¶ And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David² to number Israel.

And David said to Joab³ and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba⁴ even to Dan; and bring⁵ the number of them to me, that I may⁶ know it.

And Joab answered, The LORD⁷ make his people an 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 will⁸ he be a cause of trespass to Israel?

Nevertheless the king's⁹ word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore¹⁰ Joab departed, and went¹¹ throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.

And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand¹² thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.

But Levi¹³ and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab¹⁴.

¶ And God was displeased with this thing¹⁵; therefore he smote¹⁶ Israel.

And David said unto God, I have sinned¹⁷ greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away¹⁸ the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done¹⁹ very foolishly.

And the LORD spake unto Gad²⁰, David's seer, saying,

¶ Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee²¹ three things: choose thee one of them, that I may²² do it unto thee.

So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee²³

Either three years' famine²⁴; or three months to be destroyed²⁵ before thy foes, while that the sword²⁶ of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence²⁷, in the land, and the angel²⁸ of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore²⁹ advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.

And David said unto Gad, I am in³⁰ a great strait: let me fall³¹ now into the hand of the LORD; for very great³² are his mercies: but let me³³ not fall into the hand of man.

So the LORD³⁴ sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy³⁵ thousand men.

And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem³⁶ to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him³⁷ of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough³⁸, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan³⁹ the Jebusite.

And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel⁴¹ 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 clothed⁴² in sackcloth, fell upon⁴³ their faces.

And David said unto God, Is it not I⁴⁴ that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep⁴⁵, what have⁴⁶ they done? let thine⁴⁷ hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father's⁴⁸ house; but not on thy people, that they should⁴⁹ be plagued.

¶ Then the angel⁵⁰ of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David⁵¹ should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

And David went up⁵² at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD.

¶ And Ornan⁵³ 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 threshingfloor, and bowed himself⁵⁴ to David with his face to the ground.

Then David said to Ornan, Grant⁵⁵ me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant⁵⁶ it me for the full price: that the plague⁵⁷ may be stayed from the people.

And Ornan said unto David, Take it⁵⁸ to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen⁵⁹ 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, Nay;⁶⁰ but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not⁶¹ take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.

⁶²So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.

And David built there⁶³ an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called⁶⁴ upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire⁶⁵ upon the altar of burnt offering.

And the LORD⁶⁶ commanded the angel; and he put⁶⁷ up his sword again into the sheath thereof.

At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor⁶⁸ of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.

For the tabernacle⁶⁹ 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 Gibeon⁷⁰.

¶ But David could not go before it to enquire of God: for he was afraid⁷¹ because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.