SARAH
《撒母耳记下》24章｜东北版圣经故事
2 Samuel 24 | A Northeast China–Style Bible Story
话说那时候，耶和华又向以色列人发了怒，就让大卫王心里起了个想头，叫他去数点以色列人和犹大人。
At that time, the Lord was angry with Israel again, and He allowed King David to have the idea of counting the people of Israel and Judah.
大卫就把元帅约押叫过来，说：
So David called Joab, the commander of his army, and said:
“你赶紧带人出去，把以色列全国都走一遍，从但一直到别是巴，把老百姓都给我数清楚，我得知道全国到底有多少人。”
“Quick, take your men and go throughout the land of Israel, from Dan all the way to Beersheba. Count the people for me. I want to know exactly how many people we have in the whole country.”
约押一听，心里就觉得这事儿有点不对劲。
When Joab heard this, he immediately felt that something was not quite right.
他劝大卫说：
So he tried to advise David:
“我主我王啊，愿耶和华使咱们的百姓越来越多，就算多一百倍也行啊！到时候我王不就亲眼看见了吗？您咋还非得数呢？”
“My lord the king, may the Lord increase our people a hundred times over, and may you yourself live to see it! Why does my lord the king insist on doing this?”
说白了，约押就是在提醒大卫：
In plain Northeast-style words, Joab was basically reminding David:
“王啊，这事儿没啥必要，别添事儿了。”
“My king, there’s really no need for this. Don’t make trouble for yourself.”
但大卫已经拿定主意了。
But David had already made up his mind.
王的话比约押和那些军长的话都大，他们也只能照办。
The king’s command overruled Joab and the commanders, so they had no choice but to obey.
于是约押就带人出发了。
So Joab and his men set out.
他们一路走，从约旦河谷开始，经过亚罗珥、迦得谷、雅谢，又到了基列和赫人的地，接着去了加低斯。
They traveled throughout the land, beginning in the Jordan Valley and passing through Aroer, the Valley of Gad, Jazer, Gilead, the land of the Hittites, and then Kadesh.
然后又往北走，到了但，绕到西顿，又到了推罗的保障，还经过希未人和迦南人的各个城。
Then they went north to Dan, turned toward Sidon, reached the fortress of Tyre, and passed through the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites.
最后一路走到犹大南边的别是巴。
Finally, they traveled all the way to Beersheba in the south of Judah.
这一趟可没少折腾。
That was quite a journey.
前前后后整整走了九个月零二十天，这才回到耶路撒冷。
It took them nine months and twenty days before they finally returned to Jerusalem.
约押把数出来的结果告诉大卫：
Joab reported the results of the census to David:
“以色列能拿刀打仗的勇士，有八十万；犹大有五十万。”
“Israel had eight hundred thousand fighting men who could draw the sword, and Judah had five hundred thousand.”
人数是数出来了。
The people had been counted.
可大卫听完以后，心里却突然特别难受。
But after hearing the number, David suddenly felt deeply troubled in his heart.
他一下子意识到：
He suddenly realized:
“坏了，我这事儿做错了。”
“Oh no, I’ve done something wrong.”
于是大卫赶紧向耶和华认错：
So David quickly confessed his sin to the Lord:
“耶和华啊，我这回真是犯大罪了。我干这事儿太愚昧了。
“Lord, I have sinned greatly. I have acted very foolishly.
求你饶了你仆人的罪吧。”
Please forgive the sin of your servant.”
第二天一早，耶和华的话临到先知迦得。
The next morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad.
迦得就是大卫的先见。
Gad was David’s seer, his prophet.
神让他去告诉大卫：
God told him to say to David:
“我给你三个选择，你选一个，我就降哪一个灾。”
“I am giving you three choices. Choose one, and I will bring that punishment upon you.”
三个选择是啥呢？
So what were the three choices?
第一，七年饥荒。
First, seven years of famine.
第二，在敌人面前逃跑，被敌人追赶三个月。
Second, flee from your enemies for three months while they pursue you.
第三，全国发生三日的瘟疫。
Third, three days of plague throughout the land.
这下可把大卫难住了。哪个选择都不好受啊！
That really put David in a tough spot. None of the choices were easy!
他说：
He said:
“我真难啊！
“I am in great distress!
