But he didn't count Levi and Benjamin among them; for the king's word was abominable to Joab.

David 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, David's seer, saying,

"Go and speak to David, saying, 'Thus says Yahweh, "I offer you three things. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you."'"

So Gad came to David, and said to him, "Thus says Yahweh, 'Take your choice:

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 him who sent me.'"

David said to Gad, "I am in distress. Let me fall, I pray, into the hand of Yahweh; for his mercies are very great. Let me not fall into the hand of man."

God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was about to destroy, Yahweh saw, and he relented of the disaster, 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.

David 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 father's house; but not against your people, that they should be plagued."

Then the angel of Yahweh commanded Gad to tell David that David should go up, and raise an altar to Yahweh in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshing floor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.

Then David said to Ornan, "Give me the place of this threshing floor, that I may build thereon an altar to Yahweh. You shall sell it to me for the full price, that the plague may be stopped from afflicting the people."

Ornan said to David, "Take it for yourself, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes. Behold, I give the oxen for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meal offering. I give it all."

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

David built an altar to Yahweh there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called on Yahweh; and he answered him from the sky by fire on the altar of burnt offering.

But David couldn't go before it to inquire of God; for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of Yahweh.

David gave orders to gather together the foreigners who were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to cut worked stones to build the house of God.

and cedar trees without number: for the Sidonians and they of Tyre brought cedar trees in abundance to David.

David said, "Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be built for Yahweh must be exceedingly magnificent, of fame and of glory throughout all countries. I will therefore make preparation for it." So David prepared abundantly before his death.

Then he called for Solomon his son, and commanded him to build a house for Yahweh, the God of Israel.

David said to Solomon his son, "As for me, it was in my heart to build a house to the name of Yahweh my God.

But the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 'You have shed blood abundantly, and have made great wars. You shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight.

Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his enemies all around; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days.

Then you will prosper, if you observe to do the statutes and the ordinances which Yahweh gave Moses concerning Israel. Be strong, and courageous. Don't be afraid, neither be dismayed.

Now, behold, in my affliction I have prepared for the house of Yahweh one hundred thousand talents of gold, one million talents of silver, and brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance. I have also prepared timber and stone; and you may add to them.

David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying,

"Isn't Yahweh your God with you? Hasn't he given you rest on every side? For he has delivered the inhabitants of the land into my hand; and the land is subdued before Yahweh, and before his people.

Now set your heart and your soul to seek after Yahweh your God. Arise therefore, and build the sanctuary of Yahweh God, to bring the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of Yahweh."

David said, "Of these, twenty-four thousand were to oversee the work of the house of Yahweh; six thousand were officers and judges;

David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second: but Jeush and Beriah didn't have many sons; therefore they became a fathers' house in one reckoning.

The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses; and Aaron was separated, that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons, forever, to burn incense before Yahweh, to minister to him, and to bless in his name, forever.

Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters only: and their brothers the sons of Kish took them [to wife].

For David said, "Yahweh, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people; and he dwells in Jerusalem forever.

Also the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its vessels for its service."

For their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of Yahweh, in the courts, and in the rooms, and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of the house of God;

and to stand every morning to thank and praise Yahweh, and likewise in the evening;

and to offer all burnt offerings to Yahweh, on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, in number according to the ordinance concerning them, continually before Yahweh;

David with Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, divided them according to their ordering in their service.

There were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar; and [thus] were they divided: of the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen, heads of fathers' houses; and of the sons of Ithamar, according to their fathers' houses, eight.

Now the first lot came forth to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah,

the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim,

the fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin,

the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,

the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah,

the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,

the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,

the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer,

the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez,

the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel,

the twenty-first to Jachin, the twenty-second to Gamul,

the twenty-third to Delaiah, the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.

This was the ordering of them in their service, to come into the house of Yahweh according to the ordinance [given] to them by Aaron their father, as Yahweh, the God of Israel, had commanded him.

