2 Samuel

⁸So when they had gone to and fro through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. ⁹And Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men. ¹⁰And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: but now, O Lord, put away, I beseech thee, the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. ¹¹And when David rose up in the morning, the word of the Lord came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, ¹²Go and speak unto David, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. ¹³So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thy foes while they pursue thee? or shall there be three days pestilence in thy land? now advise thee, and consider what answer I shall return to him that sent me. ¹⁴And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the Lord; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.