The Daily Audio Bible

19 Forsooth it befelled, that Nahash, [the] king of the sons of Ammon, died, and his son reigned for him. (And it befell, that Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, died, and his son reigned for him.)

² And David said, I shall do mercy with Hanun, the son of Nahash; for his father gave mercy to me. And David sent messengers, to comfort him on the death of his father. And when they were come into the land of the sons of Ammon, for to comfort Hanun (And when they were come into the land of the Ammonites, to comfort Hanun),

³ the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, In hap thou guessest, that David, for cause of honour into thy father, sent men, that should comfort thee; and thou perceivest not, that his servants be come to thee to espy, and inquire, and to seek (through) thy land. (the princes of the Ammonites/the leaders of the Ammonites said to Hanun, Perhaps thou guessest that David, in honour of thy father, sent these men to comfort thee; and thou perceivest not, that his servants came to thee to spy, and to inquire, and to search out thy land.)

⁴ Therefore Hanun made bald and shaved the servants of David, and cutted the coats off them from the buttocks of them till to the feet; and let go them (and then he let them go).

⁵ And when they had gone forth, and had sent this to David, he sent into the meeting of them; for they had suffered great despite; and he commanded, that they should dwell in Jericho, till their beard(s) waxed, and then they should turn again. (And when they had gone forth, and had sent word about this to David, he sent a message to them; for they had suffered great despising, or great shame; and he commanded, that they should live in Jericho, until their beards grew again, and then they could return home.)

⁶ And the sons of Ammon saw, that they had done wrong to David, both Hanun and the other people, and they sent a thousand talents of silver, for to hire to them chariots and horsemen of Mesopotamia, and of Syria, of Maachah, and of Zobah; (And when the Ammonites saw that they had wronged David, Hanun and the other people sent a thousand talents of silver, to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, and Syriamaachah, and Zobah;)

⁷ and they hired to them two and thirty thousand of chariots, and the king of Maachah with his people. And when they were come, they set their tents even against Medeba; and the sons of Ammon were gathered together from their cities, and came to battle. (and they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah with his people. And when they were come, they pitched their tents opposite, or near, Medeba; and the Ammonites were gathered together from their cities, and came to do battle.)

⁸ And when David heard this, he sent Joab, and all the host of strong men. (And when David heard of this, he sent Joab, and all his army of strong men.)

⁹ And the sons of Ammon went out, and dressed battle array beside the gate of the city; but the kings, that were come to help them, stood asides-half in the field. (And the Ammonites went out, and directed the battle array beside the gate of the city; and the kings, who had come to help them, stood half-aside in the field.)

¹⁰ Therefore Joab understood, that [the] battle was made against him even against and behind his back, and he chose the strongest men of all Israel, and went against (the) Syrians; (And so Joab understood, that the battle was made against him both in front, and behind his back, and he chose the strongest men out of all Israel, and went out against the Syrians;)

¹¹ soothly he gave the residue part of the people under the hand of Abishai, his brother; and they went forth against the sons of Ammon. (and he left the rest of the people under the hand, or the power, of his brother Abishai; and then they went forth against the Ammonites.)

¹² And Joab said, If Syrians shall overcome me, thou shalt help me; and if the sons of Ammon shall overcome thee, I shall help thee; (And Joab said, If the Syrians overcome me, thou shalt help me; and if the Ammonites overcome thee, I shall help thee;)

¹³ be thou comforted, and do we manly for our people, and for the cities of our God; and the Lord do that, that is good in his sight. (be thou strengthened, and be thou confident, for our people, and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in his sight.)

¹⁴ Therefore Joab went forth, and the people that was with him, against (the) Syrians to (the) battle, and he drove them away. (And so Joab, and the people who were with him, went forth to do battle against the Syrians, and they drove them away.)

¹⁵ And the sons of Ammon saw, that (the) Syrians had fled, and they [also] fled from Abishai, his brother, and entered into the city; and Joab turned again into Jerusalem. (And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians had fled, then they also fled from his brother Abishai, and entered into the city; and then Joab returned to Jerusalem.)