Moreover, David and the captains of the army set apart for the service certain of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with stringed instruments, and with cymbals: and the number of those who did the work according to their service was:

All these were the sons of Heman the king's seer in the words of God, to lift up the horn. God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

The number of them, with their brothers who were instructed in singing to Yahweh, even all who were skillful, was two hundred eighty-eight.

Now the first lot came forth for Asaph to Joseph: the second to Gedaliah; he and his brothers and sons were twelve:

the third to Zaccur, his sons and his brothers, twelve:

the fourth to Izri, his sons and his brothers, twelve:

the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons and his brothers, twelve:

the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve:

the seventh to Jesharelah, his sons and his brothers, twelve:

the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve:

the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons and his brothers, twelve:

the tenth to Shimei, his sons and his brothers, twelve:

the eleventh to Azarel, his sons and his brothers, twelve:

the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve:

for the fifteenth to Jeremoth, his sons and his brothers, twelve:

for the sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve:

for the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons and his brothers, twelve:

for the eighteenth to Hanani, his sons and his brothers, twelve:

for the nineteenth to Mallothi, his sons and his brothers, twelve:

for the twentieth to Eliathah, his sons and his brothers, twelve:

for the one and twentieth to Hothir, his sons and his brothers, twelve:

for the two and twentieth to Giddalti, his sons and his brothers, twelve:

for the three and twentieth to Mahazioth, his sons and his brothers, twelve:

for the four and twentieth to Romamti-Ezer, his sons and his brothers, twelve.

Also to Shemaiah his son were sons born, who ruled over the house of their father; for they were mighty men of valor.

All these were of the sons of Obed-Edom: they and their sons and their brothers, able men in strength for the service; sixty-two of Obed-Edom.

Of these were the divisions of the doorkeepers, even of the chief men, having offices like their brothers, to minister in the house of Yahweh.

They cast lots, the small as well as the great, according to their fathers' houses, for every gate.

The lot eastward fell to Shelemiah. Then for Zechariah his son, a wise counselor, they cast lots; and his lot came out northward.

To Obed-Edom southward; and to his sons the storehouse.

To Shuppim and Hosah westward, by the gate of Shallecheth, at the causeway that goes up, watch against watch.

Eastward were six Levites, northward four a day, southward four a day, and for the storehouse two and two.

For Parbar westward, four at the causeway, and two at Parbar.

The sons of Ladan, the sons of the Gershonites belonging to Ladan, the heads of the fathers' [houses] belonging to Ladan the Gershonite: Jehieli.

Out of the spoil won in battles did they dedicate to repair the house of Yahweh.

Of the Hebronites was Jerijah the chief, even of the Hebronites, according to their generations by fathers' [houses]. In the fortieth year of the reign of David they were sought for, and there were found among them mighty men of valor at Jazer of Gilead.

His brothers, men of valor, were two thousand seven hundred, heads of fathers' [houses], whom king David made overseers over the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites, for every matter pertaining to God, and for the affairs of the king.

But David didn't take the number of them from twenty years old and under, because Yahweh had said he would increase Israel like the stars of the sky.

Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but didn't finish; and there came wrath for this on Israel; neither was the number put into the account in the chronicles of king David.

David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies who served the king by division, and the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, and the rulers over all the substance and possessions of the king and of his sons, with the officers, and the mighty men, even all the mighty men of valor, to Jerusalem.

Then David the king stood up on his feet, and said, "Hear me, my brothers, and my people! As for me, it was in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, and for the footstool of our God; and I had prepared for the building.

But God said to me, 'You shall not build a house for my name, because you are a man of war, and have shed blood.'

However Yahweh, the God of Israel, chose me out of all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever. For he has chosen Judah to be prince; and in the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel.

Of all my sons (for Yahweh has given me many sons), he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of Yahweh's kingdom over Israel.

He said to me, 'Solomon, your son, shall build my house and my courts; for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.

I will establish his kingdom forever, if he continues to do my commandments and my ordinances, as at this day.'