The Lord was very angry with Israel. He stirred up David against them. He said,“ Go! Count the men of Israel and Judah.”

耶和华又向以色列人发怒，就激动大卫，使他吩咐人去数点以色列人和犹大人。

耶和华的怒气又向以色列发作，激起大卫来对付他们，说：“去，数点以色列人和犹大人。”

耶和华的怒气又向以色列发作，激起大卫来对付他们，说：“去，数点以色列人和犹大人。”

耶和华又向以色列人发怒，祂促使大卫来对付他们，让大卫统计以色列和犹大的人口。

耶和华又向以色列人发怒，就激动大卫，使他们受害，说：“你去数点一下以色列和犹大的人数吧！”

耶和華又向以色列人發怒，就激動大衛，使他吩咐人去數點以色列人和猶大人。

耶和華的怒氣又向以色列發作，激起大衛來對付他們，說：「去，數點以色列人和猶大人。」

耶和華的怒氣又向以色列發作，激起大衛來對付他們，說：「去，數點以色列人和猶大人。」

耶和華又向以色列人發怒，祂促使大衛來對付他們，讓大衛統計以色列和猶大的人口。

耶和華又向以色列人發怒，就激動大衛，使他們受害，說：“你去數點一下以色列和猶大的人數吧！”

永恆主又向以色列人發怒，就激動了大衛來害他們，說：『去統計統計以色列人和猶大人吧。』

耶和華的怒氣又向以色列人發作，於是他針對他們激動大衛說，去數點以色列人和猶大人。

耶和華復怒以色列人、遂感大衛、命人往核以色列猶大二族、

耶和華復怒以色列族、任大闢眩惑於衷、使核猶大以色列二族、

主復怒以色列人、感動大衛、使之命人往核以色列人及猶大人之數、

Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying,“ Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”

Again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying,“ Go, number Israel and Judah.”

Once again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he caused David to harm them by taking a census.“ Go and count the people of Israel and Judah,” the Lord told him.

The LORD’s anger burned against Israel again, and he stirred up David against them to say,“ Go, count the people of Israel and Judah.”

Now the anger of the Lord burned against Israel again, and He incited David against them to say,“ Go, count Israel and Judah.”

Again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say,“ Go, number Israel and Judah.”

And again the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them, saying, Go, number Israel and Judah.

The Lord’s anger burned against Israel again, and He stirred up David against them to say:“ Go, count the people of Israel and Judah.”

And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

The LORD’s anger again raged against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying,“ Go count Israel and Judah.”

Again Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he moved David against them, saying,“ Go, count Israel and Judah.”

David didn’t count the men who were 20 years old or less. That’s because the Lord had promised to make the people of Israel as many as the stars in the sky.Joab, the son of Zeruiah, began to count the men. But he didn’t finish. The Lord was angry with Israel because David had begun to count the men. So the number wasn’t written down in the official records of King David.

Satan rose up against Israel. He stirred up David to count the men of Israel.

When a person is tempted, they shouldn’t say,“ God is tempting me.” God can’t be tempted by evil. And he doesn’t tempt anyone.But each person is tempted by their own evil desires. These desires lead them on and drag them away.

“‘ “Suppose that prophet is stirred up to give a prophecy. Then I am the one who has stirred him up. And I will reach out my powerful hand against him. I will destroy him from among my people Israel.

“ The Lord also says,‘ I am going to bring trouble on you. It will come from your own family. I will take your wives away. Your own eyes will see it. I will give your wives to a man who is close to you. He will sleep with them in the middle of the day.

The Lord said,‘ Who will get Ahab to attack Ramoth Gilead? I want him to die there.’“ One angel suggested one thing. Another suggested something else.Finally, a spirit came forward and stood in front of the Lord. The spirit said,‘ I’ll get Ahab to do it.’“‘ How?’ the Lord asked.“ The spirit said,‘ I’ll go out and put lies in the mouths of all his prophets.’“‘ You will have success in getting Ahab to attack Ramoth Gilead,’ said the Lord.‘ Go and do it.’“ So the Lord has put lies in the mouths of all your prophets. He has said that great harm will come to you.”

