1 Chronicles 21
Coverdale Bible of 1535 Par ▾ 

David’s Military Census
(Exodus 30:11–16; 2 Samuel 24:1–9)

1And Sathan stode agaynst Israel, & entysed Dauid to nombre Israel. 2And Dauid sayde vnto Ioab & to ye rulers of the people: Go yor waye, nombre Israel from Berseba vnto Dan, and brynge me the nombre of the, that I maye knowe it. 3Ioab sayde: The LORDE make his people an hundreth tymes mo then they are now. But my lorde O kynge, are they not all my lordes seruauntes? Why doth my lorde then axe therafter? Wherfore shal there a trespace come vpon Israel? 4Neuertheles the kynges worde preuayled agaynst Ioab. And Ioab wente forth, and walked thorow all Israel, and came to Ierusalem, 5and delyuered vnto Dauid ye nombre of the people that was tolde. And of all Israel there were a thousande tymes a thousande, and an hundreth thousande men, that drue out the swerde: and of Iuda foure hundreth thousande and seuetye thousande men, which drue out the swerde. 6As for Leui and Ben Iamin, he nombred them not amonge these: for the kynges worde was abhominable vnto Ioab.

Judgment for David’s Sin
(2 Samuel 24:10–14)

7But this displeased God righte sore: for he smote Israel. 8And Dauid sayde vnto God: I haue synned greuously, that I haue done this. But now take awaye the trespace of thy seruaunt: for I haue done very vnwysely.

9And the LORDE spake vnto Gad Dauids Seer, & sayde: 10Go speake to Dauid, & saye: Thus saieth the LORDE: Thre thinges laye I before the, chose ye one of them, yt I maye do it vnto the. 11And wha Gad came to Dauid, he spake vnto him: Thus sayeth the LORDE: Chose ye 12ether thre yeare derth, or thre monethes to flye before thine aduersaries, & before the swerde of thine enemies, yt it maye ouertake the: or thre dayes ye swerde of the LORDE, & pestilece in the londe, yt the angell of the LORDE maye destroye in all ye coastes of Israel. Loke now what answere I shal geue vnto him yt sent me. 13Dauid sayde vnto Gad: I am in greate trouble: yet wyl I rather fall in to ye hande of the LORDE, for his mercy is exceadynge greate, & I wil not fall in to the handes of men.

A Plague on Israel
(2 Samuel 24:15–17)

14Then dyd the LORDE cause pestilence to come into Israel, so that there fell of Israel thre score & ten thousande me. 15And God sent the angell to Ierusale for to destroye it. And euen in the destruccion the LORDE considered, and he repeted of the euell, and sayde vnto the angell ye destroyer: It is ynough, holde now thy hande. The angell of the LORDE stode besyde ye barne of Arnan ye Iebusite. 16And Dauid lifte vp his eyes, and sawe the angell of ye LORDE stondinge betwene heaue and earth, and a naked swerde in his hande stretched out ouer Ierusalem. Then Dauid and ye Elders beynge clothed with sack cloth, fell vpo their faces. 17And Dauid sayde vnto God: Am not I he that caused the people to be nombred? I am he that hath synned and done euell: as for these shepe, what haue they done? LORDE my God, let thine hande be agaynst me and agaynst my fathers house, and not agaynst thy people to plage them.

David Builds an Altar
(2 Samuel 24:18–25)

18And the angell sayde vnto Gad, that he shulde speake vnto Dauid, that Dauid shulde shulde go vp, & set vp an altare in the barne of Arnan the Iebusite. 19So Dauid wente vp acordinge to ye worde of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORDE. 20But wha Arnan turned him, and sawe the angell (and his foure sonnes with him) they hyd the selues: for Arnan throsshed wheate. 21Now whan Dauid came to Arnan, Arnan loked, and was aware of Dauid, and wete forth out of the barne, and worshipped Dauid with his face to the grounde. 22And Dauid sayde vnto Arnan: Geue me rowme in the barne, to buylde an altare vnto the LORDE therin: for ye full money shalt thou geue it me, that the plage maye ceasse from the people. 23But Arnan sayde vnto Dauid: Take it vnto the, and let my lorde the kynge do as pleaseth him. Beholde, that oxe geue I for a burntofferynge, and those vessels to the oxe, and wheate for the meatofferynge, I geue it all. 24Neuertheles the kynge sayde vnto Arnan: Not so, but for ye full money wyl I bye it: for that which is thine wyl not I take for the LORDE, and offre a burntofferynge for naughte. 25So Dauid gaue Arnan for ye rowme, sixe hundreth Sycles of golde in weight. 26And there buylded Dauid an altare vnto ye LORDE, & offred burntofferynges & slaynofferynges. And whan he called vpo the LORDE, he herde him thorow the fyre from heaue vpon ye altare of the burntofferynge. 27And ye LORDE sayde vnto the angell, that he shulde put his swerde in to his sheeth.

28At the same tyme wha Dauid sawe, that the LORDE had herde him vpon the corne floore of Arnan ye Iebusite, he dyd sacrifice there. 29For ye habitacion of ye LORDE which Moses had made in the wyldernes, and the altare of burntofferynges, was at that tyme in the hye place at Gibeon. 30But Dauid coulde not go thither to seke God before it, for he feared the swerde of the LORDES angell.


Coverdale Bible of 1535

Section Headings Courtesy Berean Bible

1 Chronicles 20
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