2 Samuel 24:10-17 - The Lord's Judgment Of David's Sin

¹⁰ And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And he said unto the LORD, "I have sinned exceedingly in that I have done. And now LORD take away the trespass of thy servant: for I have done foolishly."

¹¹ And when David was up in a morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, ¹² "Go and say unto David, 'Thus sayeth the LORD: I offer thee three things, choose which of them I shall do to thee.'"

¹³ And Gad came to David and showed him and said unto him, "Whether wilt thou have seven years hunger in thy land, or that thou flee three months before thine enemies and they following thee, or that there be three days pestilence in thy land? Now understand, and see what word I shall bring again to him that sent me."

¹⁴ Then said David unto Gad, "I am in a marvelous strait. But let me fall I pray thee, into the hands of the LORD, for much is his mercy, and let me not fall into the hands of men.

¹⁵ And the LORD sent a pestilence in Israel from the morning unto the end of the time appointed. And there died of the people between Dan and Beersheba seventy thousand men. ¹⁶ And when the Angel stretched out his hand unto Jerusalem to have destroyed it, the LORD had compassion to do that evil, and said to the Angel that destroyed the people, "It is sufficient: let thine hand cease." And the Angel was at the threshing place of Araunah the Jebusite.

¹⁷ Then spake David unto the LORD when he saw the Angel that smote the people, and said, "Lo, it is I that have sinned, and I that have done wickedly. But these sheep what have they done? Let I pray thee thine hand be on me and on my father's house."