David, tempted by Satan, numbers the people -- David repenteth of it -- David chooseth the pestilence -- David by repentance preventeth the destruction of Jerusalem -- David having built an altar, God giveth a sign of his favor by fire, and stayeth the plague -- David sacrificeth there.

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

³⁾And Joab answered, The LORDLord make his people ana 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 ana hundred thousand men that drew sword:; and Judah was four hundred threescorethree-score 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 LORDLord spake unto Gad, David's seer, saying,

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

¹⁴⁾So the LORDLord sent pestilence upon Israel:; and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

¹⁵⁾And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it:. And the angel stretched forth his hand unto Jerusalem to destroy it; and God said to the angel, Stay now thine hand, it is enough; for as he was destroying, the LORDLord beheld Israel, andthat he repented him of the evil,; andtherefore saidthe toLord stayed the angel that destroyed, Itas is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORDhe stood by the threshingfloorthreshing floor of Ornan, the Jebusite.

¹⁶⁾And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORDLord 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 LORDLord 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 LORDLord commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORDLord in the threshingfloorthreshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

¹⁹⁾And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORDLord.

²⁰⁾AndNow Ornan turnedwas backthreshing wheat, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him; and Ornan turned back and saw the angel, and they hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.

²¹⁾And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloorthreshing floor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.

²²⁾Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloorthreshing floor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: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 LORDLord, 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 LORDLord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORDLord; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.

²⁷⁾And the LORDLord commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.

²⁸⁾At that time when David saw that the LORDLord had answered him in the threshingfloorthreshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.

²⁹⁾For the tabernacle of the LORDLord, 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 enquireinquire of God:; for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORDLord.