The Daily Audio Bible

David Enrolls the Fighting Men^(V)

24 Again^(W) the anger of the Lord burned against Israel,^(X) and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of^(Y) Israel and Judah.”

² So the king said to Joab^(Z) and the army commanders^[g] with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba^(AA) and enroll^(AB) the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.”

³ But Joab^(AC) replied to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over,^(AD) and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”

⁴ The king’s word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel.

⁵ After crossing the Jordan, they camped near Aroer,^(AE) south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer.^{(AF) 6} They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon.^{(AG) 7} Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre^(AH) and all the towns of the Hivites^(AI) and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba^(AJ) in the Negev^(AK) of Judah.

⁸ After they had gone through the entire land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

⁹ Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand.^(AL)

¹⁰ David was conscience-stricken^(AM) after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, “I have sinned^(AN) greatly in what I have done. Now, Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.^(AO)”

¹¹ Before David got up the next morning, the word of the Lord had come to Gad^(AP) the prophet, David’s seer:^{(AQ) 12} “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’”

¹³ So Gad went to David and said to him, “Shall there come on you three^[h] years of famine^(AR) in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague^(AS) in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”

¹⁴ David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy^(AT) is great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”

¹⁵ So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.^{(AU) 16} When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relented^(AV) concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the Lord^(AW) was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

¹⁷ When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord, “I have sinned; I, the shepherd,^[i] have done wrong. These are but sheep.^(AX) What have they done?^(AY) Let your hand fall on me and my family.”^(AZ)

David Builds an Altar^(BA)

¹⁸ On that day Gad went to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah^(BB) the Jebusite.” ¹⁹ So David went up, as the Lord had commanded through Gad. ²⁰ When Araunah looked and saw the king and his officials coming toward him, he went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.

²¹ Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”

“To buy your threshing floor,” David answered, “so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped.”^(BC)

²² Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever he wishes and offer it up. Here are oxen^(BD) for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. ²³ Your Majesty, Araunah^[j] gives^(BE) all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the Lord your God accept you.”

²⁴ But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”^(BF)

So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels^[k](BG) of silver for them. ²⁵ David built an altar^(BH) to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered his prayer^(BI) in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.

Peter Heals a Lame Beggar

3 One day Peter and John^(A) were going up to the temple^(B) at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.^{(C) 2} Now a man who was lame from birth^(D) was being carried to the temple gate^(E) called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg^(F) from those going into the temple courts. ³ When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. ⁴ Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” ⁵ So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

⁶ Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,^(G) walk.” ⁷ Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. ⁸ He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping,^(H) and praising God. ⁹ When all the people^(I) saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful,^(J) and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Peter Speaks to the Onlookers

¹¹ While the man held on to Peter and John,^(K) all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade.^{(L) 12} When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? ¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,^(M) the God of our fathers,^(N) has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over^(O) to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate,^(P) though he had decided to let him go.^{(Q) 14} You disowned the Holy^(R) and Righteous One^(S) and asked that a murderer be released to you.^{(T) 15} You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.^(U) We are witnesses^(V) of this. ¹⁶ By faith in the name of Jesus,^(W) this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.

¹⁷ “Now, fellow Israelites,^(X) I know that you acted in ignorance,^(Y) as did your leaders.^{(Z) 18} But this is how God fulfilled^(AA) what he had foretold^(AB) through all the prophets,^(AC) saying that his Messiah would suffer.^{(AD) 19} Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out,^(AE) that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, ²⁰ and that he may send the Messiah,^(AF) who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. ²¹ Heaven must receive him^(AG) until the time comes for God to restore everything,^(AH) as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.^{(AI) 22} For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you.^{(AJ) 23} Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’^[a](AK)

²⁴ “Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets^(AL) who have spoken have foretold these days. ²⁵ And you are heirs^(AM) of the prophets and of the covenant^(AN) God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’^{[b](AO) 26} When God raised up^(AP) his servant, he sent him first^(AQ) to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

Psalm 123

A song of ascents.