David Counts the People
(1 Chronicles 21.1-6)1 The Lord was angry with Israel again, and he made David think it would be a good idea to count the people in Israel and Judah. 2 So David told Joab and the army officers, “Go to every tribe in Israel, from the town of Dan in the north all the way south to Beersheba, and count everyone who can serve in the army. I want to know how many there are.”
3 Joab answered, “I hope the Lord your God will give you 100 times more soldiers than you already have. I hope you will live to see that day! But why do you want to do a thing like this?”
4 But when David refused to change his mind, Joab and the army officers went out and started counting the people. 5 They crossed the Jordan River and began with Aroer and the town in the middle of the river valley. From there they went toward Gad and on as far as Jazer. 6 They went to Gilead and to Kadesh in Syria. Then they went to Dan, Ijon, and on toward Sidon. 7 They came to the fortress of Tyre, then went through every town of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Finally, they went to Beersheba in the Southern Desert of Judah. 8 After they had gone through the whole land, they went back to Jerusalem. It had taken them 9 months and 20 days.
9 Joab came and told David, “In Israel there are 800,000 who can serve in the army, and in Judah there are 500,000.”
The Lord Punishes David
(1 Chronicles 21.7-17)10 After everyone had been counted, David realized he had done wrong. He told the Lord, “What I did was stupid and terribly wrong. Lord, please forgive me.”
11 Before David even got up the next morning, the Lord had told David's prophet Gad 12-13 to take a message to David. Gad went to David and told him:
You must choose one of three ways for the Lord to punish you: Will there be seven years when the land won't grow enough food for your people? Or will your enemies chase you and make you run from them for three months? Or will there be three days of horrible disease in your land? Think about it and decide, because I have to give your answer to God, who sent me.
14 David was really frightened and said, “It's a terrible choice to make! But the Lord is kind, and I'd rather be punished by him than by anyone else.”
15-16 So that morning, the Lord sent an angel to spread a horrible disease everywhere in Israel, from Dan to Beersheba. And before it was over, 70,000 people had died.
When the angel was about to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord felt sorry for all the suffering he had caused and told the angel, “That's enough! Don't touch them.” This happened at the threshing place that belonged to Araunah the Jebusite.
17 David saw the angel killing everyone and told the Lord, “These people are like sheep with me as their shepherd. I have sinned terribly, but they have done nothing wrong. Please, punish me and my family instead of them!”
David Buys Araunah's Threshing Place
(1 Chronicles 21.18—22.1)18-19 That same day the prophet Gad came and told David, “Go to the threshing place that belongs to Araunah and build an altar there for the Lord.”
So David went.
20 Araunah looked and saw David and his soldiers coming up toward him. He went over to David, bowed down low, 21 and said, “Your Majesty! Why have you come to see me?”
David answered, “I've come to buy your threshing place. I have to build the Lord an altar here, so this disease will stop killing the people.”
22 Araunah said, “Take whatever you want and offer your sacrifice. Here are some oxen for the sacrifice. You can use the threshing-boards and the wooden yokes for the fire. 23 Take them—they're yours! I hope the Lord your God will be pleased with you.”
24 But David answered, “No! I have to pay you what they're worth. I can't offer the Lord my God a sacrifice that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing place and the oxen for 50 pieces of silver. 25 Then he built an altar for the Lord. He offered sacrifices to please the Lord and to ask for his blessings.
The Lord answered the prayers of the people, and no one else died from the terrible disease.
Dāvids skaita Israēlu un Jūdu
(1L 21:1–6)1 Atkal pret Israēlu iedegās Kunga dusmas un musināja Dāvidu, kūdot: “Ej, saskaiti Israēlu un Jūdu!” 2 Tad ķēniņš teica sava karaspēka virspavēlniekam Joābam: “Ej, izstaigā visas Israēla ciltis no Dāna līdz Bēršebai un saskaiti ļaudis, lai es zinātu ļaužu skaitu!”
