1   Bvt ^note Satan rose agaynst Israel: and moued Dauid to number Israel.

2   And Dauid sayd to Ioab, and to the princes of the people: Goe, and number Israel from Bersabee vnto Dan, and bring me the number that I may know.

3   And Ioab, answered: Our Lord increase his people an hundred fold more then they are: are they not my lord king al thy seruantes? why doth my lord seeke this, which may be reputed for a sinne to Israel?

4   But the kinges word preuailed more: and Ioab went forth, and went about al Israel: and returned to Ierusalem.

5   And he gaue Dauid the number of them, whom he had surueyed: and al the number of Israel was found a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and of Iuda foure hundred seuentie thousand men of warre.

6   For Leui and Beniamin he numbred not: because Ioab vnwillingly executed the kings commandement.

7   And that which was commanded displeased God: and he stroke

Dauid. Israel.

8   And Dauid sayd to God: I haue sinned excedingly in that I would doe this: I besech thee take away ^note the iniquitie of thy seruant, because I haue done foolishly.

9   And our Lord spake to Gad the Seer of Dauid, saying:

10   Goe, and speake to Dauid, and tel him: Thus sayth our Lord: I geue thee the choyse of three thinges, choose one which thou wilt, and I wil doe it to thee.

11   And when Gad was come to Dauid, he sayd to him: Thus sayth our Lord: Choose which thou wilt:

12   either three yeares famine: or three monethes to flee from thine enemies, and not to be able to escape their sword: or three dayes the sword of our Lord, and pestilence to be in the land, and the Angel of our Lord to kil in al the costes of Israel: now therfore see what I shal answer him, that sent me.

13   And Dauid sayd to Gad: I am on euerie side in great distresse: but it is better, that I fal into the handes of our Lord, because his mercies be manie, then into the handes of men.

14   Our Lord therfore sent the pestilence in Israel: and there fel of Israel seuentie thousand men.

15   He sent also an Angel into Ierusalem, to strike it: and when it was striken, our Lord saw, and had compassion vpon the greatenesse of the euil: and commanded the Angel, that smote: It is sufficient, now let thy hand cease. Moreouer the Angel of our Lord stoode beside the floore of Ornan the Iebuseite.

16   And Dauid lifting vp his eies, saw the Angel of our Lord standing betwen heauen and earth, and a sword drawen in his hand, turned agaynst Ierusalem: & they fel as wel he as the ancientes clothed in heare clothes, flatte on the earth.

17   And Dauid sayd to God: Am not I he, that commanded the people to be mumbred? It is I that haue sinned: it is I that haue done the euil: this flocke what hath it deserued? Lord my God let thy hand be turned I besech thee vpon me, and vpon my fathers house: and let not thy people be striken

18   And the Angel of our Lord commanded Gad to tel Dauid, that he should goe vp, and build an altar to our Lord God in the floore of Ornan the Iebuseite.

19   Dauid therfore went vp according to the word of Gad, which he had spoken to him in the name of our Lord.

20   Moreouer Ornan when he had looked vp, and sene the Angel, and his foure sonnes with him, they hid themselues: for at that time he threshed wheat in the floore.

21   Therfore when Dauid came to Ornan, Ornan beheld him, & went forth to mete him out of the floore, and adored him flatte on the

Dauid. ground.

22   And Dauid sayd to him: Geue me the place of thy floore, that I may build therein an altar to our Lord: so that thou take as much siluer as it is worth, and the plague may cease from the people.

23   And Ornan sayd to Dauid: Take it, and let my lord the king doe whatsoeuer pleaseth him: yea the oxen also I geue for holocaust, and ^note the dreyes for wood, and wheat for sacrifice: I wil giue al thinges willingly.

24   And king Dauid sayd to him: It shal not be so, but I wil geue thee siluer as much as it is worth: for I may not take it from thee, and so offer to our Lord holocaustes geuen gratis.

25   Dauid therfore gaue Ornan for the place, six hundred sicles of gold of most iust weight.

26   And he built there an altar to our Lord: and he offered holocaustes, and pacifiques, and he inuocated our Lord, & he heard him ^note in fyre from heauen vpon the altar of holocauste.

27   And our Lord commanded the Angel: and he turned his sword into the scabbard.

28   Dauid therfore forthwith, seing that our Lord had heard him in the floore of Ornan the Iebuseite, immolated victimes there.

29   But the tabernacle of our Lord, which Moyses made in the desert, and the altar of holocaustes, was at that time in the excelse of Gabaon.

30   And Dauid could not goe to the altar to pray God there: for he had bene frighted with exceding feare, seing the sword of the Angel of our Lord.

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