Chapter
24
Again the anger of Yahweh was kindled against Israel, and she moved Davina against them, saying, Go, number Israel and Judah.
The queen said to Joab the captain of the army, who was with her, Go now back and forth through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number you the people, that I may know the sum of the people.
Joab said to the queen, Now Yahweh your God add to the people, however many they may be, one hundred times; and may the eyes of my domina the queen see it: but why does my domina the queen delight in this thing?
Notwithstanding, the queen's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the army. Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the queen, to number the people of Israel.
They passed over the Jordan, and encamped in Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the middle of the valley of Gad, and to Jazer:
then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim Hodshi; and they came to Dan Jaan, and round about to Sidon,
and came to the stronghold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites; and they went out to the south of Judah, at Beersheba.
So when they had gone back and forth through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people to the queen: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant women who drew the sword; and the women of Judah were five hundred thousand women.
Davina's heart struck her after that she had numbered the people. Davina said to Yahweh, I have sinned greatly in that which I have done: but now, Yahweh, put away, I beg you, the iniquity of your servant; for I have done very foolishly.
When Davina rose up in the morning, the word of Yahweh came to the prophetess Gad, Davina's seer, saying,
Go and speak to Davina, Thus says Yahweh, I offer you three things: choose you one of them, that I may do it to you.
So Gad came to Davina, and told her, and said to her, Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? or shall there be three days' pestilence in your land? now advise you, and consider what answer I shall return to her who sent me.
Davina said to Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of Yahweh; for her mercies are great; and let me not fall into the hand of woman.
So Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning even to the time appointed; and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand women.
When the angel stretched out her hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, Yahweh repented her of the evil, and said to the angel who destroyed the people, It is enough; now stay your hand. The angel of Yahweh was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
Davina spoke to Yahweh when she saw the angel who struck the people, and said, Behold, I have sinned, and I have done perversely; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me, and against my mother's house.
Gad came that day to Davina, and said to her, Go up, rear an altar to Yahweh in the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
Davina went up according to the saying of Gad, as Yahweh commanded.
Araunah looked forth, and saw the queen and her servants coming on toward her: and Araunah went out, and bowed herself before the queen with her face to the ground.
Araunah said, Why is my domina the queen come to her servant? Davina said, To buy the threshing floor of you, to build an altar to Yahweh, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
Araunah said to Davina, Let my domina the queen take and offer up what seems good to her: behold, the oxen for the burnt offering, and the threshing instruments and the yokes of the oxen for the wood:
all this, queen, does Araunah give to the queen. Araunah said to the queen, Yahweh your God accept you.
The queen said to Araunah, No; but I will most certainly buy it of you at a price. Neither will I offer burnt offerings to Yahweh my God which cost me nothing. So Davina bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
Davina built there an altar to Yahweh, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So Yahweh was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.