rotherham 2Samuel:2:8-3 SEEK
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*
But ,
Abner son of Ner ,
prince of the host that pertained unto Saul ,
took Ish-bosheth ,
son of Saul ,
and brought him over to Mahanaim ;
*
and made him king for Gilead ,
and for the Ashurites ,
and for Jezreel ,
and over Ephraim ,
and over Benjamin ,
and over ,
all Israel .
*
Forty years old ,
was Ish-bosheth son of Saul ,
when he began to reign over Israel ,
and ,
two years ,
reigned he ,
but ,
the house of Judah ,
followed David .
*
And it came to pass ,
that ,
the number of the days that David was king in Hebron ,
over the house of Judah ,
was seven years and six months .
*
And Abner son of Ner ,
and the servants of Ish-bosheth ,
son of Saul ,
came out from Mahanaim to Gibeon .
*
And ,
Joab son of Zeruiah ,
and the servants of David ,
went out from Hebron and met ,
by the pool of Gibeon ,
together ,
and they sat down ,
these ,
by the pool ,
on the one side ,
and ,
those ,
by the pool ,
on the other side .
*
Then said Abner unto Joab ,
Let the young men arise ,
I pray thee ,
and make sport before us .
And Joab said Let them arise .
*
Then there arose ,
and went over by number ,
twelve of Benjamin ,
pertaining to Ish-bosheth ,
son of Saul ,
and twelve ,
of the servants of David .
*
And they caught every one his fellow by the head ,
with his sword in his fellows side ,
so they fell ,
together ,
and that place was called Helkath-hazzadim ,
which is in Gideon . \
fs15
*
So the battle became exceeding obstinate ,
on that day ,
and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated before the servants of David .
*
Now there were there ,
three sons of Zeruiah ,
Joab ,
and Abishai ,
and Asahel ,
and ,
Asahel ,
was light of foot as a wild gazelle .
*
And Asahel pursued Abner ,
and turned not ,
in going ,
to the right hand or to the left ,
from pursuing Abner .
*
Then Abner looked behind him ,
and said Art thou Asahel ?
And he said I am .
*
Then Abner said to him Turn thee aside ,
to thy right hand ,
or to thy left ,
and lay thee hold on one of the young men ,
and take thee his armour .
But Asahel would not turn aside from pursuing him .
*
And Abner said ,
yet again ,
unto Asahel ,
Turn thee aside from pursuing me ,
wherefore should I smite thee to the earth ?
how then should I lift up my face unto Joab ,
thy brother ?
*
Howbeit he refused to turn aside ,
wherefore Abner smote him with the hinder end of the spear ,
in the belly ,
that the spear came out behind him ,
and he fell there ,
and died on the spot ,
and so it was ,
that ,
as many as came up to the place where Asahel fell and died ,
stood still .
*
Then Joab and Abishai pursued Abner ,
but ,
the sun ,
had gone in by the time ,
they ,
had come as far as the hill of Ammah ,
that overlooketh Giah ,
by way of the wilderness of Gibeon .
*
And ,
when the sons of Benjamin had gathered themselves together after Abner ,
and become one band ,
and had taken their stand on the top of a certain hill ,
*
then Abner cried aloud unto Joab ,
and said To the uttermost ,
must the sword devour ?
Dost thou not well know that ,
bitter ,
shall it be ,
in the latter end ?
How long ,
then ,
wilt thou not bid the people turn back from pursuing their own brethren ?
*
Then said Joab As God liveth ,
surely ,
if thou hadst not spoken ,
then in the morning ,
the people would of themselves have gone up ,
every man from pursuing his brother .
*
So Joab blew with the horn ,
and all the people stood still ,
and they neither pursued Israel further ,
nor fought any more .
*
And ,
Abner and his men ,
journeyed through the waste plain all that night ,
and crossed the Jordan ,
and went through all the Bithron ,
and entered Mahanaim .
*
And ,
Joab ,
returned from pursuing Abner ,
and ,
when he had gathered together all the people ,
there were missing of the servants of Davidnineteen men ,
and Asahel ;
*
but ,
the servants of David ,
had smitten of Benjamin ,
of the men of Abner ,
three hundred and sixty men ,
had died .
*
And they carried Asahel ,
and buried him in the grave of his father ,
which was in Bethlehem ,
and Joab and his men journeyed all the night ,
and had daylight in Hebron .
