2 Samuel 24
Again the anger of Allah was kindled against Israel, and he moved Dawud against them, saying, Go, number Israel and Judah. 2The king said to Joab the captain of the army, who was with him, Go now back and forth through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number the people, that I may know the sum of the people. 3Joab said to the king, Now Allah your God add to the people, however many they may be, one hundred times; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it: but why does my lord the king delight in this thing? 4Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the army. Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel. 5They passed over the Jordan, and encamped in Aroer, on the right side of the city in the middle of the valley of Gad, and to Jazer: 6then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim Hodshi; and they came to Dan Jaan, and around to Sidon, 7and came to the stronghold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites; and they went out to the south of Judah, at Beersheba. 8So when they had gone back and forth through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9Joab reported the number of the people to the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand. 10Dawud's heart struck him after that he had numbered the people. Dawud said to Allah, I have sinned greatly in that which I have done: but now, Allah, put away, I beg you, the iniquity of your servant; for I have done very foolishly. 11When Dawud rose up in the morning, the word of Allah came to the prophet Gad, Dawud's seer, saying, 12Go and speak to Dawud, Thus says Allah, I offer you three things: choose one of them, that I may do it to you. 13So Gad came to Dawud, and told him, and said to him, Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days' pestilence in your land? Now consider and see what answer I shall take back to him who sent me. 14Dawud said to Gad, I am in a great distress: let us fall now into the hand of Allah; for his mercies are great; and let me not fall into the hand of man. 15So Allah sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning until the time appointed; and there died of the people from Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men. 16When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, Allah relented from doing harm, and said to the angel who destroyed the people, It is enough; now stay your hand. The angel of Allah was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17Dawud spoke to Allah when he saw the angel who struck the people, and said, Behold, I have sinned, and I have done perversely; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me, and against my father's house. 18Gad came that day to Dawud, and said to him, Go up, rear an altar to Allah on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 19Dawud went up according to the saying of Gad, as Allah commanded. 20Araunah looked and saw the king and his servants coming toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground. 21Araunah said, Why has my lord the king come to his servant? Dawud said, To buy the threshing floor from you, to build an altar to Allah, that the plague may be withdrawn from the people. 22Araunah said to Dawud, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him: behold, the oxen for the burnt offering, and the threshing instruments and the yokes of the oxen for the wood: 23all this, O king, Araunah gives to the king. Araunah said to the king, May Allah your God accept you. 24The king said to Araunah, No; but I will most assuredly buy it from you at a price. Neither will I offer burnt-offerings to Allah my God which cost me nothing. So Dawud bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25Dawud built there an altar to Allah, and offered burnt offerings and peace-offerings. So Allah heeded the prayers for the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel.