⁷ But God was displeased with this thing, and he struck Israel.

¹² “Go and say to David, ‘Thus says the Lord, Three things I offer^[a] you. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.’” ¹³ So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall ^(A)three^[b] years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days' pestilence in your land? Now consider, and decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me.” ¹⁴ Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, ^(B)for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.”

^15 (C)So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning until the appointed time. And there died of the people from ^(D)Dan to Beersheba 70,000 men.