¹² “Go and speak to David, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “I am offering you three things; choose for yourself one of them, and I will do that to you.”’” ¹³ So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall ^(A)seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your adversaries while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now, know and see what word I should return to Him who sent me.” ¹⁴ Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of Yahweh, ^(B)for His compassions are abundant. But do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

¹⁵ So ^(C)Yahweh ^[a]sent a pestilence against Israel from the morning until the appointed time, and 70,000 men of the people ^(D)from Dan to Beersheba died.

David Sins by Numbering Israel

21 ^(A)Then Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to number Israel. ² So David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, “^(B)Go, count Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, and bring me word that I may know their total count.” ³ But Joab said, “^(C)May Yahweh add to His people a hundred times as many as they are! But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord seek this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt to Israel?” ⁴ Nevertheless, the king’s word stood strong against Joab. So, Joab went out and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem. ⁵ And Joab gave the total count of the ^[a]census of the people to David. And ^(D)all Israel were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword; and Judah was 470,000 men who drew the sword. ^6 (E)But he did not ^[b]number Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king’s ^[c]command was abominable to Joab.

⁷ And this thing was displeasing in the sight of God, so He struck Israel.