*
Now ,
in that place ,
there happened to be an abandoned man ,
whose name ,
was Sheba son of Bichri ,
a man of Benjamin ,
so he blew a horn ,
and said We have no share in David ,
Nor inheritance have we in the son of Jesse ,
Every man to his home ,
O Israel !
*
Then went up all the men of Israel from following David ,
to follow Sheba son of Bichri ,
but ,
the men of Judah ,
clave unto their king ,
from the Jordan ,
even as far as Jerusalem .
*
And David entered into his own house ,
in Jerusalem ,
and the king took the ten women ,
the concubines whom he had left to keep the house ,
and put them in ward ,
and sustained them ,
but ,
unto them ,
went he not in ,
so they were shut up until the day of their death ,
in lifelong widowhood .
*
Then said the king unto Amasa ,
Assemble me the men of Judah ,
within three days ,
and ,
thou ,
here ,
take thy stand !
*
So Amasa went ,
to assemble Judah ,
but he tarried beyond the fixed time ,
which he had appointed him .
*
Then said David unto Abishai ,
Now ,
shall Sheba son of Bichri ,
do us more harm than Absolom ,
thou ,
take the servants of thy lord ,
and pursue him ,
lest he have got him into fortified cities ,
and so have escaped our eye .
*
Then went out after himthe men of Joab ,
and the Cherethites and the Pelethites ,
and all the mighty men ,
and they went out from Jerusalem ,
to pursue Sheba son of Bichri .
*
When ,
they ,
were by the great stone which is in Gibeon ,
Amasa ,
had arrived before them .
Now ,
Joab ,
was girded about with his war-coat as his upper garment ,
and ,
over it ,
a girdle with a sword ,
fastened upon his loins ,
in the sheath thereof ,
and ,
it ,
came out and fell .
*
Then said Joab unto Amasa ,
Art thou ,
well ,
my brother ?
And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand ,
to kiss him .
*
Amasa not heeding the sword that was in the hand of Joab ,
he smote him therewith in the belly ,
and shed out his bowels to the ground ,
and him not again ,
and he died .
So ,
Joab and Abishai his brother ,
pursued Sheba son of Bichri .
*
Now ,
a man ,
stood over him ,
of the young men of Joab ,
and said Whosoever is well pleased with Joab ,
and whosoever pertaineth to David ,
let him follow Joab .
*
But ,
Amasa ,
was wallowing in blood ,
in the midst of the highway ,
and ,
when the man saw that all the people stood still ,
he moved Amasa ,
out of the highway into the field ,
and cast over him a garment ,
as soon as he saw that every man that came up to him stood still .
*
When he had removed him out of the highway ,
every man passed on ,
after Joab ,
to pursue Sheba son of Bichri .
*
And he passed on throughout all the tribes of Israel ,
unto Abel and unto Beth-maachah ,
and all the Berites ,
and they were called together ,
and came in ,
yea and followed him .
*
So they came ,
and laid siege against him ,
in Abel ,
Beth-maachah ,
and they cast up a mound against the city ,
so that it stood within a rampart ,
and ,
all the people who were with Joab ,
were battering the wall to throw it down .
*
Then cried a wise woman out of the city ,
Hear ye !
hear ye !
I pray you ,
say unto Joab ,
Come near hither ,
and let me speak unto thee .
*
So he came near unto her ,
and the woman said ,
Art thou Joab ?
And he said ,
I am .
And she said unto him ,
Hear thou the words of thy handmaid .
And he said ,
I do hear .
*
Then spake she ,
saying ,
They ,
used to speak ,
in former times ,
saying ,
Enquire ,
in Abel !
And ,
so ,
they ended it .
*
I ,
am of the peaceable among the faithful in Israel ,
thou ,
art seeking to put to death a city ,
and a mother in Israel ,
wherefore wouldst thou swallow up the inheritance of Yahweh ?
*
Then answered Joab and said ,
Far be it !
far be it from me !
I will neither swallow up nor lay waste .
*
Not so ,
is the matter !
but ,
a man of the hill country of Ephraim ,
Sheba son of Bichri ,
his name ,
hath lifted up his hand against the king ,
even against David ,
give up him alone ,
and I will depart from the city .
And the woman said unto Joab ,
Lo !
his head ,
shall be cast unto thee ,
through the wall .
