I Chronicles 21

vayya'amod satan al-yisra'el vayyaset et-david limnot et-yisra'el

Satan arose against Israel and incited David to number Israel.

vayyomer david el-yo'av ve'el-sare ha'am lekhu sifru et-yisra'el mibbe'er sheva ve'ad-dan vehavi'u elay ve'ede'ah et-misparam

David said to Joab and to the commanders of the army, “Go and count Israel from Beer-sheba to Dan and bring me information as to their number.”

vayyomer yo'av yosef Adonai al-ammo kahem me'ah fe'amim halo adoni hammelekh kullam ladoni la'avadim lammah yevaqqesh zot adoni lammah yihyeh le'ashmah leyisra'el

Joab answered, “May GOD increase the people a hundredfold; my lord king, are they not all subjects of my lord? Why should my lord require this? Why should it be a cause of guilt for Israel?”

udevar-hammelekh khazaq al-yo'av vayyetse yo'av vayyithallekh bekhol-yisra'el vayyavo yerushalai͏m

However, the king’s command to Joab remained firm, so Joab set out and traversed all Israel; he then came to Jerusalem.

vayyitten yo'av et-mispar mifqad-ha'am el-david vayehi khol-yisra'el elef alafim ume'ah elef ish sholef kherev vihudah arba me'ot veshivim elef ish sholef-kharev

Joab reported to David the number of the people that had been recorded. All Israel comprised 1,100,000 ready to draw the sword, while in Judah there were 470,000 ready to draw the sword.

velevi uvinyamin lo faqad betokham ki-nitav devar-hammelekh et-yo'av

He did not record among them Levi and Benjamin, because the king’s command had become repugnant to Joab.

vayyera be'ene ha'elohim al-haddavar hazzeh vayyakh et-yisra'el

God, being displeased about this matter, struck Israel.

vayyomer david el-ha'elohim khatati me'od asher asiti et-haddavar hazzeh ve'attah ha'aver-na et-avon avdekha ki niskalti me'od

David said to God, “I have sinned grievously in having done this thing; please remit the guilt of Your servant, for I have acted foolishly.”

vayedabber Adonai el-gad khozeh david lemor

GOD ordered Gad, David’s seer:

lekh vedibbarta el-david lemor koh amar Adonai shalosh ani noteh alekha bekhar-lekha akhat mehennah ve'e'eseh-llakh

“Go and tell David: Thus said GOD: I offer you three things; choose one of them and I will bring it upon you.”

vayyavo gad el-david vayyomer lo koh-amar Adonai qabbel-lakh

Gad came to David and told him, “Thus said GOD: Select for yourself

im-shalosh shanim ra'av ve'im-sheloshah khodashim nispeh mippene-tsarekha vekherev oyevekha lemasseget ve'im-sheloshet yamim kherev Adonai vedever ba'arets umalakh Adonai mashkhit bekhol-gevul yisra'el ve'attah re'eh mah-ashiv et-sholekhi davar

a three-year famine; or that you be swept away three months before your adversaries with the sword of your enemies overtaking you; or three days of the sword of GOD, pestilence in the land, the angel of GOD wreaking destruction throughout the territory of Israel. Now consider what reply I shall take back to the One who sent me.”

vayyomer david el-gad tsar-li me'od eppelah-nna veyad-Adonai ki-rabbim rakhamayw me'od uveyad-adam al-eppol

David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let me fall into the hands of GOD, whose compassion is very great; and let me not fall into human hands.”

vayyitten Adonai dever beyisra'el vayyippol miyyisra'el shivim elef ish

GOD sent a pestilence upon Israel, and 70,000 fell in Israel.

vayyishlakh ha'elohim malakh lirushalai͏m lehashkhitah ukhehashkhit ra'ah Adonai vayyinnakhem al-hara'ah vayyomer lammalakh hammashkhit rav attah heref yadekha umalakh Adonai omed im-goren ornan hayevusi

