1 Chronicles

Retells some stories from Samuel and Kings, focusing on King David and the importance of worship.

Chapter 21

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

*Satan challenged Israel and convinced David to count the people in Israel.

2 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 asked Joab and the leaders, "Count all the people in Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and tell me the total. I want to know how many there are."

3 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 replied, "May the Lord multiply your people a hundred times over. But, my king, aren't they all your servants? So why do you want this? Why would you create a problem for Israel?"

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

*However, the king's decision was stronger than Joab's. So, Joab left and traveled across Israel before returning to Jerusalem.

5 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 told David the total count of the people. In Israel, there were one million one hundred thousand men ready to fight, and in Judah, there were forty-six thousand ten men prepared for battle.

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

*But Levi and Benjamin didn't include him; Joab hated the king's order very much.

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

*God didn't like that, so he punished Israel.

8 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 told God, "I've really messed up because I did something bad. Please forgive me now, and remove my wrongdoing, because I was very foolish."

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

*And the Lord spoke to Gad, who was like a prophet for David, saying,

10 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.

*Tell David, "The Lord says to choose one of these three options He offers."

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

*So Gad spoke to David on behalf of God, saying, "God instructs you to choose."

12 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 between a three-year famine, three months of being defeated by enemies, or three days of God's sword (pestilence) and an angel destroying in Israel. Decide which one to tell the person who sent me.

13 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 told Gad, "I'm in a tough situation. Please let me be faced with God's help because He has great compassion, but don't let me face humans."

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

*So, God caused sickness to affect Israel, and seventy thousand people from Israel died.

15 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 sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem, but after starting, God saw and changed His mind. He told the angel to stop, so the angel stopped at Ornan's threshing floor.

16 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 and saw an angel standing between Earth and Heaven with a sword extended towards Jerusalem. They all fell on their faces in response.

17 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 told God, "I'm the one who asked for a count of the people. It was me who sinned greatly. But what did these sheep do? Please, God, punish me and my family, but don't let your people suffer."

18 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.

*Then the angel told Gad to tell David to go and build an altar for God on Ornan the Jebusite's grain-processing area.

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

*And David followed the advice given by Gad, who spoke on behalf of God.

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

*Ornan looked back and saw the angel, while his four sons hid. At that time, Ornan was separating wheat.

21 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 met Ornan, Ornan saw David and left his threshing floor. He then bowed down to David, touching the ground with his face.

22 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.

*Then David asked Ornan, "Please let me have this threshing floor so I can build an altar for God there. You should sell it to me for its full price, so the disease won't spread among the people."

23 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, "Take this, my lord the king, and do what is good in your eyes. I'm giving you the cows for sacrifices, the tools for making firewood, and the wheat for the food offering - everything is yours."

24 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 told Ornan, "No, I must really buy it for the full price. I won't take your stuff for free to give to God or burn it without paying."

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

*David paid Ornan six hundred gold coins for the land, measured by its weight.

26 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 at that place made an altar for God, offered sacrifices, prayed, and God responded with fire coming down from the sky on the altar.

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

*And God told the angel; and he put his sword back into its sheath.

28 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 God had answered his prayer on Ornan's threshing floor, he offered a sacrifice there.

29 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.

*For the tabernacle where God lived, made by Moses in the desert, and the altar for burning sacrifices, were at that time on a high spot at Gibeon.

30 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.

*But David couldn't go ask God for help: he was scared because of the angel's sword.

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