David sins by numbering Israel—The Lord sends pestilence upon the people—David sacrifices and the plague is stayed.

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 Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.

3 - And Joab answered, The L ORD 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 L ORD spake unto Gad, David’s seer, saying,

10 - Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the L ORD, 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 L ORD, 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 L ORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the L ORD 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 L ORD ; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.

14 - ¶ So the L ORD 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 L ORD 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 L ORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

16 - And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the L ORD 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 L ORD 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 L ORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the L ORD 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 L ORD.

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 L ORD : 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 L ORD, 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 L ORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the L ORD ; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.

27 - And the L ORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.

28 - ¶ At that time when David saw that the L ORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.

29 - For the tabernacle of the L ORD, 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 L ORD.