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11 Then David arose in the morning, and the word of Yahweh came to (A)the prophet Gad, David’s (B)seer, saying, 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 (C)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, (D)for His compassions are abundant. But do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

15 So (E)Yahweh [a]sent a pestilence against Israel from the morning until the appointed time, and 70,000 men of the people (F)from Dan to Beersheba died. 16 (G)Then the angel sent forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, and (H)Yahweh [b]relented of the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people, “It is enough! Now relax your hand!” And the angel of Yahweh was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 Then David spoke to Yahweh when he saw the angel who was striking down the people, and said, “Behold, (I)it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done unrighteousness; but (J)these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and my father’s house.”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 24:15 Lit gave
  2. 2 Samuel 24:16 Or regretted, cf. 15:11, 29, 35

David’s Punishment

11 When David got up in the morning, the word of the Lord had come to the prophet Gad,(A) David’s seer:(B) 12 “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am offering you three choices. Choose one of them, and I will do it to you.’”

13 So Gad went to David, told him the choices, and asked him, “Do you want three[a] years of famine to come on your land, to flee from your foes three months while they pursue you, or to have a plague in your land three days? Now, consider carefully[b] what answer I should take back to the one who sent me.”

14 David answered Gad, “I have great anxiety. Please, let us fall into the Lord’s hands because his mercies are great,(C) but don’t let me fall into human hands.”

15 So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and from Dan to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men died. 16 Then the angel extended his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it,(D) but the Lord relented concerning the destruction(E) and said to the angel who was destroying(F) the people, “Enough, withdraw your hand now!” The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah[c] the Jebusite.(G)

17 When David saw the angel striking the people, he said to the Lord, “Look, I am the one who has sinned; I am the one[d] who has done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let your hand be against me and my father’s family.”

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Footnotes

  1. 24:13 LXX; MT reads seven; 1Ch 21:12
  2. 24:13 Lit Now, know and see
  3. 24:16 = Ornan in 1Ch 21:15–28; 2Ch 3:1
  4. 24:17 LXX reads shepherd