1And again was the anger of Yahweh kindled against Israel,so that he suffered David to be moved against them, saying, Go, count Israel and Judah. 2The king, therefore, said unto Joab, captain of the force, who was with himGo to and fro, I pray thee, throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even unto Beer -sheba, and number ye the people,so shall I know the sum of the people. 3Then said Joab unto the kingYea, Yahweh thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, a hundredfold, and the eyes of my lord the king, to see it,but, my lord the king, wherefore doth he find pleasure in this thing? 4Notwithstanding, the word of the king prevailed against Joab, and over the captains of the force,so Joab went forth, with the captains of the force, before the king, to number the peopleIsrael. 5And they passed over the Jordan,and encamped in Aroer, on the right side of the city, that is in the midst of the ravine of Gad, even towards Jazer. 6Thus came they to Gilead, and unto the land of Tahtim-hodshi,and came to Dan-jaan, and round about Zidon; 7and entered the fortress of Tyre, and all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites,and they went out to the South of Judah, even to Beer-sheba. 8So, when they had gone to and fro throughout all the land, they came, at the end of nine months and twenty days, unto Jerusalem. 9And Joab delivered up the sum of the number of the people, unto the king,and there were found to be, in Israel, eight hundred thousand men of valour, drawing the sword,and, the men of Judah, five hundred thousand men. 10And the heart of David smote him, after he had reckoned up the people,and David said unto YahwehI have sinned greatly, in what I have done, Now, therefore, O Yahweh, take away, I beseech thee, the iniquity of thy servant, for I have done very foolishly. 11And, when David arose in the morning, the word of Yahweh, had come unto Gad the prophet, the seer of David, saying: 12Go and speak unto DavidThus, saith Yahweh, Three things, do I offer thee,choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. 13So Gad came in unto David, and told him,and said to him: Shall there come unto thee seven years of famine in thy land? Or, for three months, wilt thou flee before thine enemies while, they, pursue thee? Or shall there be, for three days, pestilence in thy land? Now, consider and see, what, answer, I shall return to him that sent me. 14And David said unto GadI am in a great strait,let us fall, I pray thee, into the hand of Yahweh, for, manifold, are, his compassions, but, into the hand of man, let me not fall. 15So Yahweh sent forth a pestilence throughout Israel, from the morning even unto the time appointed,and there died of the people, from Dan even unto Beer-sheba, seventy thousand men. 16But, when the messenger stretched out his hand towards Jerusalem, to destroy it, then relented Yahweh as to the evil, and he said to the messenger who was destroying the peopleEnough! now, stay thy hand. And, the messenger of Yahweh, was by the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17Then said David unto Yahweh, when he saw the messenger who was smiting the people, yea he saidLo! I, have sinned, and, I, have done perversely, but what have, these sheep, done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against the house of my father! 18And Gad came unto David, on that day,and said unto himGo up, rear thou unto Yahweh an altar, in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 19So David went up, according to the word of Gad, as Yahweh had commanded. 20And Araunah looked out, and saw the king, and his servants, passing over unto himso Araunah went forth, and did homage unto the king, with his face to the ground. 21Then said Araunah, Wherefore, hath my lord the king come unto his servant? And David saidTo buy of thee the threshing-floor, to build an altar unto Yahweh, that the plague may be stayed from off the people. 22Then said Araunah unto David, Let my lord the king accept it and cause to ascend what is good in his own eyes,see! the oxen for the ascending-sacrifice, and the threshing-sledges and ox-yokes for wood. 23The whole, did Araunah give, as a king to a king. And Araunah said unto the king, Yahweh thy God, accept thee! 24But the king said unto AraunahNay! but I will, buy, it of thee, for a price, and will not cause to ascend unto Yahweh my God, offerings that have cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing-floor, and the oxen, for fifty shekels of silver; 25and David built there an altar unto Yahweh, and caused to go up ascending-sacrifices and peace-offerings,then was Yahweh entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.