10 After everyone had been counted, Davidrealized he had done wrong. He told the Lord, "What I did was stupid and terribly wrong. Lord, please forgive me."
11 Before Davideven got up the next morning, the Lordhad told David’s prophet Gad12,13 to take a message to David. Gadwent to Davidand told him:
You must choose one of three ways for the Lordto punish you: Will there be seven24.12,13 seven: Hebrew; some manuscripts of one ancient translation "three" (see 1 Chronicles 21.12).years when the land won’t grow enough food for your people? Or will your enemies chase you and make you run from them for three months? Or will there be three days of horrible disease in your land? Think about it and decide, because I have to give your answer to God, who sent me.
14 Davidwas really frightened and said, "It’s a terrible choice to make! But the Lordis kind, and I’d rather be punished by him than by anyone else."
15,16 So that morning, the Lordsent an angel to spread a horrible disease everywhere in Israel, from Danto Beersheba. And before it was over, 70,000 people had died.
When the angel was about to destroy Jerusalem, the Lordfelt sorry for all the suffering he had caused and told the angel, "That’s enough! Don’t touch them." This happened at the threshing place that belonged to Araunahthe Jebusite.
17 Davidsaw the angel killing everyone and told the Lord, "These people are like sheep with me as their shepherd.24.17 as their shepherd: The Dead Sea Scrolls, and some manuscripts of two ancient translations (see 1 Chronicles 21.17); these words are not in the Standard Hebrew Text of this verse.I have sinned terribly, but they have done nothing wrong. Please, punish me and my family instead of them!"
David, son of Jesse, was a shepherd in Bethlehem when Samuel anointed him; he defeated Goliath, reigned over Israel in Jerusalem, and wrote many of the psalms (1 Samuel 16:13).
David, son of Jesse, was a shepherd in Bethlehem when Samuel anointed him; he defeated Goliath, reigned over Israel in Jerusalem, and wrote many of the psalms (1 Samuel 16:13).
David, son of Jesse, was a shepherd in Bethlehem when Samuel anointed him; he defeated Goliath, reigned over Israel in Jerusalem, and wrote many of the psalms (1 Samuel 16:13).
David, son of Jesse, was a shepherd in Bethlehem when Samuel anointed him; he defeated Goliath, reigned over Israel in Jerusalem, and wrote many of the psalms (1 Samuel 16:13).
David, son of Jesse, was a shepherd in Bethlehem when Samuel anointed him; he defeated Goliath, reigned over Israel in Jerusalem, and wrote many of the psalms (1 Samuel 16:13).
David, son of Jesse, was a shepherd in Bethlehem when Samuel anointed him; he defeated Goliath, reigned over Israel in Jerusalem, and wrote many of the psalms (1 Samuel 16:13).
Beersheba is a town in the Negeb of Judah, where Joel and Abijah were judges, and the home of Zibiah, mother of King Joash. During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel lived in safety from Dan to Beersheba (1 Samuel 8:2).
Jerusalem is the city of the house of God, where children of Judah and Benjamin lived; the Babylonian army broke down the walls of the city (2 Kings 25:10).
David, son of Jesse, was a shepherd in Bethlehem when Samuel anointed him; he defeated Goliath, reigned over Israel in Jerusalem, and wrote many of the psalms (1 Samuel 16:13).