1 Chronicles 21:1-18 Parallel Bible Translations

1 Chronicles 21:1-18 ▼
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1 An adversary opposed Israel, inciting David to count how many warriors Israel had. Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel. Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.
2 David told Joab and the leaders of the army, |Go, count the number of warriors from Beer Sheba to Dan. Then bring back a report to me so I may know how many we have.| So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, “Go, number Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, and bring me a report, that I may know their number.” So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.”
3 Joab replied, |May the LORD make his army a hundred times larger! My master, O king, do not all of them serve my master? Why does my master want to do this? Why bring judgment on Israel?| But Joab said, “May the LORD add to his people a hundred times as many as they are! Are they not, my lord the king, all of them my lord’s servants? Why then should my lord require this? Why should it be a cause of guilt for Israel?” But Joab replied, “May the LORD multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord’s subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”
4 But the king's edict stood, despite Joab's objections. So Joab left and traveled throughout Israel before returning to Jerusalem. But the king’s word prevailed against Joab. So Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came back to Jerusalem. The king’s word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem.
5 Joab reported to David the number of warriors. In all Israel there were 1,100,000 sword-wielding soldiers; Judah alone had 470,000 sword-wielding soldiers. And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to David. In all Israel there were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword, and in Judah 470,000 who drew the sword. Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah.
6 Now Joab did not number Levi and Benjamin, for the king's edict disgusted him. But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, for the king’s command was abhorrent to Joab. But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king’s command was repulsive to him.
7 God was also offended by it, so he attacked Israel. But God was displeased with this thing, and he struck Israel. This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel.
8 David said to God, |I have sinned greatly by doing this! Now, please remove the guilt of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.| And David said to God, “I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing. But now, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.” Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”
9 The LORD told Gad, David's prophet, And the LORD spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying, The LORD said to Gad, David’s seer,
10 |Go, tell David, 'This is what the LORD says: |I am offering you three forms of judgment from which to choose. Pick one of them.|'| “Go and say to David, ‘Thus says the LORD, Three things I offer you; choose one of them, that I may do it to you.’” “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’”
11 Gad went to David and told him, |This is what the LORD says: 'Pick one of these: So Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Choose what you will: So Gad went to David and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Take your choice:
12 three years of famine, or three months being chased by your enemies and struck down by their swords, or three days being struck down by the LORD, during which a plague will invade the land and the LORD's messenger will destroy throughout Israel's territory.' Now, decide what I should tell the one who sent me.| either three years of famine, or three months of devastation by your foes while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the LORD, pestilence on the land, with the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ Now decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me.” three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the LORD—days of plague in the land, with the angel of the LORD ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”
13 David said to Gad, |I am very upset! I prefer to be attacked by the LORD, for his mercy is very great; I do not want to be attacked by men!| Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for his mercy is very great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.” David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”
14 So the LORD sent a plague through Israel, and 70,000 Israelite men died. So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel, and 70,000 men of Israel fell. So the LORD sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead.
15 God sent an angel to ravage Jerusalem. As he was doing so, the LORD watched and relented from his judgment. He told the angel who was destroying, |That's enough! Stop now!| Now the LORD's angel was standing near the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. And God sent the angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, but as he was about to destroy it, the LORD saw, and he relented from the calamity. And he said to the angel who was working destruction, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” And the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the LORD saw it and relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the LORD was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
16 David looked up and saw the LORD's messenger standing between the earth and sky with his sword drawn and in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem. David and the leaders, covered with sackcloth, threw themselves down with their faces to the ground. And David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, and in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. David looked up and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.
17 David said to God, |Was I not the one who decided to number the army? I am the one who sinned and committed this awful deed! As for these sheep--what have they done? O LORD my God, attack me and my family, but remove the plague from your people!| And David said to God, “Was it not I who gave command to number the people? It is I who have sinned and done great evil. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand, O LORD my God, be against me and against my father’s house. But do not let the plague be on your people.” David said to God, “Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I, the shepherd, have sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? LORD my God, let your hand fall on me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on your people.”
18 So the LORD's messenger told Gad to instruct David to go up and build an altar for the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. Now the angel of the LORD had commanded Gad to say to David that David should go up and raise an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 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 Araunah the Jebusite.
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