1And Satan stood up against Yisra’ĕl, and moved Dawiḏ to number Yisra’ĕl.

2And Dawiḏ said to Yo’aḇ and to the rulers of the people, “Go, number Yisra’ĕl from Be’ĕrsheḇa to Dan, and bring the number of them to me so that I know it.”

3And Yo’aḇ answered, “יהוה does add to His people a hundred times more than they are. But, my master the sovereign, are they not all my master’s servants? Why does my master seek to do this? Why should he be a cause of guilt in Yisra’ĕl?”

4But the sovereign’s word prevailed against Yo’aḇ. And Yo’aḇ left and went throughout all Yisra’ĕl and came to Yerushalayim.

5And Yo’aḇ gave the sum of the number of the people to Dawiḏ. And all Yisra’ĕl had one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and Yehuḏah had four hundred and seventy thousand men who drew the sword.

6But he did not number Lĕwi and Binyamin among them, for the sovereign’s word was loathsome to Yo’aḇ.

7And it was evil in the eyes of Elohim, concerning this matter, and He smote Yisra’ĕl.

8Then Dawiḏ said to Elohim, “I have sinned greatly, because I have done this matter. But now, I pray, take away the crookedness of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”

9And יהוה spoke to Gaḏ, Dawiḏ’s seer, saying,

10“Go, and you shall speak to Dawiḏ, saying, ‘Thus said יהוה, “I hold three options before you – choose one of them for yourself, and I do it to you.” ’ ”

11So Gaḏ came to Dawiḏ and said to him, “Thus said יהוה, ‘Choose for yourself

12either three years of scarcity of food, or three months to be defeated by your foes with the sword of your enemies overtaking you, or else for three days the sword of יהוה, even the plague in the land, with the messenger of יהוה destroying throughout all the borders of Yisra’ĕl.’ And now consider what answer I am to return to Him who sent me.”

13And Dawiḏ said to Gaḏ, “I am in great trouble. Please let me fall into the hand of יהוה, for His compassion is very great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

14And יהוה sent a plague upon Yisra’ĕl, and seventy thousand men of Yisra’ĕl fell.

15And Elohim sent a messenger to Yerushalayim to destroy it. And as he was destroying, יהוה saw, and relented about the evil, and said to the messenger who was destroying, “Enough! Now stop your hand.” And the messenger of יהוה was standing by the threshing-floor of Ornan the Yeḇusite.

16And Dawiḏ lifted his eyes and saw the messenger of יהוה standing between earth and the heavens, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Yerushalayim. And Dawiḏ and the elders, wrapped in sackcloth, fell on their faces.

17And Dawiḏ said to Elohim, “Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed. But these, the sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O יהוה my Elohim, be against me and my father’s house, but not against Your people, to be plagued.”

18And the messenger of יהוה commanded Gaḏ to say to Dawiḏ that Dawiḏ should go up to raise an altar to יהוה on the threshing-floor of Ornan the Yeḇusite.

19So Dawiḏ went up at the word of Gaḏ, which he had spoken in the Name of יהוה.

20And Ornan turned and saw the messenger. And his four sons with him hid themselves, and Ornan was threshing wheat.

21And Dawiḏ came to Ornan, and Ornan looked and saw Dawiḏ, and he went out from the threshing-floor, and bowed down to Dawiḏ with his face to the ground.

22And Dawiḏ said to Ornan, “Give me the site of the threshing-floor, so that I build an altar to יהוה on it. Give it to me at the complete price, so that the plague is restrained from the people.”

23And Ornan said to Dawiḏ, “Take it for yourself, and let my master the sovereign do what is good in his eyes. See, I shall give you the cattle for burnt offerings, the threshing implements for wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I give it all.”

24And Sovereign Dawiḏ said to Ornan, “No, but I shall certainly buy it at the complete price, for I do not take what is yours for יהוה, nor offer a burnt offering without cost.”

25And Dawiḏ gave Ornan six hundred sheqels of gold by weight for the place.

26And Dawiḏ built there an altar to יהוה, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called on יהוה. And He answered him from the heavens by fire on the altar of burnt offering.

27Then יהוה commanded the messenger, and he returned his sword to its sheath.

28At that time, when Dawiḏ saw that יהוה had answered him on the threshing-floor of Ornan the Yeḇusite, he slaughtered there,

29for the Dwelling Place of יהוה and the altar of the burnt offering, which Mosheh had made in the wilderness, were at that time at the high place in Giḇ‛on.

30But Dawiḏ was unable to go before it to inquire of Elohim, for he was afraid of the sword of the messenger of יהוה.