1 And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. 2 For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people. 3 And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing? 4 Notwithstanding the king’s word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.
5 ¶ And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer: 6 Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi; and they came to Dan-jaan, and about to Zidon, 7 And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beer-sheba. 8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
10 ¶ And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. 11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, 12 Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. 13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days’ pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me. 14 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.
15 ¶ So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men. 16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house.
18 ¶ And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite. 19 And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded. 20 And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground. 21 And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people. 22 And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood. 23 All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee. 24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
24–BOB
Dovud aholini roʻyxat qiladi
1 Isroil xalqiga Egamiz yana gʻazabini sochdi. Egamiz xalqqa zarar yetkazmoqchi boʻlib, aholini roʻyxat qilishga Dovudni majbur etdi: “Qani, Isroil va Yahudo xalqini sanab chiq”, dedi.
2 Shoh yonida turgan lashkarboshisi Yoʻabga shunday buyruq berdi:
— Isroilning hamma qabilalarini — Dandan Bershebagacha boʻlgan joylarni kezib, xalqni sanab chiqinglar, toki qancha aholi borligini men bilayin.
3 Lekin Yoʻab shunday dedi:
— Egangiz Xudo xalqning hozirgi sonini yuz karra koʻpaytirsin, shoh hazratlari ham oʻsha kunlarni koʻrsin! Shohim nimaga buni istab qoldilar?
4 Lekin Yoʻab va lashkarboshilarning soʻzidan shohning soʻzi ustun keldi. Shundan soʻng ular shohning huzuridan chiqib, Isroil xalqini sanash uchun ketishdi.
5 Ular Iordan daryosini kechib oʻtishdi va Aror shahri yonida chodir qurib, oʻsha yerda istiqomat qiladigan Isroil xalqini sanashdi. Aror shahri soylikdan janubda joylashgan edi. Keyin ular Gad qabilasining hududiga borib, Yazir shahrining aholisini sanashdi. 6 Soʻng Gilad yerlarini bosib oʻtib, Taxtim–Xodshi yerlariga borishdi. Soʻngra Danyonga, Danyondan esa Sidon atroflariga aylanib borib, bu yerning xalqini sanashdi. 7 Yana Tir qalʼasidagi, Xiv va Kanʼon xalqlarining hamma shaharlaridagi Isroil xalqini sanab chiqishdi. Nihoyat, janubga — Yahudoning Nagav choʻlidagi Bersheba shahriga kelishdi. 8 Ular toʻqqiz oy va yigirma kun yurtni u boshidan bu boshigacha aylanib chiqqanlaridan keyin Quddusga qaytib kelishdi. 9 Yoʻab roʻyxat natijasini shohga maʼlum qildi: Isroilda jang qilishga qodir 800.000 odam, Yahudoda esa 500.000 odam bor ekan.
10 Xalqni sanab chiqqandan soʻng Dovudning vijdoni qiynaldi.
— Bu ishni qilib ogʻir gunohga botdim, aqlsizlarcha ish tutdim. Oʻtinaman, ey Egam, bu qulingning gunohini kechir, — deb iltijo qildi.
11 Ertasiga ertalab Dovud uyqudan turgach, Dovudning xizmatida boʻlgan valiy — Gad paygʻambarga Egamizning shu soʻzlari ayon boʻldi: 12 “Borib Dovudga shu gaplarni yetkaz: «Egam shunday deb aytmoqda: Men senga uchta jazoni taklif qilaman, shulardan bittasini tanla, keyin senga oʻsha jazoni yuboraman.»”
13 Gad Dovudning huzuriga borib, uchta jazoni birma–bir bayon qildi:
— Yurtingda uch yil ocharchilik boʻlsinmi? Yoki seni taʼqib qiladigan gʻanimlaringdan uch oy qochib yurishni istaysanmi? Yo boʻlmasa, yurtingda uch kun oʻlat boʻlsinmi? Endi yaxshilab oʻyla, meni Yuborganga nima deb javob berayin?
14 — Men juda ogʻir ahvolda qoldim–ku, — dedi Dovud Gadga. — Nima boʻlsa ham, odamzodning qoʻliga tushmayin. Mayli, Egamning Oʻzi bizni jazolasin, chunki U gʻoyat rahmdil.
15 Shunday qilib, Egamiz oʻsha kuni ertalabdan belgilangan vaqtgacha Isroil yurtiga oʻlat yubordi. Butun yurt boʻylab — Dandan Bershebagacha boʻlgan joyda 70.000 kishi oʻldi. 16 Egamizning farishtasi, Quddusni yoʻq qilaman deb, qoʻl koʻtarganda, Egamiz rahm qilib, balo–qazo joʻnatmaydigan boʻldi. Xalqni qirayotgan farishtaga:
— Boʻldi, bas! Yetadi! — deb amr berdi.
Egamizning farishtasi oʻsha paytda Quddusda — Yobus xalqidan boʻlgan Aravno degan odamning xirmonida edi. 17 Dovud xalqni oʻldirayotgan farishtani koʻrgach, Egamizga dedi:
— Gunoh qilgan menman, men aybdorman! Qoʻyday beozor bu insonlar nima ayb qilibdi? Gʻazabingni menga va otam xonadoniga socha qol!
18 Oʻsha kuni Gad Dovudning huzuriga bordi va unga:
— Yobus xalqidan boʻlgan Aravnoning xirmoniga borib, oʻsha yerda Egamga atab bir qurbongoh qurgin, — dedi.
19 Dovud Gadning soʻziga kirib, xuddi Egamiz amr etganiday, xirmonga bordi. 20 Aravno shoh bilan aʼyonlarning oʻziga tomon kelayotganini koʻrdi va Dovudning oldiga borib, yerga muk tushib taʼzim qildi.
21 — Shoh hazratlari nechun bu qulining oldiga tashrif buyurdilar? — deb soʻradi.
— Egamga atab bir qurbongoh qurish uchun xirmoningni sendan sotib olgani keldim, toki oʻlat xalqdan daf boʻlsin, — dedi Dovud.
22 — Shoh hazratlari nimani maʼqul topsalar, Egamizga oʻshani nazr qilsinlar, — dedi Aravno. — Ana, kuydiriladigan qurbonliklar uchun hoʻkizlar, oʻtin uchun esa xoʻptir va hoʻkizlarning boʻyinturuqlari bor. 23 Ey shohim, bularning hammasini sizga inʼom etaman.
Keyin qoʻshib qoʻydi:
— Egangiz Xudo sizdan rozi boʻlsin!
24 — Boʻlmaydi! — dedi shoh. — Sendan bu narsalarni oʻz bahosida sotib olaman. Tekin tushgan qurbonliklarni Egam Xudoga kuydirib nazr qilmayman.
Shundan soʻng Dovud xirmonni va hoʻkizlarni ellik kumush tangaga sotib oldi. 25 Dovud oʻsha yerda Egamizga atab qurbongoh qurib, kuydiriladigan qurbonliklar va tinchlik qurbonliklarini atadi. Egamiz esa Isroil yurti uchun Dovudning iltijolariga javob berdi. Shunday qilib, Isroildan oʻlat daf qilindi.
