1 Chronicles 21:1-13

11Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel. 2So David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, “2Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, and bring me word that I may know their number.” 3Joab said, “3May the Lord add to His people a hundred times as many as they are! But, 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?” 4Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore, Joab departed and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem. 5Joab gave the number of the 4census of all the people to David. And 5all Israel were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword; and Judah was 470,000 men who drew the sword. 66But he did not 7number Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king’s 8command was abhorrent to Joab.

79God was displeased with this thing, so He struck Israel. 8David said to God, “I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing. 10But now, please take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”

9The Lord spoke to 11Gad, David’s 12seer, saying, 10“Go and speak to David, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “I 13offer you three things; choose for yourself one of them, which I will do to you.”’” 11So Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Take for yourself 1214either three years of famine, or three months to be swept away before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the Lord, even pestilence in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ Now, therefore, consider what answer I shall return to Him who sent me.” 13David said to Gad, “I am in great distress; please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, 15for His mercies are very great. But do not let me fall into the hand of man.”