但我还是愿意落在耶和华手里，因为耶和华有丰盛的怜悯。
But I would rather fall into the hands of the Lord, because His mercy is great.
我可不愿意落在人手里。”
I do not want to fall into the hands of people.”
于是，瘟疫就临到了以色列。
So a plague came upon Israel.
从早晨一直到所定的时候，百姓当中死了七万人。
From morning until the appointed time, seventy thousand people among the people died.
这时候，天使又伸手要攻击耶路撒冷。
Then the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem.
大卫一看，心里彻底慌了。
When David saw this, he was deeply distressed.
他赶紧向耶和华祷告：
He quickly prayed to the Lord:
“主啊，是我犯的罪，是我的错！
“Lord, I am the one who has sinned. I am the one who has done wrong!
可是这些老百姓有啥罪啊？
But what have these people done?
他们是无罪的。
They are innocent.
要罚，就罚我和我父家吧！”
If punishment must come, let it fall on me and my father’s family!”
这话里头，能看出来大卫已经真正意识到：
From these words, we can see that David had truly realized:
自己犯的错，却让百姓遭了罪。
He had made the mistake, but the people were suffering because of it.
就在这个时候，耶和华的使者到了耶布斯人亚劳拿的禾场那里。
At that very moment, the angel of the Lord was at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
耶和华看见灾祸已经够重了，就对那天使说：
When the Lord saw that the destruction had gone far enough, He said to the angel:
“够了！住手吧！”
“Enough! Stop!”
于是灾祸停了下来。
And the destruction stopped.
随后，先知迦得来找大卫，说：
Then the prophet Gad came to David and said:
“你现在赶紧上去，到耶布斯人亚劳拿的禾场，在那里给耶和华筑一座坛。”
“Go up now and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
大卫一听，马上就去了。
As soon as David heard this, he went there.
亚劳拿一看，哎呀，这不是大卫王吗？
When Araunah saw him, he realized, “Oh, this is King David!”
赶紧出来迎接，脸都伏到地上了。
He immediately came out to meet the king and bowed down with his face to the ground.
然后问：
Then he asked:
“我主我王，您咋亲自到我这小地方来了？”
“My lord the king, why have you come to your servant’s humble place?”
大卫说：
David said:
“我要买你的这个禾场，在这里给耶和华筑一座坛，好让瘟疫停下来。”
“I have come to buy your threshing floor so that I can build an altar to the Lord here, so that the plague may be stopped.”
亚劳拿赶紧说道：
Araunah quickly replied:
“哎呀，我王，您还买啥呀？
“Oh, my king, why would you need to buy it?
您直接拿去用就行！
Just take it and use it!
这儿有牛，可以拿去献燔祭；
Here are oxen that you can offer as a burnt offering;
打粮食的器具也有，可以拿来当烧祭物的柴。
and here are the threshing instruments that you can use as wood for the fire.
这些东西我全都送给您！”
I will give all of these things to you!”
亚劳拿还说：
Araunah also said:
“愿耶和华你的神悦纳你。”
“May the Lord your God accept you.”
按正常来说，这东西白给，大卫应该挺高兴。
Normally, anyone would probably be happy to receive all these things for free.
可大卫却摇摇头，说：
But David shook his head and said:
“不行！
“No!
我必须按照价值买下来。
I must buy it from you for its full price.
我不能拿白来的东西献给耶和华我的神。”
I will not offer to the Lord my God something that costs me nothing.”
这句话特别重要。
Those words are especially important.
因为大卫知道：
Because David understood:
献给神的东西，不能随随便便，自己怎么能白白拿别人的！更何况是献给神的。
What we offer to God should not be treated casually. How could I simply take something that someone else gives me for free—especially when I am offering it to God?
于是，大卫花了六百舍客勒金子，把禾场和牛买了下来。
So David paid six hundred shekels of gold for the threshing floor and the oxen.
然后，大卫在那里给耶和华筑了一座坛，献上燔祭和平安祭。
Then David built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.
大卫向神献上祭物，也向神认罪、祈求。
David offered sacrifices to God, confessed his sin, and prayed for mercy.
最后，耶和华垂听了以色列百姓的祈求。
Finally, the Lord heard the prayers of the people of Israel.
瘟疫终于停了。
The plague finally stopped.