¹⁶ And (the) Syrians saw, that he had fallen down before Israel, and he sent messengers, and brought [forth] to them (the) Syrians, that was beyond the flood; and Shophach, the prince of [the] chivalry of Hadadezer^[a], was the duke of them. (And when the Syrians saw that they had fallen down before Israel, they sent messengers, and brought over to themselves the Syrians who were on the east side of the Euphrates River; and Shophach, the prince of Hadadezer’s cavalry, or of his army, was their leader.)

¹⁷ And when this was told to David, he gathered all Israel, and passed (over the) Jordan; and he felled in on them, and dressed (the) battle array even against them, fighting on the contrary. (And when this was told to David, he gathered all Israel, and crossed the Jordan River; and he fell in on them, and directed the battle array opposite them, and began to fight.)

¹⁸ And (the) Syrians fled from Israel, and David killed of the men of Syria seven thousand of chariots, that is, seven thousand men fighting in chariots^[b], and forty thousand of footmen, and Shophach, the prince of the host (and also Shophach, the leader of the army).

¹⁹ And the servants of Hadadezer saw, that they were overcome of Israel, and they fled over to David, and served him; and Syria would no more give help to the sons of Ammon. (And the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were overcome by Israel, and they fled over to David, and served him; and from that time on, Syria no longer gave any help to the Ammonites.)

20 Forsooth it was done after the end of a year, in that time wherein kings be wont to go forth to battles, Joab gathered the host, and the strength of (the) chivalry, and he wasted the land of the sons of Ammon, and went, and besieged Rabbah; forsooth David dwelled in Jerusalem, when Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it. (And it was done after the end of the year, at that time when kings be wont to go forth to battle, Joab gathered the army, and the power of the cavalry, or the horsemen, and he wasted the land of the Ammonites, and went, and besieged Rabbah; but David stayed in Jerusalem, while Joab struck Rabbah, and destroyed it.)

² And David took the crown of Malcham from his head, and found therein the weight of gold (of) a talent, and most precious gems, and he made thereof a diadem to himself; also he took full many spoils of the city. (And David took the crown from the head of their idol Milcom, and found that it weighed a talent of gold, and had a most precious gemstone, and he made it his own crown; and he took full many spoils from the city.)

³ And he led out the people that was therein, and made brads, either instruments by which corns be broken, and sleds, and iron chariots, to pass (over) on them, so that all men were cut into diverse parts, and were all-broken; David did thus to all the cities of the sons of Ammon, and he turned again with all his people into Jerusalem. (And he led out the people who were there, and made brads, that is, instruments by which corn is broken, and sleds, and iron chariots, to pass over the top of them, so that all the people were cut into many parts, and were killed; and David did this to all the cities of the Ammonites, and then he returned with all of his people to Jerusalem.)

⁴ After these things, a battle was made in Gezer against (the) Philistines, wherein Sibbechai (the) Hushathite slew Sippai of the kin of Rephaim, that is, of the kind of giants, and he meeked them (and he made them low, or he humbled them).

⁵ Also another battle was done against the Philistines, in which a man given of God, the son of the forest, a man of Bethlehem, killed Goliath of Gath, the brother of giants, of whose shaft, or spear, the wood was as the beam of webs. (And another battle was made against the Philistines, in which Elhanan, the son of Jair, a man of Bethlehem, killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath of Gath, and the wood of his shaft, or his spear, was like a weaver’s beam.)

⁶ But also another battle befelled in Gath, in which a full long man was, having six fingers (on each hand, and six toes on each foot), that is, altogether four and twenty, and he was (also) begotten of the generation of Rephaim; (And another battle befell in Gath, in which there was a very tall man, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, that is, twenty-four digits altogether, and he was also born of the descendants of the Rephaim, that is, of the giants;)

⁷ and he blasphemed Israel, and Jonathan, the son of Shimea, (the) brother of David, killed him.

