¹¹ Before David got up the next morning, the word of the Lord had come to Gad^(A) the prophet, David’s seer:^{(B) 12} “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’”

¹³ So Gad went to David and said to him, “Shall there come on you three^[a] years of famine^(C) in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague^(D) in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”

¹⁴ David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy^(E) is great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”

⁹ The Lord said to Gad,^(A) David’s seer,^{(B) 10} “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’”

¹¹ So Gad went to David and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Take your choice: ¹² three years of famine,^(C) three months of being swept away^[a] before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword^(D) of the Lord^(E)—days of plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”

¹³ David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy^(F) is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”