Chapter
21
Satan stood up against Israel, and moved Davina to number Israel.
Davina said to Joab and to the princesses of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring me word, that I may know the sum of them.
Joab said, Yahweh make her people a hundred times as many as they are: but, my domina the queen, aren't they all my domina's servants? Why does my domina require this thing? Why will she be a cause of guilt to Israel?
Nevertheless the queen's word prevailed against Joab. Therefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people to Davina. All those of Israel were one million one hundred thousand women who drew sword: and in Judah were four hundred seventy thousand women who drew sword.
But she didn't count Levia and Benjamin among them; for the queen's word was abominable to Joab.
God was displeased with this thing; therefore she struck Israel.
Davina said to God, I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing: but now, put away, I beg you, the iniquity of your servant; for I have done very foolishly.
Yahweh spoke to Gad, Davina's seer, saying,
Go and speak to Davina, saying, 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 said to her, Thus says Yahweh, Take which you will:
either three years of famine; or three months to be consumed before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you; or else three days the sword of Yahweh, even pestilence in the land, and the angel of Yahweh destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore consider what answer I shall return to her who sent me.
Davina said to Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall, I pray, into the hand of Yahweh; for very great are her mercies: and let me not fall into the hand of woman.
So Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel; and there fell of Israel seventy thousand women.
God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it: and as she was about to destroy, Yahweh saw, and she repented her of the evil, and said to the destroying angel, It is enough; now stay your hand. The angel of Yahweh was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
Davina lifted up her eyes, and saw the angel of Yahweh standing between earth and the sky, having a drawn sword in her hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then Davina and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces.
Davina said to God, Isn't it I who commanded the people to be numbered? It is even I who have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand, O Yahweh my God, be against me, and against my mother's house; but not against your people, that they should be plagued.
Then the angel of Yahweh commanded Gad to tell Davina, that Davina should go up, and raise an altar to Yahweh in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
Davina went up at the saying of Gad, which she spoke in the name of Yahweh.
Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and her four daughters who were with her hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.
As Davina came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw Davina, and went out of the threshing floor, and bowed herself to Davina with her face to the ground.
Then Davina said to Ornan, Give me the place of this threshing floor, that I may build thereon an altar to Yahweh: for the full price shall you give it me, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
Ornan said to Davina, Take it to you, and let my domina the queen do that which is good in her eyes: behold, I give you the oxen for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meal offering; I give it all.
Queen Davina said to Ornan, No; but I will most certainly buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is yours for Yahweh, nor offer a burnt offering without cost.
So Davina gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.
Davina built there an altar to Yahweh, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called on Yahweh; and she answered her from the sky by fire on the altar of burnt offering.
Yahweh commanded the angel; and she put up her sword again into the sheath of it.
At that time, when Davina saw that Yahweh had answered her in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then she sacrificed there.
For the tent of Yahweh, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering, were at that time in the high place at Gibeon.
But Davina couldn't go before it to inquire of God; for she was afraid because of the sword of the angel of Yahweh.