⁸ These be the sons of Rephaim in Gath, that felled down in the hand of David, and of his servants. (These be the sons of the Rephaim in Gath, who fell at the hands of David, and his men.)

21 Soothly Satan rose against Israel, and stirred David for to number Israel. (And Satan rose up against Israel, and stirred David to count the Israelites.)

² And David said to Joab, and to the princes of the people, Go ye, and number all Israel from Beersheba till to Dan, and bring ye the number to me, that I know what it is. (And David said to Joab, and to the leaders of the people, Go ye, and count up all Israel from Beersheba unto Dan, and bring ye the number to me, so that I know what it is.)

³ And Joab answered, The Lord increase his people an hundredfold more than they be; (but) my lord the king, whether (they) all be not thy servants? Why seeketh my lord this thing, that shall be areckoned into sin to Israel? (that shall be reckoned as a sin by Israel?)

⁴ But the word of the king had more the mastery; and Joab went out, and compassed all Israel, and turned again into Jerusalem. (But the word of the king had more the mastery; and Joab went out, and went all around Israel, and then returned to Jerusalem.)

⁵ And he gave to David the number of them, which he had compassed; and all the number of Israel was found a thousand thousand, and an hundred thousand of men, drawing out sword; forsooth of Judah were three hundred thousand, and seventy thousand warriors. (And he gave David the number of them, which he had counted; and all the number of Israel was found to be a thousand thousand, and a hundred thousand men drawing out the sword; and in Judah there were four hundred and seventy thousand warriors.)

⁶ But Joab numbered not Levi and Benjamin, for against his will he did the commandment of the king. (But Joab did not count the Levites and the Benjaminites, for he did the king’s commandment against his own will.)

⁷ Forsooth that thing that was commanded displeased the Lord, therefore he smote Israel. (But what was commanded displeased the Lord, and so he struck Israel.)

⁸ And David said to God, I have sinned greatly, that I would do this thing; I beseech thee, Lord, do thou away the wickedness of thy servant, for I did follily. (And David said to God, I have greatly sinned, that I would do this thing; I beseech thee, Lord, do thou away the wickedness of thy servant, for I did foolishly.)

⁹ And the Lord spake to Gad, the prophet of David, and said to him,

¹⁰ Go thou, and speak to David, and say to him, The Lord saith these things, I give to thee the choosing of three things; choose thou one which thou wilt, that I do to thee.

¹¹ And when Gad was come to David, he said to David, The Lord saith these things, Choose thou that that thou wilt of these (Choose thou what thou wilt from these three punishments),

¹² either pestilence three years, either that three months thou flee thine enemies, and be not able to escape their sword, either that the sword of the Lord and death reign three days in the land, and that the angel of the Lord slay in all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore see thou, what I shall answer to him that sent me. (either three years of famine, or for three months thou shalt flee thy enemies, and not be able to escape their swords, or for three days the sword of the Lord, that is, pestilence, shall reign in the land, and the angel of the Lord shall kill in all of Israel’s coasts. And so now say thou, what shall I answer to him who sent me.)

¹³ And David said to Gad, Anguishes oppress me on each part, but it is better to me (but it is better for me), that I fall into the hands of the Lord, for his merciful doings be many, then into the hands of men.

¹⁴ Therefore the Lord sent pestilence into Israel, and seventy thousand of men felled down of Israel. (And so the Lord sent pestilence into Israel, and seventy thousand Israelites died.)

¹⁵ Also the Lord sent an angel into Jerusalem, that he should smite it; and when it was smitten, the Lord saw, and had mercy upon the greatness of (the) evil; and he commanded to the angel that smote, and said, It sufficeth, now thine hand cease. And the angel of the Lord stood beside the cornfloor of Ornan (the) Jebusite. (And the Lord sent an angel into Jerusalem, to strike it; and when it was struck, the Lord saw, and had mercy on the greatness of the evil; and he commanded to the angel who struck it, and said, It sufficeth, now stay thy hand. And the angel of the Lord stood still beside the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.)