*
So the woman came unto all the people in her wisdom ,
and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri ,
and cast it out unto Joab .
And he blew with a horn ,
and they dispersed themselves from the city ,
every man to his home ;
but ,
Joab ,
returned to Jerusalem unto the king .
*
And ,
Joab ,
was unto all the army of Israel ,
And ,
Benaiah ,
son of Jehoiada ,
was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites ,
*
And ,
Adoniram ,
was over the tribute ,
And ,
Jehoshaphat ,
son of Ahilud ,
was the remembrancer ;
*
And ,
Sheva ,
was scribe ,
And ,
Zadok and Abiathar ,
were priests ;
*
Moreover also ,
Ira the Jairite ,
was chief ruler unto David .
*
And there came to be a famine ,
in the days of David ,
for three years ,
year after year ,
so then David sought the face of Yahweh ,
and Yahweh said It respecteth Saul and his house ,
as to bloodshed ,
in that he put to death the Gibeonites .
*
The king therefore called the Gibeonites ,
and said unto them (
now ,
the Gibeonites ,
were ,
not of the sons of Israel ,
but of the remnant of the Amorites ,
with whom ,
the sons of Israel ,
had entered into an oath ,
and Saul had sought to smite them ,
in his jealousy for the sons of Israel and Judah )
*
wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites What shall I do for you ,
and wherewith shall I make propitiation ,
so that ye may bless the inheritance of Yahweh ?
*
And the Gibeonites said unto him It is not a matter with us of silver or gold ,
with Saul or with his house ,
neither would we have a man put to death in Israel .
And he said ,
What do ye say I should do for you ?
*
Then said they unto the king ,
The man who consumed us ,
and who thought to have destroyed us from taking a place within any of the bounds of Israel ,
*
let there be delivered up to usseven men of his sons ,
and we will crucify them unto Yahweh in Gibeah of Saul ,
the chosen of Yahweh .
And the king said ,
I ,
will deliver them up .
*
But the king had pity upon Mephibosheth ,
son of Jonathan ,
Sauls son ,
because of the oath of Yahweh that was between them ,
between David and Jonathan ,
Sauls son .
*
So the king took the two sons of Rizpah daughter of Aiah ,
whom she had borne to Saul ,
even Armoni and Mephibosheth ,
and the five sons of Michal daughter of Saul ,
whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai ,
the Meholathite ;
*
and delivered them up into the hand of the Gibeonites ,
and they crucified them in the mountain ,
before Yahweh ,
so they seven fell together ,
they being put to death in the first days of harvest ,
in the beginning of the barley harvest .
*
Then Rizpah daughter of Aiah ,
took sackcloth ,
and spread it out for herself ,
on the rock ,
from the beginning of harvest ,
until water poured out upon them from the heavens ,
and suffered neither the birds of the heavens to rest on them by day ,
nor the wild beasts of the field ,
by night .
*
And it was told David ,
what Rizpah daughter of Aiah ,
Sauls concubine ,
had done .
*
So David went and fetched the bones of Saul ,
and the bones of Jonathan his son ,
from the owners of Jabesh-gilead ,
who stole them from the broadway of Beth-shan ,
where the Philistines had hanged them ,
on the day when the Philistines had smitten Saul in Gilboa ;
*
and he brought up from thence the bones of Saul ,
and the bones of Jonathan his son ,
and they gathered together the bones of them who had been crucified ;
*
so they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the land of Benjamin ,
in Zelah ,
in the grave of Kish his father ,
thus did they all that the king commanded ,
and God suffered himself to be entreated for the land ,
after this .
*
And the Philistines had yet again a war with Israel ,
so David went down ,
and his servants with him ,
and fought the Philistines ,
and David became faint .
*
So ,
Ishbi-benob ,
who was of the descendants of the giant ,
the weight of whose spear-head ,
was three hundred shekels of bronze ,
he also being newly armed ,
thought to smite David ;
*
but Abishai son of Zeruiah ,
came to his help ,
and smote the Philistine ,
and slew him .
Then ,
sware the men of David unto him ,
saying Thou must not go forth any more with us ,
to battle ,
that thou quench not the lamp of Israel .
*
And it came to pass ,
after this ,
that there was yet again a battle in Gob ,
with the Philistines ,
then ,
Sibbekai the Hushathite smote Saph ,
who was of the descendants of the giant .
