^5 (A)And the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the fortress; go, and enter into the land of Judah.” So David went and entered into the forest of Hereth.

¹¹ Then David arose in the morning, and the word of Yahweh came to ^(A)the prophet Gad, David’s ^(B)seer, saying, ¹² “Go and speak to David, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “I am offering you three things; choose for yourself one of them, and I will do that to you.”’” ¹³ So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall ^(C)seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your adversaries while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now, know and see what word I should return to Him who sent me.” ¹⁴ Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of Yahweh, ^(D)for His compassions are abundant. But do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

¹⁵ So ^(E)Yahweh ^[a]sent a pestilence against Israel from the morning until the appointed time, and 70,000 men of the people ^(F)from Dan to Beersheba died. ^16 (G)Then the angel sent forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, and ^(H)Yahweh ^[b]relented of the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people, “It is enough! Now relax your hand!” And the angel of Yahweh was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. ¹⁷ Then David spoke to Yahweh when he saw the angel who was striking down the people, and said, “Behold, ^(I)it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done unrighteousness; but ^(J)these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and my father’s house.”

David Erects an Altar

¹⁸ So Gad came to David that day and said to him, “^(K)Go up, erect an altar to Yahweh on the threshing floor of ^[c]Araunah the Jebusite.” ¹⁹ So David went up according to the word of Gad, just as Yahweh had commanded.

⁹ And Yahweh spoke to ^(A)Gad, David’s ^(B)seer, saying, ¹⁰ “Go and speak to David, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “I ^[a]am offering you three things; choose for yourself one of them, and I will do that to you.”’” ¹¹ So Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Take for yourself ^12 (C)either three years of famine, or three months to be swept away before your adversaries, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of Yahweh, even pestilence in the land, and the angel of Yahweh destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ So now, see what word I should return to Him who sent me.” ¹³ Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let me now fall into the hand of Yahweh, ^(D)for His compassions are exceedingly abundant. But do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

^14 (E)So Yahweh ^[b]sent a pestilence against Israel; and 70,000 men of Israel fell. ¹⁵ And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy it, Yahweh saw and ^[c](F)relented concerning the calamity, and said to the destroying angel, “It is enough! Now relax your hand.” And the angel of Yahweh was standing by the threshing floor of ^[d]Ornan the Jebusite. ¹⁶ Then David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of Yahweh standing between earth and heaven, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, ^(G)covered with sackcloth, fell on their faces. ¹⁷ And David said to God, “Is it not I who ^[e]commanded to number the people? Indeed, I am the one who has sinned and done a great evil; ^(H)but these sheep, what have they done? O Yahweh my God, please let Your hand be against me and my father’s household, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.”

David Erects an Altar

^18 (I)Then the angel of Yahweh said to Gad to say to David, that David should go up and erect an altar to Yahweh on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. ¹⁹ So David went up at the word of Gad, which he spoke in the name of Yahweh.

^25 (A)He then caused the Levites to stand in the house of Yahweh with cymbals, with harps, and with lyres, ^(B)according to the command of David and of ^(C)Gad the king’s seer, and of ^(D)Nathan the prophet; for the command was from Yahweh by the hand of His prophets.