¹² “Go and speak to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: “I am imposing upon you three choices; choose for yourself one of them, and I will do it 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 for three months before your enemies while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ of plague in your land? Now consider and see what answer I shall 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 the Lord, ^(B)for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”

Plague Sent

¹⁵ So ^(C)the Lord ^[a]sent a plague upon Israel from the morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand men of the people ^(D)from Dan to Beersheba died.

Census Brings Plague

21 ^(A)Then Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to count Israel. ² So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, “^(B)Go, count Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring me word so that I may know their number.” ³ But Joab said, “^(C)May the Lord add to His people a hundred times as many as they are! 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 prevailed against Joab. Therefore, Joab departed and went throughout Israel, and came to Jerusalem. ⁵ Then Joab gave the number of the census of the people to David. ^(D)Israel was 1,100,000 men in all who drew the sword; and Judah was 470,000 men who drew the sword. ^6 (E)But he did not ^[a]count Levi and Benjamin among them, because the king’s ^[b]command was abhorrent to Joab.

⁷ Now ^[c]God was displeased with this thing, so He struck Israel.