And the anger of the Lord was again kindled against Israel, and stirred up David among them, saying: Go, number Israel and Juda.

Et addidit furor Domini irasci contra Israël, commovitque David in eis dicentem: Vade, numera Israël et Judam.

But still the Lord’s vengeance threatened Israel; and now it was through David he disturbed their peace, with a design for registering Israel and Juda.

And the king said to Joab the general of his army: Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Bersabee, and number ye the people that I may know the number of them.

Dixitque rex ad Joab principem exercitus sui: Perambula omnes tribus Israël a Dan usque Bersabee, et numerate populum, ut sciam numerum ejus.

The king said to Joab, the chief of his army, Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Bersabee, and make a muster-roll of the people, so that I may know the full tale of them.

And Joab said to the king: The Lord thy God increase thy people, and make them as many more as they are now, and again multiply them a hundredfold in the sight of my lord the king: but what meaneth my lord the king by this kind of thing?

Dixitque Joab regi: Adaugeat Dominus Deus tuus ad populum tuum, quantus nunc est, iterumque centuplicet in conspectu domini mei regis: sed quid sibi dominus meus rex vult in re hujuscemodi?

Why, said Joab, my prayer is that the Lord may increase yet more the number of the people, great as it is, and that thou mayest live to see it a hundred times as great! But what is it my lord the king means by this design?

But the king’s words prevailed over the words of Joab, and of the captains of the army: and Joab, and the captains of the soldiers went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.

Obtinuit autem sermo regis verba Joab et principum exercitus: egressusque est Joab et princeps militum a facie regis, ut numerarent populum Israël.

But all that Joab and the captains of the army could say might not thwart the king’s will; so Joab and the other commanders left the king’s presence to make a register of Israel.

And when they had passed the Jordan, they came to Aroer to the right side of the city, which is in the vale of Gad.

Cumque pertransissent Jordanem, venerunt in Aroër ad dexteram urbis, quæ est in valle Gad:

They crossed the Jordan, and reached Aroer, on the right side of the city that stands in the vale of Gad;

And by Jazer they passed into Galaad, and to the lower land of Hodsi, and they came into the woodlands of Dan. And going about by Sidon,

et per Jazer transierunt in Galaad, et in terram inferiorem Hodsi, et venerunt in Dan silvestria. Circumeuntesque juxta Sidonem,

then they passed by way of Jazer into Galaad to the plain country of Hodsi, and so reached the woodlands of Dan. Thence they turned towards Sidon,

They passed near the walls of Tyre, and all the land of the Hevite, and the Chanaanite, and they came to the south of Juda into Bersabee:

transierunt prope mœnia Tyri, et omnem terram Hevæi et Chananæi, veneruntque ad meridiem Juda in Bersabee:

passed close to the walls of Tyre, and all along the country that was still held by Chanaanite and Hevite, and came at last to the southern end of Juda, at Bersabee.

And having gone through the whole land, after nine months and twenty days, they came to Jerusalem.

et lustrata universa terra, affuerunt post novem menses et viginti dies in Jerusalem.

So they made their review of the whole country, and returned to Jerusalem after nine months’ and twenty days’ absence.

And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people to the king, and there were found of Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword: and of Juda five hundred thousand fighting men.

Dedit ergo Joab numerum descriptionis populi regi, et inventa sunt de Israël octingenta millia virorum fortium qui educerent gladium, et de Juda quingenta millia pugnatorum.

And Joab gave in the register to the king; it proved that there were eight hundred thousand warriors that bore arms in Israel, and five hundred thousand in Juda.

But David’s heart struck him, after the people were numbered: and David said to the Lord: I have sinned very much in what I have done: but I pray thee, O Lord, to take away the iniquity of thy servant, because I have done exceeding foolishly.

Percussit autem cor David eum, postquam numeratus est populus: et dixit David ad Dominum: Peccavi valde in hoc facto: sed precor, Domine, ut transferas iniquitatem servi tui, quia stulte egi nimis.

But, now the count of Israel had been made, David’s heart reproached him. And he confessed to the Lord, I have sinned greatly in what I have done; Lord, give my sin quittance; I have played a fool’s part.

And David arose in the morning, and the word of the Lord came to Gad the prophet and the seer of David, saying:

Surrexit itaque David mane, et sermo Domini factus est ad Gad prophetam et videntem David, dicens:

And by the time he rose next morning, the word of the Lord had come to the prophet Gad, that was David’s seer,

Go, and say to David: Thus saith the Lord: I give thee thy choice of three things, choose one of them which thou wilt, that I may do it to thee.

Vade, et loquere ad David: Hæc dicit Dominus: Trium tibi datur optio: elige unum quod volueris ex his, ut faciam tibi.

Go and give David this message from the Lord; he is given a threefold choice, and he must choose his own punishment among the three.

And when Gad was come to David, he told him, saying: Either seven years of famine shall come to thee in thy land: or thou shalt flee three months before thy adversaries, and they shall pursue thee: or for three days there shall be a pestilence in thy land. Now therefore deliberate, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

Cumque venisset Gad ad David, nuntiavit ei, dicens: Aut septem annis veniet tibi fames in terra tua: aut tribus mensibus fugies adversarios tuos, et ille te persequentur: aut certe tribus diebus erit pestilentia in terra tua. Nunc ergo delibera, et vide quem respondeam ei qui me misit sermonem.

So Gad went to David with the message: Wilt thou have seven years of famine in thy country, or three months of flight from the pursuit of thy enemies, or three days in which thy country is smitten with plague? Think well, and tell me what answer I shall make to him whose word I bear thee.