*
And there was yet again a battle in Gob with the Philistines ,
when Elhanan son of Jaare-oregim of Bethlehem ,
smote Goliath the Gittite ,
the shaft of whose spear was like a weavers beam .
*
And there was yet again a battle in Gath ;
when there was a man of stature ,
with six fingers on each hand ,
and six toes on each foot ,
twenty-four in number ;
he also ,
having been born to the giant ;
*
but ,
when he reproached Israel ,
Jonathan son of Shimeah Davids brother ,
smote ,
him .
*
These four ,
had been born to the giant in Gath ,
but they fell by the hand of David ,
and by the hand of his servants .
*
And David spake unto Yahweh ,
the words of this song ,
in the day when Yahweh had rescued him ,
out of the hand of all his enemies ,
and out of the hand of Saul ;
*
and he said ,
Yahweh ,
was my mountain crag and my stronghold ,
and my deliverermine ;
*
My God ,
was my rock ,
I sought refuge in him ,
My shield ,
and my horn of salvation ,
my high tower ,
and my refuge ,
My Saviour !
from violence ,
thou didst save me .
*
As one worthy to be praised ,
called I on Yahweh ,
And ,
from my foes ,
was I saved .
*
When the breakers of death had encompassed me ,
the torrents of perdition ,
made me afraid ,
*
the meshes of hades ,
had surrounded me ,
the snares of death had confronted me ,
*
In my distress ,
called I on Yahweh ,
Yea ,
unto my God ,
did I call ,
and he hearkened ,
out of his temple ,
unto my voice ,
and ,
my cry for help ,
was in his ears !
*
Then did the earth shake and quake ,
the foundations of the heavens ,
were deeply moved ,
yea they did shake ,
because he was angry ,
*
There went up a smoke in his nostrils ,
and ,
a fire out of his mouth ,
devoured ,
live coals ,
were kindled from it :
*
Then he stretched out the heavens ,
and came down ,
and ,
thick gloom ,
was under his feet ;
*
Then he rode on a cherub ,
and flew ,
and was seen on the wings of the wind ;
*
And made of the darkness around him ,
pavilions ,
gathering of waters ,
clouds of vapours .
*
Out of the brightness before him ,
were kindled live coals of fire ;
*
Thunder from the heavens ,
did Yahweh give forth ,
yea ,
the Highest ,
uttered his voice ;
*
And he sent forth arrows ,
and scattered them ,
lightning ,
and confused them ;
*
Then appeared the channels of the sea ,
were uncovered the foundations of the world ,
at the rebuke of Yahweh ,
the blast of the breath of his nostrils ;
*
He sent from on high ,
he took me ,
he drew me out of many waters ;
*
He rescued me from my foe ,
in his might ,
from them who hated me ,
because they were too strong for me :
*
They confronted me ,
in the day of my necessity ,
then became Yahweh my stay :
*
And brought out ,
into a large place ,
even me ,
he delivered me ,
because he delighted in me :
*
Yahweh rewarded me ,
according to my righteousnessaccording to the cleanness of my hands ,
he repaid me :
*
For I had kept the ways of Yahweh ,
and not broken away from my God ;
*
For ,
all his regulations ,
were before me ,
and ,
as for his statutes ,
I turned not from them .
*
So became I blameless towards him ,
and kept myself from mine iniquity :
*
Yahweh therefore repaid me ,
according to my righteousness ,
according to my pureness before his eyes .
*
With the loving ,
thou didst show thyself loving ,
with the blameless hero ,
thou didst show thyself blameless ;
*
With the pure ,
thou didst show thyself pure ,
but ,
with the perverse ,
thou didst shew thyself ready to contend :
*
And ,
a patient people ,
thou didst save ,
but ,
thine eyes ,
were on the loftythou layedst them low ;
*
For ,
thou ,
wast my lamp ,
O Yahweh ,
and ,
Yahweh ,
enlightened my darkness ;
*
For ,
by thee ,
I ran through a troop ,
by my God ,
I leapt over a wall .
*
As for God ,
blameless is his way ,
the speech of Yahweh ,
hath been proved ,
a shield ,
he is to all who seek refuge in him .
*
For who is a GOD ,
save Yahweh ?
and who a Rock ,
save our God ?
