2 Samuel 24:1-14 ▼

1 And agayne the Lorde was wroth against Israel, and he moued Dauid agaynst them, in that he sayde: Go number Israel & Iuda.

2 For the king sayde to Ioab the captaine of the hoast which was with him: Go thou abrode now throughout al the tribes of Israel, euen from Dan to Beerseba, and number ye the people, that I may knowe the number of them.

3 And Ioab saide vnto the king: The Lorde thy God encrease the people an hundreth folde mo then they be, & that the eyes of my lorde the king may see it: And what is the cause that my lorde the king hath a lust to this thyng?

4 Notwithstanding, the kinges word preuayled agaynst Ioab & against the captaines of the hoast: And Ioab & the captaynes of the hoast, went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.

5 And they passed ouer Iordane, & pitched in Aroer on the right syde of the citie that lyeth in the myddest of the valey of Gad, and toward Iazer.

6 And then they came to Gilead, and to the land Tahtim hodshi, & from thece they came to Dan Iaan, and about to Sidon.

7 And came to the strong hould of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Heuites and of the Chanaanites: & then went out to the south of Iuda, euen to Beerseba.

8 And so when they had ben abrode throughout all the land, they returned to Hierusalem, after the end of nine monethes and twentie dayes.

9 And Ioab deliuered the number and summe of the people vnto the king, and there were in Israel eyght hundred thousand men of might that drewe swordes: and the men of Iuda were fiue hundred thousand men.

10 And Dauids heart smote him, after that he had numbred the people: And Dauid saide vnto the Lord, I haue sinned exceedingly in that I haue done: And nowe I beseche thee Lord take away the trespasse of thy seruaunt, for I haue done very foolishly.

11 And when Dauid was vp in the morning, the word of the Lorde came vnto the prophet Gad Dauids sear, saying:

12 Go and say vnto Dauid, thus sayth the Lorde: I offer thee three thynges, choose thee which of them I shall do vnto thee.

13 So Gad came to Dauid, and shewed him, and said vnto him: Wylt thou haue seuen yeres hunger to come vpon thy land: or wilt thou flee three monethes before thyne enemies, they folowyng thee: or that there be three dayes pestilence in thy land? Now therefore aduise thee, and see what aunswere I shall geue to him that sent me.

14 And Dauid saide vnto Gad, I am in a wonderfull strayte: Let vs fall now into the hand of the Lorde (for much is his mercy) and let me not fall into the hand of man.