God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, but as he was about to wreak destruction, GOD saw and renounced further punishment and said to the destroying angel, “Enough! Stay your hand!” The angel of GOD was then standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

vayyissa david et-enayw vayyar et-malakh Adonai omed ben ha'arets uven hashamayim vekharbo shelufah beyado netuyah al-yerushalai͏m vayyippol david vehazzeqenim mekhussim bassaqqim al-penehem

David looked up and saw the angel of GOD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand directed against Jerusalem. David and the elders, covered in sackcloth, threw themselves on their faces.

vayyomer david el-ha'elohim halo ani amarti limnot ba'am va'ani-hu asher-khatati veharea hare'oti ve'elleh hatson meh asu Adonai elohay tehi na yadekha bi uvevet avi uve'ammekha lo lemaggefah

David said to God, “Was it not I alone who ordered the numbering of the people? I alone am guilty, and have caused severe harm; but these sheep, what have they done? O my ETERNAL God, let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house, and let not Your people be plagued!”

umalakh Adonai amar el-gad lemor ledavid ki ya'aleh david lehaqim mizbeakh la-Adonai begoren ornan hayevusi

The angel of GOD told Gad to inform David that David should go and set up an altar to GOD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

vayya'al david bidvar-gad asher dibber beshem Adonai

David went up, following Gad’s instructions, which he had delivered in the name of GOD.

vayyashov ornan vayyar et-hammalakh ve'arba'at banayw immo mitkhabbe'im ve'ornan dash khittim

Ornan too saw the angel; his four sons who were with him hid themselves while Ornan kept on threshing wheat.

vayyavo david ad-ornan vayyabbet ornan vayyar et-david vayyetse min-haggoren vayyishtakhu ledavid appayim aretsah

David came to Ornan; when Ornan looked up, he saw David and came off the threshing floor and bowed low to David, with his face to the ground.

vayyomer david el-ornan tenah-lli meqom haggoren ve'evneh-bbo mizbeakh la-Adonai bekhesef male tenehu li vete'atsar hammaggefah me'al ha'am

David said to Ornan, “Sell me the site of the threshing floor, that I may build on it an altar to GOD. Sell it to me at the full price, that the plague against the people will be checked.”

vayyomer ornan el-david qakh-lakh veya'as adoni hammelekh hattov be'enayw re'eh natatti habbaqar la'olot vehammoriggim la'etsim vehakhittim lamminkhah hakkol natatti

Ornan said to David, “Take it and let my lord the king do whatever he sees fit. See, I donate oxen for burnt offerings, and the threshing boards for wood, as well as wheat for a grain offering—I donate all of it.”

vayyomer hammelekh david le'ornan lo ki-qanoh eqneh bekhesef male ki lo-essa asher-lekha la-Adonai veha'alot olah khinnam

But King David replied to Ornan, “No, I will buy them at the full price. I cannot make a present to GOD of what belongs to you, or sacrifice a burnt offering that has cost me nothing.”

vayyitten david le'ornan bammaqom shiqle zahav mishqal shesh me'ot

So David paid Ornan for the site 600 shekels’ worth of gold.

vayyiven sham david mizbeakh la-Adonai vayya'al olot ushelamim vayyiqra el-Adonai vayya'anehu va'esh min-hashamayim al mizbakh ha'olah

And David built there an altar to GOD and sacrificed burnt offerings and offerings of well-being. He invoked GOD, who answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offerings.

vayyomer Adonai lammalakh vayyashev kharbo el-nedanah

GOD ordered the angel to return his sword to its sheath.

ba'et hahi birot david ki-anahu Adonai begoren ornan hayevusi vayyizbakh sham

At that time, when David saw that GOD answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there—

umishkan Adonai asher-asah mosheh vammidbar umizbakh ha'olah ba'et hahi babbamah begivon

for the Tabernacle of GOD, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offerings were at that time in the shrine at Gibeon,

velo-yakhol david lalekhet lefanayw lidrosh elohim ki nivat mippene kherev malakh Adonai

and David was unable to go to it to worship God because he was terrified by the sword of the angel of GOD.