1 Chronicles 21: David’s Sinful Census – Clear & Engaging Audio Bible Reading | Consequences of Pride, God’s Mercy, and the Altar on Mount Moriah

Listen to this clear and engaging audio recording of 1 Chronicles 21 to witness the story of David’s sinful census, the consequences of his prideful decision, and God’s mercy upon Israel. Discover how David’s repentance led to the building of the altar on Mount Moriah and his obedience to God, marking an important moment in Israel’s history. Perfect for study, reflection, or meditation, immerse yourself in this powerful chapter and let the Scriptures come alive.

1 CHRONICLES 21 (NIV)

1 Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.

2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the
Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know
how many there are.”

3 But Joab replied, “May the Lord multiply his troops a hundred times over. My
lord the king, are they not all my lord’s subjects? Why does my lord want to
do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”

4 The king’s word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout
Israel and then came back to Jerusalem.

5 Joab reported the number of the
fighting men to David: In all Israel there were one million one hundred
thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy
thousand in Judah.

6 But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the
king’s command was repulsive to him.

7 This command was also evil in the sight
of God; so he punished Israel.

8 Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg
you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”

9 The Lord said to Gad, David’s seer,

10 “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.’”

11 So Gad went to David and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Take
your choice:

12 three years of famine, three months of being swept away before
your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of
the Lord—days of plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord ravaging every
part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”

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

14 So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel
fell dead.

15 And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was
doing so, the Lord saw it and relented concerning the disaster and said to the
angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel
of the Lord was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

16 David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and
earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and
the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.

17 David said to God, “Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be
counted? I, the shepherd, have sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep.
What have they done? Lord my God, let your hand fall on me and my family, but
do not let this plague remain on your people.”

18 Then the angel of the Lord ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an
altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

19 So David
went up in obedience to the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the Lord.

20 While Araunah was threshing wheat, he turned and saw the angel; his four
sons who were with him hid themselves.

21 Then David approached, and when
Araunah looked and saw him, he left the threshing floor and bowed down before
David with his face to the ground.

22 David said to him, “Let me have the site of your threshing floor so I can
build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped. Sell
it to me at the full price.”

23 Araunah said to David, “Take it! Let my lord the king do whatever pleases
him. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges
for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give all this.”

24 But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying the full price.
I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that
costs me nothing.”

25 So David paid Araunah six hundred shekels of gold for the site.

26 David
built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship
offerings. He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from
heaven on the altar of burnt offering.

27 Then the Lord spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its
sheath.

28 At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him on the
threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there.

29 The
tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar
of burnt offering were at that time on the high place at Gibeon.

30 But David
could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was afraid of the sword
of the angel of the Lord.