¹⁶ And David raised up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord standing betwixt heaven and (the) earth, and a drawn sword in his hand, turned against Jerusalem. And both he and the greater men in birth were clothed with hair-shirts, and they fell down upon the earth (And both he and the men of great age, that is, the elders, were clothed with hair-shirts, and they fell down on the ground).

¹⁷ And David said to the Lord, Whether I am not he that commanded that the people should be numbered? I it am that sinned, I it am that did evil; what hath this flock deserved? My Lord God, I beseech thee, (let) thine hand be turned against me, and against the house of my father; but thy people be not smitten. (And David said to the Lord, Was it not I who commanded that the people should be counted? It is I who sinned, it is I who did the evil; what hath this flock done to deserve this? My Lord God, I beseech thee, let thy hand be turned against me, and against the house of my father; but do not let thy people be struck down.)

¹⁸ And the angel of the Lord commanded [to] Gad, that he should say to David, that he should go up, and build an altar to the Lord God in the cornfloor of Ornan (the) Jebusite. (And the angel of the Lord commanded to Gad, that he should say to David, that he should go up, and build an altar to the Lord God at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.)

¹⁹ Therefore David went up by the word of Gad, which he spake to him by the word of the Lord. (And so David went up by the word of Gad, which he spoke to him in the name of the Lord.)

²⁰ And when Ornan had beheld, and saw the angel, and his four sons with him had seen (him also), they hid them[selves], for in that time Ornan threshed wheat in the cornfloor. (And when Ornan, and his four sons who were with him, beheld, and saw the angel, his sons ran and hid themselves; for at that time Ornan threshed wheat at the threshing floor.)

²¹ Therefore when David came to Ornan, Ornan beheld David, and went forth from the cornfloor against him, and worshipped him lowly upon the ground. (And so when David came to Ornan, Ornan saw David, and went out from the threshing floor to greet him, and he bowed low before him, with his face to the ground.)

²² And David said to him, Give the place of the cornfloor to me, that I build therein an altar to the Lord; so (long as) that thou take as much silver as it is worth, and that the vengeance cease from the people. (And David said to him, Give me the place of the threshing floor, so that I can build on it an altar to the Lord; yea, take thou as much silver as it is worth; so only that this vengeance cease from destroying the people.)

²³ And Ornan said to David, Take thou it, and my lord the king do he whatever thing pleaseth him; but also I give oxen into burnt sacrifice, and instruments of wood, whereby corns be threshed, into sticks to be burnt, and wheat into sacrifice; I give gladly all these things. (And Ornan said to David, Take thou it, and my lord the king do he whatever thing pleaseth him; and also I give oxen for the burnt sacrifices, and the wooden instruments, with which the corns be threshed, for sticks to be burned, and wheat for the offering; I willingly, or I gladly, give you all these things.)

²⁴ And king David said to him, It shall not be done so, but I shall give to thee silver (for) as much as it is worth; for I ought not to take away from thee, and offer so to the Lord burnt sacrifices freely given. (And King David said to him, It shall not be done so, but I shall give thee as much silver as it is worth; for I ought not to take what is thine to give to the Lord, nor to offer burnt sacrifices given for free.)

²⁵ Therefore David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold of full just weight. (And so David gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold of full just weight for the place.)

²⁶ And David builded there an altar to the Lord, and offered thereon burnt sacrifices and peaceable sacrifices, and he inwardly called (on) God; and God heard him in fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt sacrifice. (And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered on it burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, and he inwardly called on God; and God answered him from heaven with fire on the altar of burnt sacrifice.)

²⁷ And the Lord commanded to the angel, and he turned his sword again into the sheath.

²⁸ Then anon David saw, that the Lord had heard him in the cornfloor of Ornan (the) Jebusite, and he offered there slain sacrifices. (And David saw at once, that the Lord had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, and he offered slain sacrifices there.)

²⁹ Forsooth the tabernacle of the Lord, that Moses had made in the desert, and the altar of burnt sacrifices, was in that tempest in the high place of Gibeon; (For the Tabernacle of the Lord, that Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt sacrifices, were at that time at the hill shrine in Gibeon;)

³⁰ and David might not go to the altar, to beseech God there, for he was afeared with full great dread (for he was afraid with a very great fear), seeing the sword of the angel of the Lord.

