Chapter 21

  And Satan stood up against Israel, and incited David to number Israel.  

  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.  

  And Joab answered, the LORD make his people a hundred times more numerous than they are: 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?  

  Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.  

  And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and a hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred and seventy thousand men that drew sword.  

  But Levi and Benjamin he counted not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.  

  And God was displeased with this thing, therefore he smote Israel.  

  And David said to 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.  

  And the LORD spoke to Gad, David's seer, saying,  

  Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it to thee.  

  So Gad came to David, and said to him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee  

  Either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while the sword of thy 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 borders of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.  

  And David said to 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.  

  So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.  

  And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thy hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.  

  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.  

  And David said to 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 thy 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 afflicted.  

  Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and erect an altar to the LORD in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.  

  And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spoke in the name of the LORD.  

  And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.  

  And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked, and saw David, and went out of the threshing-floor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.  

  Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshing-floor, that I may build an altar in it to the LORD: thou shalt grant it to me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.  

  And Ornan said to 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.  

  And king David said to Ornan, No; 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.  

  So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.  

  And David built there an altar to 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.  

  And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into its sheath.  

  At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.  

  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.  

  But David could not go before it to inquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.