“I Have Sinned Greatly”

¹⁰David's heart struck him after he had counted the people. David said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, please, LORD, take away the iniquity of your servant, because I have acted very foolishly." ¹¹When David got up in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, ¹²"Go tell David that the LORD says this: 'I'm giving you 3 choices. Pick one, and I will carry it out against you.'" ¹³So Gad went to David and laid out the options: "Should 7 years of famine strike your land? Or would you rather run from your enemies for 3 months while they chase you down? Or should a plague sweep through your land for 3 days? Think it over and tell me what answer to bring back to the one who sent me." ¹⁴David told Gad, "This is an impossible choice. But let us fall into the LORD's hands, because his mercy is great. Don't let me fall into human hands." ¹⁵So the LORD sent a plague across Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and 70,000 people died throughout the land, from Dan to Beersheba. ¹⁶When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD changed His mind about the disaster and said to the angel who was striking down the people, "It is enough; hold back your hand." The angel of the LORD was at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. ¹⁷When David saw the angel striking down the people, he cried out to the LORD, "I'm the one who sinned! I'm the one who did wrong! But these people — they're like innocent sheep. What did they do? Please, let your hand fall on me and my family instead."