1 And Satan stood up against Yisra’ĕl, and moved Dawiḏ to number Yisra’ĕl.
2 And 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.”
3 And Yo’aḇ answered, “𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 adds 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?”
4 But the sovereign’s word prevailed against Yo’aḇ. And Yo’aḇ left and went throughout all Yisra’ĕl and came to Yerushalayim.
5 And 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 Yahuḏah had four hundred and seventy thousand men who drew the sword.
6 But he did not number Lĕwi and Binyamin among them, for the sovereign’s word was loathsome to Yo’aḇ.
7 And it was evil in the eyes of Elohim, concerning this matter, and He smote Yisra’ĕl.
8 Then Dawiḏ said to Elohim, “I have sinned greatly, because I have done this matter. But now, I pray, take away the wickedness of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”
9 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 spoke to Gaḏ, Dawiḏ’s seer, saying,
10 “Go, and you shall speak to Dawiḏ, saying, ‘Thus said 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, “I hold three before you – choose one of them for yourself, and I do it to you.” ’ ”
11 So Gaḏ came to Dawiḏ and said to him, “Thus said 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, Choose for yourself
12 either 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 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, even the plague in the land, with the messenger of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 destroying throughout all the borders of Yisra’ĕl.’ And now consider what answer I am to return to Him who sent me.”
13 And Dawiḏ said to Gaḏ, “I am in great trouble. Please let me fall into the hand of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, for His compassion is very great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”
14 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 sent a plague upon Yisra’ĕl, and seventy thousand men of Yisra’ĕl fell.
15 And Elohim sent a messenger to Yerushalayim to destroy it. And as he was destroying, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 saw, and relented about the evil, and said to the messenger who was destroying, “Enough! Now stop your hand.” And the messenger of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 was standing by the threshing-floor of Ornan the Yeḇusite.
16 And Dawiḏ lifted his eyes and saw the messenger of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 standing between earth and the shamayim, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Yerushalayim. And Dawiḏ and the elders, wrapped in sackcloth, fell on their faces.
17 And 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 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 my Elohim, be against me and my father’s house, but not against Your people, to be plagued.”
18 And the messenger of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 commanded Gaḏ to say to Dawiḏ that Dawiḏ should go up to raise an altar to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 on the threshing-floor of Ornan the Yeḇusite.
19 So Dawiḏ went up at the word of Gaḏ, which he had spoken in the Name of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.
20 And Ornan turned and saw the messenger. And his four sons with him hid themselves, and Ornan was threshing wheat.
21 And 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.
22 And Dawiḏ said to Ornan, “Give me the site of the threshing-floor, so that I build an altar to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 on it. Give it to me at the complete price, so that the plague is restrained from the people.”
23 And 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.”
24 And 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 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, nor offer a burnt offering without cost.”
25 And Dawiḏ gave Ornan six hundred sheqels of gold by weight for the place.
26 And Dawiḏ built there an altar to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called on 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄. And He answered him from the shamayim by fire on the altar of burnt offering.
27 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 commanded the messenger, and he returned his sword to its sheath.
28 At that time, when Dawiḏ saw that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 had answered him on the threshing-floor of Ornan the Yeḇusite, he slaughtered there,
29 for the Mishkan of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 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.
30 But Dawiḏ was unable to go before it to inquire of Elohim, for he was afraid of the sword of the messenger of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.