2 Samuel Chapter 24

¹ Again Yahveh’s anger burned against Israel, and he aroused David to count the people in Israel and Judah.

² The king told Joab the commander of the army, “Go through the tribes from Dan to Beersheba, and register the people so I can know how many there are.”

³ But Joab said, “May Yahveh your God multiply the people 100 times while you can still see it, but why delight in this?”

⁴ But the king’s word prevailed over Joab and his commanders; so they spread out to register the people. ⁵ They crossed the Jordan and camped south of Aroer in the middle of the Valley of Gad and then went on toward Jazer. ⁶ They went to Gilead and the area around Tahtim-hodshi, to Dan-jaan and on around to Sidon, ⁷ to the fortress of Tyre and the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites; and to the south of Judah to Beersheba. ⁸ When they’d cycled through the country, they came to Jerusalem after 9 months and 20 days, ⁹ and Joab reported the number of the census.   

2 Sam 24:1-9

God’s Judgment on David’s Sin

¹⁰ David’s conscience got to bothering him after he’d counted the people. He told Yahveh, “I’ve committed a serious sin, but please take away my guilt. I’ve acted foolishly.” ¹¹ When he got up in the morning, a message from Yahveh came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, ¹² “Tell David I’m offering him three choices.”

¹³ Gad went and asked David,

“Will three [1 Chronicles 21:12] years of famine come on you and your land? Will you flee from your enemies for three months? Or will there be a three-day plague in your land? Which answer will I take back to the One who sent me?”

¹⁴ David told Gad,

“I’m really distressed. Let’s fall into Yahveh’s hand. He has great mercy; don’t let me fall into human hands.”

2 Sam 24:10-14

¹⁵ So Yahveh sent a plague on Israel from morning till the appointed time; 70,000 people died from Dan to Beersheba. ¹⁶ When the angel held out his hand out toward Jerusalem to destroy it, Yahveh relented, “That’s enough. Relax your hand.” The angel of Yahveh was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. ¹⁷ When David saw the angel, he said to Yahveh, “I’m the one that sinned. I did wrong. What have these sheep done? Put yourself against me and my father’s family.”

2 Sam 24:15-17

David Builds an Altar

¹⁸ Gad went to David that day and said, “Go build an altar to Yahveh on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” ¹⁹ David went up like he said. ²⁰ Araunah looked down and saw him and his men crossing over toward him. He went out and bowed to the ground. ²¹ He said, “Why have you come to me?”

“To buy your threshing floor and build an altar to Yahveh so he’ll hold back the plague from the people.”

²² Araunah told him,

“Take and offer what you want to: the oxen for the burnt offering, the threshing sledges and yokes for wood. ²³ You can have it all. May Yahveh your God accept you.”

²⁴ “No, I’ll buy it from you. I won’t offer burnt offerings that don’t cost me anything.”

            He bought the threshing floor and oxen for 20 oz ^{50 shekels} of silver. ²⁵ He built an altar and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Yahveh was moved by David’s petition for the country and held back the plague.

2 Sam 24:18-25

Version by Virgil Warren: christir.org