1 Chronicles 21
1. And Satan stood up * against Israel, and provoked * David to number * Israel.
2. And David said * to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go * , number * Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring * the number of them to me, that I may know * it.
3. And Joab answered * , The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more * as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require * this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?
4. Nevertheless the king's word prevailed * against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed * , and went * throughout all Israel, and came * to Jerusalem.
5. And Joab gave * the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew * sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew * sword.
6. But Levi and Benjamin counted * he not among them: for the king's word was abominable * to Joab.
7. And God was displeased * with this thing; therefore he smote * Israel.
8. And David said * unto God, I have sinned * greatly, because I have done * this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away * the iniquity of thy servant;for I have done very foolishly * .
9. And the LORD spake * unto Gad,David's seer, saying * ,
10. Go * and tell * David,saying * , Thus saith * the LORD,I offer * thee three things: choose * thee one of them, that I may do * it unto thee.
11. So Gad came * to David, and said * unto him, Thus saith * the LORD, Choose * thee
12. Either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed * before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies * overtaketh * thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying * throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise * thyself what word I shall bring again * to him that sent * me.
13. And David said * unto Gad, I am in a great strait * : let me fall * now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall * into the hand of man.
14. So the LORD sent * pestilence upon Israel: and there fell * of Israel seventy thousand men.
15. And God sent * an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy * it: and as he was destroying * , the LORD beheld * , and he repented * him of the evil,and said * to the angel that destroyed * , It is enough, stay * now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood * by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
16. And David lifted up * his eyes,and saw * the angel of the LORD stand * between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn * sword in his hand stretched out * over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed * in sackcloth, fell * upon their faces.
17. And David said * unto God, Is it not I that commanded * the people to be numbered * ? even I it is that have sinned * and done evil * indeed * ; but as for these sheep, what have they done * ? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.
18. Then the angel of the LORD commanded * Gad to say * to David, that David should go up * , and set up * an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19. And David went up * at the saying of Gad, which he spake * in the name of the LORD.
20. And Ornan turned back * , and saw * the angel; and his four sons with him hid * themselves. Now Ornan was threshing * wheat.
21. And as David came * to Ornan,Ornan looked * and saw * David, and went out * of the threshingfloor, and bowed * himself to David with his face to the ground.
22. Then David said * to Ornan, Grant * me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build * an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant * it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed * from the people.
23. And Ornan said * unto David, Take * it to thee, and let my lord the king do * that which is good in his eyes: lo * , I give * thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give * it all.
24. And king David said * to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily * buy * it for the full price: for I will not take * that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer * burnt offerings without cost.
25. So David gave * to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.
26. And David built * there an altar unto the LORD, and offered * burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called * upon the LORD; and he answered * him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.
27. And the LORD commanded * the angel; and he put up * his sword again * into the sheath thereof.
28. At that time when David saw * that the LORD had answered * him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed * there.
29. For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made * in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering, were at that season in the high place at Gibeon.
30. But David could * not go * before it to enquire * of God: for he was afraid * because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.
