1 Chronicles 21

And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

Satan, filled with malice, rose against Israel, stirring David's heart to count his people.

And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.

David passionately instructed Joab and the people's leaders, "Travel across our land, from Beersheba to Dan, and count our people. Bring me the total so I can understand our strength."

And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?

Joab responded, "May God multiply His people a hundredfold. But aren't they all your servants, my king? Why do you insist on this? Why bring guilt on Israel?"

Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.

Despite Joab's resistance, the king's command was stronger. So, Joab had no choice but to leave, traveling across all of Israel, before finally returning to Jerusalem.

And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.

Joab reported the population count to David. Israel had 1.1 million men ready for battle, while Judah had 470,000 swordsmen.

But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.

Joab was deeply offended by the king's command, so he excluded Levi and Benjamin from his count.

And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.

God was deeply displeased with what had been done, so He struck Israel.

And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

David, with deep regret in his heart, confessed to God, "I have sinned greatly by doing this. Please, I beg you, take away my guilt, for I have acted very foolishly."

And the LORD spake unto Gad, David’s seer, saying,

With a deep, resonating voice, the LORD reached out to Gad, David's trusted visionary, and said,

Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.

"Go and tell David that this is what the Lord says: 'I present you with three choices. Pick one, and I will bring it upon you.'"

So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee

Gad approached David, delivering a message from the Lord with a sense of urgency and solemnity, "The Lord gives you a choice, David."

Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.

Choose your fate: three years of hunger, three months of defeat at the hands of your enemies, or three days of divine wrath and disease spreading across the land. Decide wisely, for I must report back to the one who sent me.

And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.

David pleaded with Gad, "I'm in deep trouble. I'd rather be at the mercy of God, for His compassion is immense. Please, don't leave me at the mercy of humans."

So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

And so, with a heavy heart, the LORD unleashed a plague upon Israel, leading to the tragic loss of seventy thousand men.

And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

God dispatched an angel to demolish Jerusalem. As the angel was wreaking havoc, God, filled with regret and sorrow for the impending doom, intervened. "Enough," He commanded the angel, "Cease your destruction." The angel obeyed, halting his mission at Ornan the Jebusite's threshing floor.

And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

David looked up, his eyes meeting the sight of the Lord's angel hovering between heaven and earth, a sword poised threateningly over Jerusalem. Overwhelmed, David and the elders, dressed in humble sackcloth, fell to their knees in awe and fear.

And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father’s house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.

David pleaded with God, "Isn't it me who ordered the census? I'm the one who's sinned, not these innocent people. Please, my Lord, let your punishment fall on me and my family, not on your people."

Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

The angel of the LORD instructed Gad to tell David to build an altar for the LORD at Ornan the Jebusite's threshing floor.

And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD.

Driven by Gad's words, spoken on behalf of the LORD, David ascended with a faithful heart.

And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.

Ornan paused, catching sight of the angel, his heart pounding. His four sons, trembling with fear, quickly hid. Meanwhile, Ornan was busy threshing wheat.

And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.

When David approached Ornan, Ornan recognized him instantly. Leaving his work at the threshing floor, he rushed towards David, greeting him with a deep bow, his face touching the earth in reverence.

Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.

David pleaded with Ornan, "Please, let me buy this land to build an altar for God. I'll pay the full price, so we can stop this plague from harming our people."

And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all.

Ornan told David, "Please, take these gifts. Let the king do what he feels is right. I'm giving you the oxen for sacrifices, the tools for firewood, and the wheat for the meal offering. It's all yours."

And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.

King David firmly told Ornan, "No, I insist on paying the full price. I won't take what's yours to honor God, nor will I give offerings that cost me nothing."

So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.

David, with a generous heart, handed over six hundred shekels of gold to Ornan, purchasing the land.

And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.

David, with deep reverence, constructed an altar for God. He presented his sacrifices, his heart filled with peace and devotion. He cried out to God, who responded with a divine fire from heaven, consuming the altar's offerings.

And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.

With a command from the LORD, the angel, filled with obedience, gently slid his sword back into its sheath.

At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.

When David realized that the LORD had responded to him at Ornan the Jebusite's threshingfloor, he was moved to offer sacrifices there.

For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering, were at that season in the high place at Gibeon.

During that time, Moses' sacred tent for God and the altar for burnt offerings, were situated on the elevated grounds of Gibeon.

But David could not go before it to enquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

David couldn't approach to seek God's guidance, paralyzed by fear of the angel's divine sword.