1 And again the displeasure of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 burned against Yisra’ĕl, and moved Dawiḏ against them to say, “Go, number Yisra’ĕl and Yahuḏah.”
2 And the sovereign said to Yo’aḇ the commander of the army who was with him, “Go please, throughout all the tribes of Yisra’ĕl, from Dan to Be’ĕrsheḇa, and register the people, so that I know the number of the people.”
3 And Yo’aḇ said to the sovereign, “Even if 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 your Elohim adds to the people a hundredfold more than there are, and the eyes of my master the sovereign see it, but why does my master the sovereign delight in this matter?”
4 However, the sovereign’s word prevailed against Yo’aḇ and against the commanders of the army. And Yo’aḇ and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the sovereign to register the people of Yisra’ĕl.
5 And they passed over the Yardĕn and camped in Aro’ĕr, on the right side of the town which is in the midst of the wadi of Gaḏ, and toward Ya’zĕr.
6 Then they came to Gil’aḏ and to the land of Taḥtim Ḥoḏshi, and they came to Dan Ya’an and around to Tsiḏon.
7 And they came to the stronghold of Tsor and to all the cities of the Ḥiwwites and the Kena’anites, and went out to South Yahuḏah as far as Be’ĕrsheḇa.
8 And when they had gone through all the land, they came to Yerushalayim at the end of nine months and twenty days.
9 And Yo’aḇ gave the number of the registration of the people to the sovereign, and there were in Yisra’ĕl eight hundred thousand brave men who drew the sword, and the men of Yahuḏah were five hundred thousand men.
10 And the heart of Dawiḏ smote him after he had numbered the people. And Dawiḏ said to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, “l have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, I pray, O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, take away the wickedness of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”
11 And Dawiḏ rose up in the morning, and the word of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 came to the naḇi Gaḏ, Dawiḏ’s seer, saying,
12 “Go, and you shall speak to Dawiḏ, ‘Thus said 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, “I hold three before you. Choose one of them, and I do it to you.” ’ ”
13 Gaḏ then came to Dawiḏ and informed him. And he said to him, “Should seven years of scarcity of food come to you in your land? Or would you flee three months before your enemies, while they pursue you? Or should there be three days’ plague in your land? Now know and see what answer I take back to Him who sent me.”
14 And Dawiḏ said to Gaḏ, “I am in great trouble. Please let us fall into the hand of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, for His compassion is great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”
15 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 sent a plague upon Yisra’ĕl from the morning till the appointed time, and from Dan to Be’ĕrsheḇa seventy thousand men of the people died.
16 And the messenger stretched out His hand over Yerushalayim to destroy it, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 relented concerning the evil, and said to the messenger who was destroying the people, “It is enough, now stop Your hand.” And the messenger of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 was by the threshing-floor of Arawnah the Yeḇusite.
17 And Dawiḏ spoke to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 when he saw the messenger who was smiting the people, and said, “See, I have sinned, and I have done perversely. But these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house.”
18 And Gaḏ came that day to Dawiḏ and said to him, “Go up, raise an altar to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 on the threshing-floor of Arawnah the Yeḇusite.”
19 And Dawiḏ, according to the word of Gaḏ, went up as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 commanded.
20 And Arawnah looked and saw the sovereign and his servants coming toward him. And Arawnah went out and bowed before the sovereign with his face to the ground.
21 And Arawnah said, “Why has my master the sovereign come to his servant?” And Dawiḏ said, “To buy the threshing-floor from you, to build an altar to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, so that the plague be withdrawn from the people.”
22 And Arawnah said to Dawiḏ, “Let my master the sovereign take and offer that which seems good to him. Here are cattle for burnt offering, and threshing implements and the yokes of the cattle for wood.
23 “All these, O sovereign, Arawnah has given to the sovereign.” And Arawnah said to the sovereign, “𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 your Elohim accept you!”
24 And the sovereign said to Arawnah, “No, let me buy it from you for a price, for certain. I am not offering burnt offerings to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 my Elohim without cost.” So Dawiḏ bought the threshing-floor and the cattle for fifty sheqels of silver.
25 And Dawiḏ built an altar to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 answered the prayers for the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Yisra’ĕl.