CHAPTER 21
So David
said
to
Joab
and the commanders
of the troops,
“Go,
count
the Israelites
from
Beersheba
to
Dan
and bring
me
a report,
so that I may know
their number.”
But Joab
replied,
“May the LORD
multiply
His troops
a hundred
times
over.
My lord
the king,
are they not
all
servants
of my lord?
Why
does my lord
want
to do this?
Why
should he bring
guilt
on Israel?"
Nevertheless, the king's
word
prevailed
against
Joab.
So Joab
left
and traveled
throughout
Israel,
and then he returned
to Jerusalem.
And Joab
reported
to
David
the total
number
of the troops.
In all
Israel
there were
1,100,000
men
who drew
the sword,
including 470,000
in Judah.
But Joab did not
include
Levi
and Benjamin
in the count,
because
the king’s
command
was detestable
to
him.
Then David
said
to
God,
“I have sinned
greatly
because
I have done
this
thing.
Now
I beg You
to take away
the iniquity
of Your servant,
for
I have acted very
foolishly.”
“Go
and tell
David
that this is what
the LORD
says:
‘I
am offering
you three options.
Choose
one
of them,
and I will carry it out
against you.’”
of either
three
years
of famine,
three
months
of being swept away
before
your enemies
and overtaken
by their swords,
or
three
days
of the sword
of the LORD—
days of plague
upon the land,
with the angel
of the LORD
ravaging
every
part
of Israel.'
Now then,
decide
how
I should reply
to Him who sent me."
David
answered
Gad,
“I am deeply distressed.
Please,
let me fall
into the hands
of the LORD,
for
His mercies are
very
great;
but do not
let me fall
into the hands
of men.”
Then God
sent
an angel
to destroy
Jerusalem,
but as the angel was doing so
the LORD
saw it
and relented
from
the calamity,
and He said
to the angel
who was destroying the people,
“Enough,
withdraw
your hand
now!”
At that time the angel
of the LORD
was standing
by
the threshing floor
of Ornan
the Jebusite.
When David
lifted
up his eyes
and saw
the angel
of the LORD
standing
between
heaven
and
earth,
with his drawn
sword
in his hand
stretched out
over
Jerusalem,
David
and the elders,
clothed
in sackcloth,
fell
facedown,
and David
said
to
God,
“Was it not
I
who gave the order
to count
the people?
I, the shepherd,
am the one
who
has sinned
and
acted wickedly.
But these
sheep,
what
have they done?
O LORD
my God,
please
let Your hand
fall upon
me
and my father's
house,
but do not
let this plague
remain upon Your people."
Then the angel
of the LORD
ordered
Gad
to tell
David
to go up
and build
an altar
to the LORD
on the threshing floor
of Ornan
the Jebusite.
Now Ornan
was threshing
wheat
when he
turned
and saw
the angel;
and his four
sons
who were with him
hid themselves.
David
came
to
Ornan,
and when Ornan
looked out
and saw
David,
he left
the threshing floor
and bowed
facedown
before David.
Then David
said
to
Ornan,
“Grant
me
the site
of this threshing floor,
that I may build
an altar
to the LORD.
Sell it
to me
for the full
price,
so that the plague
on
the people
may be halted.”
Ornan
said
to
David,
“My lord
the king
may take
whatever seems good.
Look,
I will give
the oxen
for the burnt offerings,
the threshing sledges
for the wood,
and the wheat
for the grain offering—
I will give
it all.”
“No,”
replied
King
David,
“I insist on paying
the full
price,
for
I will not
take
for the LORD
what
belongs to you
or offer
burnt offerings
that cost me nothing.”
And
there
he built
an altar
to the LORD
and offered
burnt offerings
and peace offerings.
He called
upon
the LORD,
who answered him
with fire
from
heaven
on
the altar
of burnt offering.
At that
time,
when David
saw
that
the LORD
had answered him
at the threshing floor
of Ornan
the Jebusite,
he offered sacrifices
there.
For the tabernacle
of the LORD
that
Moses
had made
in the wilderness
and the altar
of burnt offering
were presently
at the high place
in Gibeon,
but David
could
not
go
before it
to inquire
of God,
because
he was afraid
of
the sword
of the angel
of the LORD.