1 Chronicles 21:7-17

71God was displeased with this thing, so He struck Israel. 8David said to God, “I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing. 2But now, please take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”

9The Lord spoke to 3Gad, David’s 4seer, saying, 10“Go and speak to David, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “I 5offer 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 126either 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, 7for His mercies are very great. But do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

148So the Lord 9sent a pestilence on Israel; 70,000 men of Israel fell. 15And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy it, the Lord saw and 10was sorry over the calamity, and said to the destroying angel, “It is enough; now relax your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of 11Ornan the Jebusite. 16Then David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, 12covered with sackcloth, fell on their faces. 17David said to God, “Is it not I who 13commanded to count the people? Indeed, I am the one who has sinned and done very wickedly, 14but these sheep, what have they done? O Lord my God, please let Your hand be against me and my father’s household, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.”