1 Chronicles 21:7-17

7And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.1 8And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

9And Yhwh spake unto Gad, David’s seer, saying, 10Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith Yhwh, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.2 11So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith Yhwh, Choose thee3 12Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of Yhwh, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of Yhwh destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me. 13And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of Yhwh; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.4

14So Yhwh sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men. 15And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, Yhwh beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of Yhwh stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.5 16And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of Yhwh stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. 17And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O Yhwh my God, be on me, and on my father’s house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.