ACV(i)
4 Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Therefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
5 And Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people to David. And all those of Israel were a million and a hundred thousand men who drew a sword. And Judah was four hundred seventy thousand men who drew a sword.
6 But he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king's word was abominable to Joab.
7 And God was displeased with this thing, therefore he smote Israel.
8 And David said to God, I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing. But now, put away, I beseech thee, the iniquity of thy servant, for I have done very foolishly.
9 And LORD spoke to Gad, David's seer, saying,
10 Go and speak to David, saying, Thus says LORD, I offer thee three things. Choose thee one of them, that I may do it to thee.
11 So Gad came to David, and said to him, Thus says LORD, Take which thou will:
12 either three years of famine, or three months to be consumed before thy foes while the sword of thine enemies overtakes thee, or else three days the sword of LORD, even pestilence in the land, and the agent of LORD destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore consider what answer I shall return to him who sent me.
13 And David said to Gad, I am in a great strait. Let me fall, I pray, into the hand of LORD, for his mercies are very great, and let me not fall into the hand of man.
14 So LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel, and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.
15 And God sent an agent to Jerusalem to destroy it. And as he was about to destroy, LORD beheld, and he relented of the evil, and said to the destroying agent, It is enough. Now halt thy hand. And the agent of LORD was standing by the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
16 And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the agent of LORD standing between earth and heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
17 And David said to God, Is it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? Even I it is who have sinned and done very badly. But these sheep, what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be against me, and against my father's house, but not against thy people, that they should be plagued.