For the kingsaid to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.
And Joabsaidunto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how manysoeverthey be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the kingdelight in thisthing?
Notwithstanding the king’swordprevailedagainstJoab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the hostwent out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.
And came to the stronghold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and theywent out to the south of Judah, even to Beersheba.
And Joabgave up the sum of the number of the peopleunto the king: and therewere in Israeleighthundredthousandvaliant men thatdrew the sword; and the men of Judahwerefivehundredthousand men.
And David’sheartsmote him afterthat he had numbered the people. And Davidsaidunto the LORD, I havesinnedgreatly in that I havedone: and now, I beseechthee, O LORD, takeaway the iniquity of thy servant; for I havedoneveryfoolishly.
So Gad came to David, and told him, and saidunto him, Shallsevenyears of faminecomeuntothee in thy land? or wiltthoufleethreemonthsbeforethineenemies, whiletheypursuethee? or thatthere be threedays’pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see whatanswer I shallreturn to him thatsent me.
And Davidsaidunto Gad, I am in a greatstrait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fallinto the hand of man.
So the LORDsent a pestilenceuponIsraelfrom the morningeven to the timeappointed: and theredied of the peoplefrom Dan even to Beershebaseventythousand men.
And when the angelstretched out his handuponJerusalem to destroy it, the LORDrepented him of the evil, and said to the angelthatdestroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thinehand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.
And Davidspakeunto the LORDwhen he saw the angelthatsmote the people, and said, Lo, I havesinned, and I havedonewickedly: but thesesheep, whathavetheydone? let thinehand, I praythee, be against me, and against my father’shouse.
And Araunahlooked, and saw the king and his servantscoming on toward him: and Araunahwent out, and bowedhimselfbefore the king on his faceupon the ground.
And Araunahsaid, Wherefore is my lord the kingcome to his servant? And Davidsaid, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altarunto the LORD, that the plague may be stayedfrom the people.
And AraunahsaiduntoDavid, Let my lord the kingtake and offer up whatseemethgoodunto him: behold, here be oxen for burntsacrifice, and threshinginstruments and otherinstruments of the oxen for wood.
And the kingsaiduntoAraunah, Nay; but I willsurely buy it of thee at a price: neitherwill I offerburntofferingsunto the LORD my God of thatwhichdothcost me nothing. So Davidbought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fiftyshekels of silver.
And Davidbuiltthere an altarunto the LORD, and offeredburntofferings and peaceofferings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayedfromIsrael.