2 SAMUEL Chap. 24 cont. – TERESA’S EASY RENDITION 11 In the morning, Jehovah’s word came to Gad, the prophet of David, saying: 12 “Go and tell David, ‘This is what Jehovah has said, ‘I’m giving you 3 choices. I’ll do to you whichever you choose.’” 13 Thus Gad went to David, and when he had gotten up, he told him, saying: “Which is it to be --- 7 years of famine in your land? Or 3 months of fleeing from your enemies? Or 3 days of epidemic in the land? Decide now and tell me what I shall reply to the One who sent me.” 14 David answered: “I’m desperate, but we rather fall into the hand of Jehovah, for many are His mercies, than fall into the hand of man.” 15 So Jehovah sent an epidemic in Israel, from the morning till the appointed time, so that 70,000 people died, from Dan to Beer-Sheba. 16 The angel’s hands were kept stretched out over Jerusalem to keep the epidemic on, but Jehovah felt sorry about it. He said to the angel: “It’s enough! Drop your hands now.” (Jehovah’s angel was near the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.) 17 When David saw the angel who was killing the people, he said to Jehovah: “It’s me who has sinned and who did wrong, but these sheep, what have they done? May Your hand be just on me and on the house of my father.” 18 On that day Gad came to David and said to him: “Go, set up an altar for Jehovah on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19 So David did what Jehovah has commanded through Gad. 20 When Araunah saw the king and his men coming to him, he met them and bowed down before the king with his face to the earth. 21 Araunah asked: “Why is my lord the king here?” David answered: “To buy your threshing floor, and to build on it an altar to Jehovah, in order to stop the epidemic.” 22 Araunah said: “Let my lord the king have it, and offer on it what’s good in your eyes. Here, take the cattle as burnt offering, and its threshing sledge and yokes as firewood. 23 O King, Araunah is giving all these to the king.” Araunah went on: “May Jehovah your God be pleased with you.” 24 The king said to Araunah: “No, I shall buy it from you. I won’t offer to Jehovah my God burnt sacrifices which cost me nothing.” Thus David bought the threshing floor and the cattle for 50 silver shekels. 25 Then David built an altar to Jehovah, and on it offered burnt sacrifices and fellowship offerings. Now Jehovah was ready to hear prayers for the land, and the epidemic in Israel was stopped. End of 2 Samuel
Posted on: Sat, 06 Jul 2013 07:41:38 +0000
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