*
GOD ,
is my fortress of strength ,
and shewed to the blameless his way ;
*
Planting my feet like the hinds ,
yea ,
on my high places ,
he caused me to stand ;
*
Teaching my hands ,
to war ,
so that a bow of bronze was bent by mine arms ;
*
Thus didst thou grant me ,
as a shield ,
thy salvation ,
and ,
thy condescension ,
made me great .
*
Thou didst widen my stepping-places ,
under me ,
so that mine ankles faltered not :
*
I pursued my foes ,
and destroyed them ,
and returned not ,
till they were consumed ;
*
So I consumed them ,
and crushed them ,
and they rose not again ,
thus fell they under my feet :
*
Thus didst thou gird me with strength ,
for the battle ,
thou subduedst mine assailants under me :
*
And ,
as for my foes ,
thou didst give me their neck ,
yea ,
them who hated me ,
that I might destroy them :
*
They cried out ,
but there was none to save ,
unto Yahweh ,
but he answered them not .
*
Then did I beat them in pieces ,
like the dust of the earth ,
like the clay of the lanes ,
did I crush them ,
stamp them down .
*
Thus didst thou rescue me from the contentions of my people ,
didst keep me to be the head of nations :
a people whom I had not known ,
served me ;
*
The sons of the foreigner ,
came cringing unto me ,
at the hearing of the ear ,
they submitted to me ,
*
The sons of the foreigner ,
were disheartened ,
and came quaking ,
out of their fortresses .
*
Yahweh liveth ,
and blessed be my rock ,
and exalted be the God (
of the rock )
of my salvation :
*
The GOD who hath avenged me ,
and brought down peoples under me ;
*
And brought me forth from among my foes ,
yea ,
from mine assailants ,
hast thou set me on high ,
from the man of violence ,
hast thou delivered me .
*
For this cause ,
will I praise thee ,
O Yahweh ,
among the nations ,
and ,
to thy name ,
will I touch the strings :
*
Who hath made great the victories of his King ,
and shown lovingkindness to his Anointed One ,
to David and to his Seed ,
unto times age-abiding .
*
Now ,
these ,
are the last words of David ,
The oracle of David ,
son of Jesse ,
Yea the oracle of The man raised up on high ,
The Anointed of the God of Jacob ,
the Delight of the Songs of Israel :
*
The Spirit of Yahweh ,
spake in me ,
And ,
his word ,
was on my tongue ;
*
Said the God of Israel ,
Unto me ,
spake the Rock of Israel :
One Ruling over Men ,
A Righteous One ,
ruling in the reverence of God ,
*
Is even as the light of the morning when ariseth the sun ,
A morning ,
without clouds ,
from rain ,
the fresh shoots out of the earth .
*
When ,
not so ,
was my house with GOD ,
Then ,
a covenant age-abiding ,
he appointed me ,
Ordered in all things and guarded ,
Now that it is all my salvation and all my desire ,
Will he not make it shoot forth ?
*
But ,
as for the abandoned ,
like thorns to be tossed away are they all ,
For ,
not with the hand ,
can they be taken ;
*
But ,
the man that would touch them ,
Must fence himself with iron ,
and the shaft of a spear ,
Then ,
with fire ,
shall they be ,
consumed ,
on the spot !
*
These ,
are the names of the mighty men ,
who belonged to David ,
The president a Tachmonite head of the charioteers ,
the same ,
was Adino the Eznite ,
for eight hundred ,
slain at one time .
*
And ,
after him ,
Eleazar son of Dodo ,
son of Ahohi ,
in the hero-class of mighty men ,
with David ,
when they reproached the Philistines ,
they were gathered together there to battle ,
but the men of Israel had gone up ;
*
he ,
however ,
arose and smote among the Philistines until his hand was weary ,
and his hand clave unto his sword ,
so Yahweh wrought a great victory on that day ,
the people ,
coming back after him ,
only to strip the slain .
*
And ,
after him ,
Shammah son of Agee ,
the Hararite ,
and ,
when the Philistines were gathered together into a troop ,
there being at hand an allotment of field-land full of lentils ,
but ,
the people ,
having fled from the face of the Philistines ,
*
then took he his stand in the midst of the allotment ,
and defended it ,
and smote the Philistines ,
and Yahweh wrought a great victory .
