| Berean Study Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Then Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. | 1Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to count the people of Israel. |
| 2So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan and bring me a report, so that I may know their number.” | 2So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, "Go and count Israel from Beer-sheba to Dan and bring a report to me so I can know their number." |
| 3But 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?” | 3Joab replied, "May the LORD multiply the number of His people a hundred times over! My lord the king, aren't they all my lord's servants? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?" |
| 4Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab. So Joab departed and traveled throughout Israel, and then he returned to Jerusalem. | 4Yet the king's order prevailed over Joab. So Joab left and traveled throughout Israel and then returned to Jerusalem. |
| 5And 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. | 5Joab gave the total troop registration to David. In all Israel there were 1,100,000 swordsmen and in Judah itself 470,000 swordsmen. |
| 6But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the count, because the king’s command was detestable to him. | 6But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the count because the king's command was detestable to him. |
| 7This command was also evil in the sight of God; so He struck Israel. | 7This command was also evil in God's sight, so He afflicted Israel. |
| 8Then 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.” | 8David said to God, "I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing. Now, please take away Your servant's guilt, for I've been very foolish." |
| 9And the LORD instructed Gad, David’s seer, | 9Then the LORD instructed Gad, David's seer," |
| 10“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.’ ” | 10Go and say to David, 'This is what the LORD says: I am offering you three choices. Choose one of them for yourself, and I will do it to you.'" |
| 11So Gad went and said to David, “This is what the LORD says: ‘You must choose | 11So Gad went to David and said to him, "This is what the LORD says: 'Take your choice: |
| 12between 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.” | 12three years of famine, or three months of devastation by your foes with the sword of your enemy overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the LORD--a plague on the land, the angel of the LORD bringing destruction to the whole territory of Israel.' Now decide what answer I should take back to the One who sent me." |
| 13David answered Gad, “I am deeply distressed. Please, let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.” | 13David answered Gad, "I'm in anguish. Please, let me fall into the LORD's hands because His mercies are very great, but don't let me fall into human hands." |
| 14So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead. | 14So the LORD sent a plague on Israel, and 70,000 Israelite men died. |
| 15Then 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. | 15Then God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, but when the angel was about to destroy the city, the LORD looked, relented concerning the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, "Enough, withdraw your hand now!" The angel of the LORD was then standing at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. |
| 16When David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem, David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown. | 16When David looked up and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem, David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell down with their faces to the ground. |
| 17And David said to God, “Was it not I who gave the order to count the people? I 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.” | 17David said to God, "Wasn't I the one who gave the order to count the people? I am the one who has sinned and acted very wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? My LORD God, please let Your hand be against me and against my father's family, but don't let the plague be against Your people." |
| 18Then 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. | 18So the angel of the LORD ordered Gad to tell David to go and set up an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. |
| 19So David went up at the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the LORD. | 19David went up at Gad's command spoken in the name of the LORD. |
| 20Now Ornan was threshing wheat when he turned and saw the angel; and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. | 20Ornan was threshing wheat when he turned and saw the angel. His four sons, who were with him, hid themselves. |
| 21David came to Ornan, and when Ornan looked out and saw David, he left the threshing floor and bowed facedown before David. | 21David came to Ornan, and when Ornan looked and saw David, he left the threshing floor and bowed to David with his face to the ground. |
| 22Then 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 upon the people may be halted.” | 22Then David said to Ornan, "Give me this threshing-floor plot so that I may build an altar to the LORD on it. Give it to me for the full price, so the plague on the people may be stopped." |
| 23Ornan 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.” | 23Ornan said to David, "Take it! My lord the king may do whatever he wants. See, I give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering--I give it all." |
| 24“No,” replied King David, “I insist on paying the full price, for I will not take for the LORD what belongs to you, nor will I offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” | 24King David answered Ornan, "No, 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." |
| 25So David paid Ornan six hundred shekels of gold for the site. | 25So David gave Ornan 15 pounds of gold for the plot. |
| 26And 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. | 26He built an altar to the LORD there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the LORD, and He answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. |
| 27Then the LORD spoke to the angel, who put his sword back into its sheath. | 27Then the LORD spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath. |
| 28At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there. | 28At that time, David offered sacrifices there when he saw that the LORD answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. |
| 29For 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, | 29The tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the desert, and the altar of burnt offering were at the high place in Gibeon, |
| 30but David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD. | 30but David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was terrified of the sword of the LORD's angel. |
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