And David said to Gad: I am in a great strait: but it is better that I should fall into the hands of the Lord (for his mercies are many) than into the hands of men.

Dixit autem David ad Gad: Coarctor nimis: sed melius est ut incidam in manus Domini (multæ enim misericordiæ ejus sunt) quam in manus hominum.

I am hard pressed on all sides, David told him; but it is better to fall into the hands of the Lord, so rich is he in mercy, than into the hands of men.

And the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel, from the morning unto the time appointed, and there died of the people from Dan to Bersabee seventy thousand men.

Immisitque Dominus pestilentiam in Israël, de mane usque ad tempus constitutum, et mortui sunt ex populo a Dan usque ad Bersabee septuaginta millia virorum.

So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel, from that morning till the time he had appointed; and it raged all the way from Dan to Bersabee, till seventy thousand men had perished.

And when the angel of the Lord had stretched out his hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord had pity on the affliction, and said to the angel that slew the people: It is enough: now hold thy hand. And the angel of the Lord was by the thrashingfloor of Areuna the Jebusite.

Cumque extendisset manum suam angelus Domini super Jerusalem ut disperderet eam, misertus est Dominus super afflictione, et ait angelo percutienti populum: Sufficit: nunc contine manum tuam. Erat autem angelus Domini juxta aream Areuna Jebusæi.

But when the angel of the Lord was stretching out his hand over Jerusalem, to bring destruction on it, the Lord was moved with pity over their calamity, and said to the angel who was smiting the people down, It is enough, stay thy hand. The angel of the Lord stood close, then, to the threshing-floor of Areuna the Jebusite.

And David said to the Lord, when he saw the angel striking the people: It is I; I am he that have sinned, I have done wickedly: these that are the sheep, what have they done? let thy hand, I beseech thee, be turned against me, and against my father’s house.

Dixitque David ad Dominum cum vidisset angelum cædentem populum: Ego sum qui peccavi, ego inique egi: isti qui oves sunt, quid fecerunt? vertatur, obsecro, manus tua contra me, et contra domum patris mei.

David, when he saw how the angel was smiting the people down, had said to the Lord, The sin is mine, the fault is mine; these poor sheep of mine, what wrong have they done? Nay, turn thy hand against me, and my own father’s race!

And Gad came to David that day, and said: Go up, and build an altar to the Lord in the thrashingfloor of Areuna the Jebusite.

Venit autem Gad ad David in die illa, et dixit ei: Ascende, et constitue altare Domino in area Areuna Jebusæi.

Then Gad brought David the message, Go up to the threshing-floor of Areuna the Jebusite, and build an altar there.

And David went up according to the word of Gad which the Lord had commanded him.

Et ascendit David juxta sermonem Gad, quem præceperat ei Dominus.

So David went up, in obedience to the command which the Lord had given him through Gad;

And Areuna looked, and saw the king and his servants coming towards him:

Conspiciensque Areuna, animadvertit regem et servos ejus transire ad se:

and when Areuna looked round, to see the king and the king’s servants coming towards him,

And going out he worshipped the king, bowing with his face to the earth, and said: Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said to him: To buy the thrashingfloor of thee, and build an altar to the Lord, that the plague, which rageth among the people, may cease.

et egressus adoravit regem prono vultu in terram, et ait: Quid causæ est ut veniat dominus meus rex ad servum suum? Cui David ait: Ut emam a te aream, et ædificem altare Domino, et cesset interfectio quæ grassatur in populo.

he came forward, bowing down with his face to the ground to do the king reverence. What would my lord king with his servant? he asked. And David said, I have come to buy thy threshing-floor; I must build an altar here to the Lord, to put an end to the mortality which goes unhindered among the people.

And Areuna said to David: Let my lord the king take, and offer, as it seemeth good to him: thou hast here oxen for a holocaust, and the wain, and the yokes of the oxen for wood.

Et ait Areuna ad David: Accipiat, et offerat dominus meus rex sicut placet ei: habes boves in holocaustum, et plaustrum, et juga boum in usum lignorum.

Then Areuna answered, Let the king’s grace take all he needs for his offering; here are sheep for a burnt-sacrifice, here is the waggon, and the yoke my oxen bear, for kindling-wood.

All these things Areuna as a king gave to the king: and Areuna said to the king: The Lord thy God receive thy vow.

Omnia dedit Areuna rex regi: dixitque Areuna ad regem: Dominus Deus tuus suscipiat votum tuum.

All this is Areuna’s royal gift to the king. And may the Lord, Areuna added, grant thy prayer.

And the king answered him, and said: Nay, but I will buy it of thee at a price, and I will not offer to the Lord my God holocausts free cost. So David bought the floor, and the oxen, for fifty sicles of silver:

Cui respondens rex, ait: Nequaquam ut vis, sed emam pretio a te, et non offeram Domino Deo meo holocausta gratuita. Emit ergo David aream, et boves, argenti siclis quinquaginta:

But the king would not let him have his will; Nay, said he, I must buy it from thee; the victims I offer to the Lord my God must not be procured without cost. So David bought threshing-floor and ox-team for fifty silver pieces;

And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered holocausts and peace offerings: and the Lord became merciful to the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

et ædificavit ibi David altare Domino, et obtulit holocausta et pacifica: et propitiatus est Dominus terræ, et cohibita est plaga ab Israël.

there he built an altar to the Lord, and there he brought burnt-sacrifice and welcome-offering. So the land was received back into the Lord’s favour, and the plague disappeared from Israel.