2 Samuel 24:11–17

^11–12The Lord said to Gad, David’s prophet, “Go and tell David that I am giving him three choices. I will do whichever he chooses.” The next morning, after David got up, ¹³Gad went to him, told him what the Lord had said, and asked, “Which is it to be? Three^v years of famine in your land or three months of running away from your enemies or three days of an epidemic in your land? Now think it over, and tell me what answer to take back to the Lord.”

¹⁴David answered, “I am in a desperate situation! But I don’t want to be punished by human beings. Let the Lord himself be the one to punish us, for he is merciful.” ¹⁵So the Lord sent an epidemic on Israel, which lasted from that morning until the time that he had chosen. From one end of the country to the other 70,000 Israelites died. ¹⁶When the Lord’s angel was about to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord changed his mind about punishing the people and said to the angel who was killing them, “Stop! That’s enough!” The angel was by the threshing place of Araunah, a Jebusite.

¹⁷David saw the angel who was killing the people, and said to the Lord, “I am the guilty one. I am the one who did wrong. What have these poor people done? You should punish me and my family.”