And [a]God was displeased with this thing; therefore He struck Israel. So David said to God, (A)“I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing; (B)but now, I pray, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”

Then the Lord spoke to Gad, David’s (C)seer, saying, 10 “Go and tell David, (D)saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you.” ’ ”

11 So Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Choose for yourself, 12 (E)either [b]three years of famine, or three months to be defeated by your foes with the sword of your enemies overtaking you, or else for three days the sword of the Lord—the plague in the land, with the [c]angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ Now consider what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.”

13 And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His (F)mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

14 So the Lord sent a (G)plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell. 15 And God sent [d]an (H)angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As [e]he was destroying, the Lord looked and (I)relented of the disaster, and said to the angel who was destroying, “It is enough; now restrain [f]your hand.” And the angel of the Lord stood by the (J)threshing floor of [g]Ornan the Jebusite.

16 Then David lifted his eyes and (K)saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. So David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces. 17 And David said to God, “Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these (L)sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O Lord my God, be against me and my father’s house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 21:7 Lit. it was evil in the eyes of God
  2. 1 Chronicles 21:12 seven, 2 Sam. 24:13
  3. 1 Chronicles 21:12 Or Angel, and so throughout the chapter
  4. 1 Chronicles 21:15 Or the Angel
  5. 1 Chronicles 21:15 Or He
  6. 1 Chronicles 21:15 Or Your
  7. 1 Chronicles 21:15 Araunah, 2 Sam. 24:16, 18–24

And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel. And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing: but now, put away, I beseech thee, the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

And Jehovah spake unto Gad, David’s seer, saying, 10 Go and speak unto David, saying, Thus saith Jehovah, I [a]offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. 11 So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Take which thou wilt: 12 either three years of famine; or three months to be consumed before thy foes, while the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of Jehovah, [b]even pestilence in the land, and the angel of Jehovah destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore consider what answer I shall return to him that sent me. 13 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall, I pray, into the hand of Jehovah; for very [c]great are his mercies: and let me not fall into the hand of man. 14 So Jehovah sent a pestilence upon Israel; and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men. 15 And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was about to destroy, Jehovah beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the destroying angel, It is enough; now stay thy hand. And the angel of Jehovah was standing by the threshing-floor of [d]Ornan the Jebusite. 16 And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of Jehovah standing between earth and heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. 17 And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? let thy hand, I pray thee, O Jehovah my God, be against me, and against my father’s house; but not against thy people, that they should be plagued.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 21:10 Hebrew stretch out unto.
  2. 1 Chronicles 21:12 Or, and
  3. 1 Chronicles 21:13 Or, many
  4. 1 Chronicles 21:15 In 2 Sam. 24:16, etc., Araunah