²⁵ For circumcision profiteth, if thou keep the law; but if thou be a trespasser against the law [forsooth if thou be a trespasser of the law], thy circumcision is made prepuce.

²⁶ Therefore if prepuce keep the rightwiseness of the law, whether his prepuce shall not be areckoned [shall not be reckoned] into circumcision?

²⁷ And the prepuce of kind that fulfilleth the law, shall deem thee, that by letter and circumcision art a trespasser against the law. [And the prepuce, which is of the kind, fulfilling the law, shall deem thee, that by letter and circumcision art trespasser of the law.]

²⁸ For he that is in open is not a Jew, neither it is circumcision that is openly in the flesh [neither the circumcision that is in the flesh in open];

²⁹ but he that is a Jew in hid, and the circumcision of heart, in spirit, not by the letter [not in letter], whose praising is not of men, but of God.

3 What then is more to a Jew, or what profit of circumcision?

² Much by all wise [Much by all manner]; first, for the speakings of God were betaken to them.

³ And what if some of them believed not? Whether the unbelief of them hath voided the faith of God?

⁴ God forbid [Far be it]. For God is soothfast [Forsooth God is true, or soothfast], but each man a liar; as it is written, That thou be justified in thy words, and overcome, when thou art deemed.

⁵ But if our wickedness [Forsooth if our wickedness, or unequity,] commend the rightwiseness of God, what shall we say? Whether God is wicked, that bringeth in wrath? After man I say.

⁶ God forbid [Far be it]. Else how shall God deem this world?

⁷ For if the truth of God hath abounded in my lying, into the glory of him, what [and] yet am I deemed as a sinner?

⁸ And not as we be blasphemed, and as some say that we say, Do we evil things, that good things come. Whose damnation is just.

11 To the victory, [the psalm] of David. I trust in the Lord; how say ye to my soul, Pass thou over into the hill, as a sparrow doeth? (To victory, the song of David. I trust in the Lord; how say ye to me, Fly thou over to the mountains, like a sparrow doeth?)

² For lo! sinners have bent a bow; they have made ready their arrows in an arrow case; that they shoot in darkness the rightful men in heart. (For lo! the sinners have bent their bows; and they have placed their arrows in their arrow cases; so that they can shoot in the dark those with an upright heart.)

³ For they have destroyed, whom thou hast made perfect; but what did the rightful man? (For they shall destroy, what thou hast made good; but what can the upright do?)

⁴ The Lord is in his holy temple; he is Lord, his seat is in heaven. His eyes behold on the poor man; his eyelids ask the sons of men. (The Lord is in his holy Temple; he is the Lord, his throne is in heaven. He looketh upon the poor; he assayeth the sons and daughters of men.)

⁵ The Lord asketh a just man, and an unfaithful man; but he, that loveth wickedness, hateth his soul. (The Lord assayeth the righteous, and the unrighteous alike; and with all his soul, he hateth those who love wickedness.)

⁶ He shall rain snares upon sinners; fire, and brimstone, and the spirit of tempests be the part of the cup of them. (He shall rain down snares upon the sinners; fire, and brimstone, and the winds of tempests shall be the portion in their cup.)

⁷ For the Lord is just, and loveth rightfulnesses; his cheer hath seen evenness, or equity. (For the Lord is righteous, and loveth righteousness; he looketh upon the upright.)

¹⁰ Delights become not a fool; neither it becometh a servant to be (the) lord of princes.

¹¹ The teaching of a man is known by patience; and his glory is to pass over wicked things. (Patience showeth a person’s wisdom, or the lack of it; and a person’s glory is to overlook a wrong.)

¹² As the gnashing of a lion, so and the ire of the king; and as dew on herb, so and the gladness of the king. (Like the gnashing of a lion, is the king’s anger; and like the dew on the grass, is the king’s gladness.)