*
And three of the thirty chiefs descended ,
and came in ,
towards harvest ,
unto David ,
unto the cave of Adullam ,
although ,
a troop of Philistines ,
were encamped in the vale of Rephaim ;
*
and ,
David ,
then was in a stronghold ,
and ,
a garrison of Philistines ,
was then in Bethlehem .
*
And David longed ,
and said ,
Who will give me to drink water out of the well of Bethlehem ,
that is within the gate ?
*
And the three mighty men brake through the camp of Philistines ,
and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem ,
that was within the gate ,
and bare it ,
and brought it in unto David ,
yet would he not drink ,
but poured it out unto Yahweh ,
*
and said Be it far from me ,
O Yahweh ,
that I should do this !
is it not the blood of the men who went with their lives ?
So he would not drink it .
These things ,
did the three mighty men .
*
And .
Abishai brother of Joab son of Zeruiah ,
he ,
was chief of three ,
in that he brandished his spear against three hundred whom he slew ;
and ,
he ,
had a name among three .
*
Was he not most honourable ,
of the three ,
and so became their captain ?
Nevertheless ,
unto the three ,
he attained not .
*
Benaiah also ,
son of Jehoiadah ,
son of an active man ,
hero of many a deed ,
a man of Kabzeel ,
he ,
smote the two sons of Ariel of Moab ,
he ,
also went down and smote a lion in the midst of a pit ,
on a day of snow ;
*
he ,
also smote an Egyptian ,
who was of valiant bearing ,
and ,
in the hand of the Egyptian ,
was a spear ,
but he went down unto him with a staff ,
and wrested the spear out of the hand of the Egyptian ,
and slew him with his own spear .
*
These things ,
did Benaiah son of Jehoiada ,
and ,
he ,
had a name among three mighty men .
*
He was the most honourable ,
of thirty ,
although ,
unto the three ,
he attained no ,
so David added him to his council .
*
Asahel ,
brother of Joab ,
was among the thirty ,
Elhanan ,
son of Dodo ,
of Bethlehem ;
*
Shammah ,
the Harodite ;
Elika ,
the Harodite ;
*
Helez ,
the Paltite ,
Ira ,
son of Ikkesh ,
the Tekoite ;
*
Abiezer ,
the Anathothite ,
Mebunnai ,
the Hushathite ;
*
Zalmon ,
the Ahohite ,
Maharai ,
the Netophathite ;
*
Heleb ,
son of Baanah ,
the Netophathite ,
Ittai ,
son of Ribai ,
of Gibeah ,
of the sons of Benjamin ;
*
Benaiah ,
a Pirathonite ,
Hiddai ,
of the torrents of Gaash ;
*
Abi-albon ,
the Arbathite ,
Azmaveth ,
the Barhumite ;
*
Eliahba ,
the Shaalbonite , (
Of )
the sons of Jashen ,
Jonathan ;
*
Shammah ,
the Hararite ,
Ahiam ,
son of Sharar ,
the Ararite ;
*
Eliphelet ,
son of Ahasbai ,
son of the Maacathite .
Eliam ,
son of Ahithophel ,
the Gilonite .
*
Hezro ,
the Carmelite ,
Paarai ,
the Arbite ;
*
Igal ,
son of Nathan ,
of Zobah ,
Bani ,
the Gadite ;
*
Zelek ,
the Ammonite ,
Naharai ,
the Beerothite ,
armour bearers to Joab son of Zeruiah ;
*
Ira ,
the Ithrite ,
Gareb ,
the Ithrite ;
*
Uriah ,
the Hittite ,
In all ,
thirty and seven .
*
And again was the anger of Yahweh kindled against Israel ,
so that he suffered David to be moved against them ,
saying ,
Go ,
count Israel and Judah .
*
The king ,
therefore ,
said unto Joab ,
captain of the force ,
who was with him Go to and fro ,
I pray thee ,
throughout all the tribes of Israel ,
from Dan even unto Beer -
sheba ,
and number ye the people ,
so shall I know the sum of the people .
*
Then said Joab unto the king Yea ,
Yahweh thy God add unto the people ,
how many soever they be ,
a hundredfold ,
and the eyes of my lord the king ,
to see it ,
but ,
my lord the king ,
wherefore doth he find pleasure in this thing ?
