1 Chronicles 21

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Satan took his stand against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.	1 And Satan rose up against Israel: and moved David to 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 rulers of the people: Go, and number Israel from Bersabee even to Dan, and bring me the number of them 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 answered: The Lord make his people a hundred times more than they are : but, my lord the king, are they not all thy servants: why doth 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 king's word rather prevailed: and Joab departed, and went through all Israel: and 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 David the number of them, whom he had surveyed: and all the number of Israel was found to be eleven hundred thousand men that drew the sword: and of Juda four hundred and seventy thousand fighting men.
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 unwillingly executed the king's orders.
7 God looked with displeasure on this and punished Israel in consequence.	7 And God was displeased with this thing that was commanded: and 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 beseech thee take away the iniquity of thy servant, for I have done foolishly.
9 Yahweh then spoke to Gad, David's seer,
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 And the Lord spoke to Gad the seer of David, saying:
11 So Gad went to David and said, 'Yahweh says this,	11 Go, and speak to David, and tell him: Thus saith the Lord: I give thee the choice of three things: choose one which thou wilt, and I will do it to thee.
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 And when Gad was come to David, he said to him: Thus saith the Lord: choose which thou wilt:
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 Either three years' famine: or three months to flee from thy enemies, and not to be able to escape their sword: or three days to have the sword of the Lord, and pestilence in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying in all the coasts of Israel: now therefore see what I shall answer him who sent me.
14 So Yahweh unleashed an epidemic on Israel, and seventy thousand Israelites succumbed.	14 And David said to Gad: I am on every side in a great strait: 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.
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 So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel. And there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.
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 he sent an angel to Jerusalem, to strike it: and as he was striking it, the Lord beheld, and took pity for the greatness of the evil: and said to the angel that destroyed: It is enough, now stop thy hand. And the angel of the Lord stood by the thrashing
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 lifting up his eyes, saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand, turned against Jerusalem: and both he and the ancients clothed in haircloth, fell down flat on the ground.
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 And David said to God: Am not I he that commanded the people to be numbered? It is I that have sinned: it is I that have done the evil: but as for this flock, what hath it deserved? O Lord my God, let thy hand be turned, I beseech thee, upon me, and upon my father's house: and let not thy people be destroyed.
19 So, at Gad's bidding, given in Yahweh's name, David went up.	19 And the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to tell David, to go up, and build an altar to the Lord God in the thrashingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
20 Ornan had turned round and seen the angel, and he and his four sons with him had hidden.	20 and David went up, according to the word of Gad, which he spoke to him in the name of the Lord.
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 Now when Ornan looked up, and saw the angel, he and his four sons hid themselves: for at that time he was thrashing wheat in the floor.
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 as David was coming to Ornan, Ornan saw him, and went out of the thrashingfloor to meet him, and bowed down to him with his face to the ground.
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 And David said to him: Give me this place of thy thrashingfloor, that I may build therein an altar to the Lord: but thou shalt take of me as much money as it is worth, that the plague may cease from the people.
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 Ornan said to David: Take it, and let my lord the king do all that pleaseth him: and moreover the oxen also I give for a holocaust, and the drays for wood, and the wheat for the sacrifice: I will give it all willingly.
25 So David gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the site.	25 And king David said to him: It shall not be so, but I will give thee money as much se it is worth: for I must not take it from thee, and so offer to the Lord holocausts free cost.
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 So David gave to Ornan for the place, six hundred sides of gold of just weight.
27 Then Yahweh ordered the angel to sheathe his sword.	27 And he built there an altar to the Lord: and he offered holocausts, and peace offerings, and he called upon the Lord, and he heard him by sending Are from heaven upon the altar of the holocaust.
28 Whereupon, seeing that Yahweh had answered him on the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite,David offered sacrifice there.	28 And the Lord commanded the angel: and he put up his sword again into the sheath.
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 And David seeing that the Lord had heard him in the thrashingfloor of Oman the Jebusite, forthwith offered victims there.
30 but David could not go there to consult God because he was terrified of the angel's sword.	30 But the tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses made in the desert, and the altar of holocausts, was at that time in the high place of Gabaon.