1 Chronicles 21:2-14

2So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, “1Go, count Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring me word so that I may know their number.” 3But Joab said, “2May 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?” 4Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore, Joab departed and went throughout Israel, and came to Jerusalem. 5Then Joab gave the number of the census of the people to David. 3Israel was 1,100,000 men in all who drew the sword; and Judah was 470,000 men who drew the sword. 64But he did not 5count Levi and Benjamin among them, because the king’s 6command was abhorrent to Joab.

7Now 7God was displeased with this thing, so He struck Israel. 8David said to God, “I have sinned greatly, 8by doing this thing. 9But now, please overlook Your servant’s guilt, for I have behaved very foolishly.”

9The Lord spoke to 10Gad, David’s 11seer, saying, 10“Go and speak to David, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says: “I extend to you three choices; choose for yourself one of them, which I will do to you.”’” 11So Gad came to David and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Take for yourself 1212three 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: a plague in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout the territory of Israel.’ Now, therefore, consider what answer I shall bring back to Him who sent me.” 13David said to Gad, “I am in great distress; please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, 13for His mercies are very great. But do not let me fall into human hands.”

1414So the Lord 15sent a plague on Israel; seventy thousand men of Israel fell.