*
Notwithstanding ,
the word of the king prevailed against Joab ,
and over the captains of the force ,
so Joab went forth ,
with the captains of the force ,
before the king ,
to number the people Israel .
*
And they passed over the Jordan ,
and encamped in Aroer ,
on the right side of the city ,
that is in the midst of the ravine of Gad ,
even towards Jazer .
*
Thus came they to Gilead ,
and unto the land of Tahtim-hodshi ,
and came to Dan-jaan ,
and round about Zidon ;
*
and entered the fortress of Tyre ,
and all the cities of the Hivites ,
and of the Canaanites ,
and they went out to the South of Judah ,
even to Beer-sheba .
*
So ,
when they had gone to and fro throughout all the land ,
they came ,
at the end of nine months and twenty days ,
unto Jerusalem .
*
And Joab delivered up the sum of the number of the people ,
unto the king ,
and there were found to be ,
in Israel ,
eight hundred thousand men of valour ,
drawing the sword ,
and ,
the men of Judah ,
five hundred thousand men .
*
And the heart of David smote him ,
after he had reckoned up the people ,
and David said unto Yahweh I have sinned greatly ,
in what I have done ,
Now ,
therefore ,
O Yahweh ,
take away ,
I beseech thee ,
the iniquity of thy servant ,
for I have done very foolishly .
*
And ,
when David arose in the morning ,
the word of Yahweh ,
had come unto Gad the prophet ,
the seer of David ,
saying :
*
Go and speak unto David Thus ,
saith Yahweh ,
Three things ,
do I offer thee ,
choose thee one of them ,
that I may do it unto thee .
*
So Gad came in unto David ,
and told him ,
and said to him :
Shall there come unto thee seven years of famine in thy land ?
Or ,
for three months ,
wilt thou flee before thine enemies while ,
they ,
pursue thee ?
Or shall there be ,
for three days ,
pestilence in thy land ?
Now ,
consider and see ,
what ,
answer ,
I shall return to him that sent me .
*
And David said unto Gad I am in a great strait ,
let us fall ,
I pray thee ,
into the hand of Yahweh ,
for ,
manifold ,
are ,
his compassions ,
but ,
into the hand of man ,
let me not fall .
*
So Yahweh sent forth a pestilence throughout Israel ,
from the morning even unto the time appointed ,
and there died of the people ,
from Dan even unto Beer-sheba ,
seventy thousand men .
*
But ,
when the messenger stretched out his hand towards Jerusalem ,
to destroy it ,
then relented Yahweh as to the evil ,
and he said to the messenger who was destroying the people Enough !
now ,
stay thy hand .
And ,
the messenger of Yahweh ,
was by the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite .
*
Then said David unto Yahweh ,
when he saw the messenger who was smiting the people ,
yea he said Lo !
I ,
have sinned ,
and ,
I ,
have done perversely ,
but what have ,
these sheep ,
done ?
Let thy hand ,
I pray thee ,
be against me ,
and against the house of my father !
*
And Gad came unto David ,
on that day ,
and said unto him Go up ,
rear thou unto Yahweh an altar ,
in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite .
*
So David went up ,
according to the word of Gad ,
as Yahweh had commanded .
*
And Araunah looked out ,
and saw the king ,
and his servants ,
passing over unto himso Araunah went forth ,
and did homage unto the king ,
with his face to the ground .
*
Then said Araunah ,
Wherefore ,
hath my lord the king come unto his servant ?
And David said To buy of thee the threshing-floor ,
to build an altar unto Yahweh ,
that the plague may be stayed from off the people .
*
Then said Araunah unto David ,
Let my lord the king accept it and cause to ascend what is good in his own eyes ,
see !
the oxen for the ascending-sacrifice ,
and the threshing-sledges and ox-yokes for wood .
*
The whole ,
did Araunah give ,
as a king to a king .
And Araunah said unto the king ,
Yahweh thy God ,
accept thee !
*
But the king said unto Araunah Nay !
but I will ,
buy ,
it of thee ,
for a price ,
and will not cause to ascend unto Yahweh my God ,
offerings that have cost me nothing .
So David bought the threshing-floor ,
and the oxen ,
for fifty shekels of silver ;
*
and David built there an altar unto Yahweh ,
and caused to go up ascending-sacrifices and peace-offerings ,
then was Yahweh entreated for the land ,
and the plague was stayed from Israel .