are many, than into the hands of men.”
14 So Yahweh unleashed an epidemic on Israel, and seventy thousand Israelites succumbed.	14 Therefore, the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel. And there fell from Israel seventy thousand men.
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.	15 Also, he sent an Angel to Jerusalem, so that he might strike it. And while he was striking, the Lord saw and took pity over the magnitude of the harm. And he commanded the Angel who was striking: “It is enough. Now let your hand cease.” And the Angel of the Lord was standing beside the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
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,	16 And David, lifting up his eyes, saw the Angel of the Lord, standing between heaven and earth with a drawn sword in his hand, turned toward Jerusalem. And both he and those greater by birth, being clothed in haircloth, fell prone upon the ground.
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!'	17 And David said to God: “Am I not the one who ordered that the people be numbered? It is I who sinned; it is I who did evil. This flock, what does it deserve? O Lord my God, I beg you to let your hand be turned against me and against the house of my father. But let not your people be struck down.”
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.	18 Then the Angel of the Lord instructed Gad to tell David that he should ascend and build an altar to the Lord God on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19 So, at Gad's bidding, given in Yahweh's name, David went up.	19 Therefore, David ascended, in accord with the word of Gad, which he had spoken to him in the name of the Lord.
20 Ornan had turned round and seen the angel, and he and his four sons with him had hidden.	20 Now when Ornan had looked up and seen the Angel, he and his four sons hid themselves. For at that time, he was threshing wheat upon the floor.
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.	21 Then, as David was approaching Ornan, Ornan saw him, and he went out from the threshing floor to meet him. And he reverenced him prone on the ground.
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,	22 And David said to him: “Give this place of your threshing floor to me, so that I may build an altar to the Lord upon it. And you shall accept from me as much money as it is worth, so that the plague may cease from the people.”
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.'	23 But Ornan said to David: “Take it, and may my lord the king do whatever pleases him. Moreover, I give the oxen also as a holocaust, and the plow for wood, and the wheat for a sacrifice. I will offer all freely.”
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.'	24 And king David said to him: “By no means shall it be so. Instead, I will give money to you, as much as it is worth. For I must not take it from you, and thereby offer to the Lord holocausts that cost nothing.”
25 So David gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the site.	25 Therefore, David gave Ornan, for the place, the very just weight of six hundred shekels of gold.
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.	26 And he built an altar to the Lord there. And he offered holocausts and peace offerings, and he called upon the Lord. And he heeded him by sending fire from heaven upon the altar of the holocaust.
27 Then Yahweh ordered the angel to sheathe his sword.	27 And the Lord instructed the Angel, and he turned his sword back into its sheath.
28 Whereupon, seeing that Yahweh had answered him on the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite,David offered sacrifice there.	28 Then, seeing that the Lord had heeded him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, David immediately immolated victims there.
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,	29 But the tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses had made in the desert, and the altar of holocausts, were at that time on the high place of Gibeon.
30 but David could not go there to consult God because he was terrified of the angel's sword.	30 And David was unable to go to the altar, so that he might pray to God there. For he had been struck with an exceedingly great fear, seeing the sword of the Angel of the Lord.