The final chapter of 2 Samuel - David numbers his armies, God’s anger burns, and a broken king makes the only right choice: to fall on the mercy of God rather than the hand of man. Second Samuel 24 traces David’s census, the prophet Gad’s threefold judgment, and the threshing floor of Araunah - the site where Solomon’s
Full sung version coming soon.
Lyrics
Again the LORD’s anger burned against Israel and he moved David against them saying Go, count Israel and Judah The king said to Joab the captain of the army who was with him Now go back and forth through all the tribes of Israel from Dan even to Beersheba
And count the people that I may know the sum of the people Joab said to the king, Now may the LORD your God add to the people However many they may be, one hundred times And may the eyes of my lord the king see it
But why does my lord the king delight in this thing Notwithstanding the king’s word prevailed against Joab and against the captains of the army Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king to count the people of Israel They passed over the Jordan and encamped in Aroer
On the right side of the city that is in the middle of the valley of Gad and to Jazer Then they came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtim Hodshi And they came to Dan Jaan and around to Sidon and came to the stronghold of Tyre And to all the cities of the Hivites and of the Canaanites
And they went out to the south of Judah at Beersheba So when they had gone back and forth through all the land They came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days Joab gave up the sum of the counting of the people to the king
And there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword And the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men David’s heart struck him after he had counted the people David said to the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that which I have done
But now, the LORD, put away, I beg you, the iniquity of your servant For I have done very foolishly When David rose up in the morning the LORD’s word came to the prophet Gad David’s seer, saying, Go and speak to David
The LORD says, I offer you three things Choose one of them that I may do it to you So Gad came to David and told him saying Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land
Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land Now answer and consider what answer I shall return to him who sent me David said to Gad, I am in distress
Let us fall now into the LORD’s hand for his mercies are great Let me not fall into man’s hand So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning even to the appointed time And seventy thousand men died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba
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2 Samuel 24 sung by Psalm Selah. The whole Bible, one chapter at a time.
Published 2026-05-22 · Last updated 2026-06-06
Written by Reid Wender, Editorial Director at Psalmody Press