For three years in a row there wasn’t enough food in the land. That was while David was king. So David asked the Lord why he wasn’t blessing his people. The Lord said,“ It is because Saul and his family committed murder. He put the people of Gibeon to death.”The people of Gibeon weren’t a part of Israel. Instead, they were some of the Amorites who were still left alive. The Israelites had promised to spare them. But Saul had tried to put an end to them. That’s because he wanted to make Israel and Judah strong. So now King David sent for the people of Gibeon and spoke to them.He asked them,“ What would you like me to do for you? How can I make up for the wrong things that were done to you? I want you to be able to pray that the Lord will once again bless his land.”The people of Gibeon answered him. They said,“ No amount of silver or gold can make up for what Saul and his family did to us. And we can’t put anyone in Israel to death.”“ What do you want me to do for you?” David asked.They answered the king,“ Saul nearly destroyed us. He made plans to wipe us out. We don’t have anywhere to live in Israel.So let seven of the males in his family line be given to us. We’ll kill them. We’ll put their dead bodies out in the open in the sight of the Lord. We’ll do it at Gibeah of Saul. Saul was the Lord’ s chosen king.” So King David said,“ I’ll give seven males to you.”The king spared Mephibosheth. He was the son of Jonathan and the grandson of Saul. David had made a promise in front of the Lord. He had promised to be kind to Jonathan and the family line of his father Saul.But the king chose Armoni and another Mephibosheth. They were the two sons of Aiah’s daughter Rizpah. Saul was their father. The king also chose the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab. Adriel, the son of Barzillai, was their father. Adriel was from Meholah.King David handed them over to the people of Gibeon. They killed them. They put their dead bodies out in the open on a hill in the sight of the Lord. All seven of them died together. They were put to death during the first days of the harvest. It happened just when people were beginning to harvest the barley.Aiah’s daughter Rizpah took some rough cloth people wear when they’re sad. She spread it out for herself on a rock. She stayed there from the beginning of the harvest until it rained. The rain poured down from the sky on the dead bodies of the seven males. She didn’t let the birds touch them by day. She didn’t let the wild animals touch them at night.Someone told David what Rizpah had done. She was Aiah’s daughter and Saul’s concubine.David went and got the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan. He got them from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead. They had stolen their bodies from the main street in Beth Shan. That’s where the Philistines had hung their bodies up on the city wall. They had done it after they struck Saul down on Mount Gilboa.David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from Jabesh Gilead. The bones of the seven males who had been killed and put out in the open were also gathered up.The bones of Saul and his son Jonathan were buried in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. The tomb was at Zela in the territory of Benjamin. Everything the king commanded was done. After that, God answered prayer and blessed the land.

You planned to harm me. But God planned it for good. He planned to do what is now being done. He wanted to save many lives.

King Saul, please listen to what I’m saying. Was it the Lord who made you angry with me? If it was, may he accept my offering. Was it people who made you angry at me? If it was, may the Lord see them cursed. They have driven me today from my share of the Lord’ s land. By doing that, they might as well have said,‘ Go and serve other gods.’

But don’t be upset. And don’t be angry with yourselves because you sold me here. God sent me ahead of you to save many lives.

So I let them follow other rules. Those other rules were not good. I let them have laws they could not live by.

So God will fool them completely. Then they will believe the lie.

But I will make Pharaoh stubborn. I will multiply the signs and amazing things I will do in Egypt.

They did what your power and purpose had already decided should happen.

But the king said,“ You and Joab are sons of Zeruiah. What does this have to do with you? Maybe the Lord said to him,‘ Curse David.’ If he did, who can ask him,‘ Why are you doing this?’ ”