2 Samuel 24

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, "Go, number Israel and Judah."	1 Again, Yahweh's anger was aroused against Israel, and he incited David against them. 'Go,' he said,'take a census of Israel and Judah.'
2 So the king said to Joab and the commanders of the army, who were with him, "Go through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba, and number the people, that I may know the number of the people."	2 The king said to Joab and the senior army officers who were with him, 'Now, go through al the tribesof Israel from Dan to Beersheba, and take a census of the people; I wish to know the size of the population.'
3 But Joab said to the king, "May the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see it; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?"	3 Joab said to the king, 'May Yahweh your God multiply the people a hundred times -- however manythere are -- while my lord the king stil has eyes to see it, but why should my lord the king be set on this?'
4 But the king's word prevailed against Joab and the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the king to number the people of Israel.	4 The king nonetheless enforced his order on Joab and the senior officers, and Joab and the seniorofficers left the king's presence, to take a census of the people of Israel.
5 They crossed the Jordan, and began from Aroer, and from the city that is in the middle of the valley, toward Gad and on to Jazer.	5 They crossed the Jordan and made a start with Aroer and the town in the middle of the valley, thenmoved on to the Gadites and to Jazer.
6 Then they came to Gilead, and to Kadesh in the land of the Hittites; and they came to Dan, and from Dan they went around to Sidon,	6 They then went to Gilead and the territory of the Hittites, to Kadesh; they then went to Dan and fromDan cut across to Sidon.
7 and came to the fortress of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites; and they went out to the Negeb of Judah at Beer-sheba.	7 They then went to the fortress of Tyre and to al the towns of the Hittites and Canaanites ending up inthe Negeb of Judah at Beersheba.
8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.	8 Having travel ed throughout the country, after nine months and twenty days they returned toJerusalem.
9 And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to the king: in Israel there were eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand.	9 Joab gave the king the census results for the people; Israel had eight hundred thousand fighting menwho could wield a sword, and Judah five hundred thousand.
10 But David's heart smote him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O LORD, I pray thee, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly."	10 But afterwards David's heart misgave him for having taken a census of the people. David then said toYahweh, 'I have committed a grave sin by doing this. But now, Yahweh, I beg you to forgive your servant for thisfault, for I have acted very foolishly.'
11 And when David arose in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,	11 When, however, David got up next morning, the fol owing message had come from Yahweh to theprophet Gad, David's seer,
12 "Go and say to David, 'Thus says the LORD, Three things I offer you; choose one of them, that I may do it to you."	12 'Go and say to David, "Yahweh says this: I offer you three things; choose which one of them I am toinflict on you." '
13 So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, "Shall three years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days' pestilence in your land? Now consider, and decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me."	13 So Gad went to David and said, 'Which do you prefer: to have three years of famine befal yourcountry; to flee for three months before a pursuing army; or to have three days of epidemic in your country? Nowthink, and decide how I am to answer him who sends me.'
14 Then David said to Gad, "I am in great distress; let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man."	14 David said to Gad, 'I am very apprehensive . . . Better to fal into Yahweh's hands, since his merciesare great, than to fal into the hands of men!'
15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning until the appointed time; and there died of the people from Dan to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men.	15 So David chose the epidemic. It was the time of the wheat harvest. So Yahweh unleashed anepidemic on Israel from that morning until the time determined; plague ravaged the people and, of the peoplefrom Dan to Beersheba, seventy thousand died.
16 And when the angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented of the evil, and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, "It is enough; now stay your hand." And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.	16 But when the angel stretched his hand towards Jerusalem to destroy it, Yahweh felt sorry about thecalamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, 'Enough now! Hold your hand!' The angel ofYahweh was standing by the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
17 Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was smiting the people, and said, "Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me and against my father's house."	17 When David saw the angel who was ravaging the people, he said to Yahweh, 'I was the one whosinned. I was the one who acted wrongly. But these, the flock, what have they done? Let your hand lie heavy onme and on my family!'
18 And Gad came that day to David, and said to him, "Go up, rear an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite."	18 Gad went to David that day and said, 'Go up and raise an altar to Yahweh on the threshing-floor ofAraunah the Jebusite.'
19 So David went up at Gad's word, as the LORD commanded.	19 So, at Gad's bidding, David went up, as Yahweh had ordered.
20 And when Araunah looked down, he saw the king and his servants coming on toward him; and Araunah went forth, and did obeisance to the king with his face to the ground.	20 When Araunah looked up and saw the king and his retinue advancing towards him-Araunah wasthreshing the wheat -- Araunah came forward and prostrated himself on the ground at the king's feet.
21 And Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" David said, "To buy the threshing floor of you, in order to build an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be averted from the people."	21 'Why has my lord the king come to his servant?' Araunah asked. David replied, 'To buy the threshing-floor from you, to build an altar to Yahweh, so that the plague may be lifted from the people.'
22 Then Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him; here are the oxen for the burnt offering, and the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood.	22 Araunah said to David, 'Let my lord the king take it and make what offerings he thinks fit. Here arethe oxen for the burnt offering, the threshing-sleds and the oxen's yokes for the wood.
23 All this, O king, Araunah gives to the king." And Araunah said to the king, "The LORD your God accept you."	23 My lord the king's servant wil give the king everything. And', Araunah said to the king, 'may Yahwehyour God accept what you offer!'
24 But the king said to Araunah, "No, but I will buy it of you for a price; I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.	24 'No,' said the king to Araunah, 'I shal give you a price for it; I will not offer Yahweh my God burntofferings which have cost me nothing.' David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
25 And David built there an altar to the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD heeded supplications for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel.	25 David built an altar to Yahweh and offered burnt offerings and communion sacrifices. Yahweh thentook pity on the country and the plague was lifted from Israel.