10 And the heart of Dawiḏ smote him after he had numbered the people. And Dawiḏ said to יהוה, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, I pray, O יהוה, take away the crookedness of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”
11 And Dawiḏ rose up in the morning, and the word of יהוה came to the prophet Gaḏ, Dawiḏ’s seer, saying,
12 “Go, and you shall speak to Dawiḏ, ‘Thus said יהוה, “I hold three options before you. Choose one of them, and I do it to you.” ’ ”
13 Gaḏ then came to Dawiḏ and informed him. And he said to him, “Should seven years of scarcity of food come to you in your land? Or would you flee three months before your enemies, while they pursue you? Or should there be three days’ plague in your land? Now know and see what answer I take back to Him who sent me.”
14 And Dawiḏ said to Gaḏ, “I am in great trouble. Please let us fall into the hand of יהוה, for His compassion is great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”
15 And יהוה sent a plague upon Yisra’ĕl from the morning till the appointed time, and from Dan to Be’ĕrsheḇa seventy thousand men of the people died.
16 And the messenger stretched out His hand over Yerushalayim to destroy it, and יהוה relented concerning the evil, and said to the messenger who was destroying the people, “It is enough, now stop Your hand.” And the messenger of יהוה was by the threshing-floor of Arawnah the Yeḇusite.