3 Joābs teica ķēniņam: “Lai Kungs, tavs Dievs, vairo ļaudis vēl un vēl simtkārt un lai mana kunga, ķēniņa, acis to skata! Tomēr, mans kungs, ķēniņ, kāpēc tev sagribējies tādu lietu?” 4 Taču ķēniņa pavēle Joābam un karaspēka virsniekiem bija stingra, un Joābs ar ķēniņa karaspēka virsniekiem devās skaitīt israēliešus. 5 Viņi pārgāja pāri Jardānai un uzslēja nometni Aroērā uz dienvidiem no pilsētas, kas Gāda ielejā, un devās uz Jaazēras pusi. 6 Viņi aizgāja uz Gileādu un Tahtīm-Hodšī novadu, tad devās uz Dān-Jaanu un apkārt Sidonai, 7 nonāca Tīras cietoksnī un visās hiviešu un kanaāniešu pilsētās un devās uz Jūdas dienvidiem, uz Bēršebu. 8 Viņi pārstaigāja visu zemi, un, kad bija pagājuši deviņi mēneši un divdesmit dienas, viņi pārnāca Jeruzālemē. 9 Joābs saskaitīto ļaužu skaitu paziņoja ķēniņam – Israēlā bija astoņi simti tūkstoši karotāju, zobena nesēju, bet Jūdā – pieci simti tūkstoši vīru.
Vēstījums par Dāvida grēku
(1L 21:7–17)10 Pēc tam, kad Dāvids bija saskaitījis ļaudis, viņa sirds iesmeldzās, un Dāvids teica Kungam: “Esmu ļoti grēkojis, tā darīdams! Kungs, piedod jel tagad sava kalpa vainu, jo esmu izdarījis lielu muļķību!”
11 Kad Dāvids no rīta cēlās, Kunga vārds bija nācis pār Dāvida redzētāju, pravieti Gādu: 12 “Ej un pasludini Dāvidam – tā saka Kungs: tavā priekšā es nolieku trīs lietas. Izvēlies vienu, un tā es tev darīšu!” 13 Gāds atnāca pie Dāvida, izstāstīja viņam un teica: “Vai nu tev un tavai zemei uznāks septiņi bada gadi, vai nu trīs mēnešus tev jābēg no ienaidniekiem, kas tevi vajās, vai trīs dienas tavā zemē būs mēris – apdomā un izlem, kādu atbildi man dot tam, kas mani sūtījis.”
14 Dāvids sacīja Gādam: “Man ļoti grūti! Labāk mums krist Kunga rokā – jo liela ir viņa žēlsirdība –, nekā man krist cilvēku rokās!” 15 Un Kungs sūtīja Israēlam mēri no tā rīta līdz noteiktajam laikam. No Dāna līdz Bēršebai tautā nomira septiņdesmit tūkstoši vīru. 16 Eņģelis izstiepa roku uz Jeruzālemi, lai to izpostītu, bet Kungam kļuva žēl darīt tādu ļaunumu. Viņš teica eņģelim, kas nīdēja tautu: “Gana! Apturi savu roku!” Kunga eņģelis bija pie jebūsieša Aravnas klona.
17 Redzot eņģeli, kas kāva cilvēkus, Dāvids teica Kungam: “Redzi, es esmu grēkojis, es esmu noziedzies, bet šīs avis – ko tās ir darījušas?! Lai tava roka ir pret mani un mana tēva namu!”
Altāris Dievam
(1L 21:18–27)18 Tajā dienā Gāds nāca pie Dāvida un teica: “Dodies un cel Kungam altāri uz jebūsieša Aravnas klona!” 19 Un Dāvids devās, kā Kungs bija pavēlējis ar Gāda vārdiem. 20 Kad Aravna paraudzījās lejup, viņš redzēja, ka ķēniņš ar saviem kalpiem nāca pie viņa. Aravna iznāca un noliecās ķēniņam ar seju līdz zemei. 21 Aravna teica: “Kāpēc mans kungs ķēniņš nāk pie sava kalpa?” Dāvids atbildēja: “Lai pirktu no tevis šo klonu un būvētu altāri Kungam – lai manā tautā mitētos šī sērga!” 22 Aravna teica Dāvidam: “Lai mans kungs, ķēniņš, ņem un upurē, kas viņam tīk! Redzi – vērši sadedzināmajam upurim, kuļamais rats un vēršu iejūgs malkai. 23 Ķēniņ, to visu Aravna atdod ķēniņam!”
Tad Aravna teica ķēniņam: “Kungs, tavs Dievs, tevi uzklausīs.” 24 Ķēniņš teica Aravnam: “Nē, es noteikti pirkšu no tevis par maksu. Es nepienesīšu Kungam, savam Dievam, sadedzināmo upuri, kas iegūts par velti.” Un Dāvids nopirka klonu un vēršus par piecdesmit sudraba šekeļiem. 25 Dāvids uzbūvēja tur altāri Kungam un pienesa sadedzināmos upurus un miera upurus. Kungs izpildīja lūgumu par zemi, un sērga Israēlā mitējās.
