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The Second Book of Samuel, Chapter 24
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1 |
And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and
he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
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2 |
For the king said 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.
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3 |
And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the
people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of
my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in
this thing?
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4 |
Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against
Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains
of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the
people of Israel.
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5 |
And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right
side of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and
toward Jazer:
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6 |
Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of
Tahtimhodshi; and they came to Danjaan, and about to Zidon,
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7 |
And
came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites,
and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even
to Beersheba.
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8 |
So when they had gone through all the land, they came to
Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
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9 |
And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the
king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that
drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
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10 |
And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the
people.
And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have
done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy
servant; for I have done very foolishly.
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11 |
For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came
unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,
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12 |
Go and say unto
David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one
of them, that I may do it unto thee.
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13 |
So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall
seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee
three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that
there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what
answer I shall return to him that sent me.
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14 |
And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now
into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not
fall into the hand of man.
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15 |
So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even
to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to
Beersheba seventy thousand men.
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16 |
And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to
destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel
that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the
angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.
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17 |
And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote
the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but
these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be
against me, and against my father's house.
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18 |
And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear
an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.
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19 |
And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD
commanded.
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20 |
And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on
toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on
his face upon the ground.
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21 |
And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his
servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build
an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
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22 |
And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer
up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt
sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen
for wood.
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23 |
All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And
Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.
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24 |
And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of
thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my
God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the
threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
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25 |
And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt
offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land,
and the plague was stayed from Israel.
The First Book of the Kings
Commonly Called:
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