6. Joab refused to include anyone from the tribes of Levi and Benjamin, because he still disagreed with David's orders.
7. David's order to count the people made God angry, and he punished Israel.
8. David prayed, “I am your servant. But what I did was stupid and terribly wrong. Please forgive me.”
9. The Lord said to Gad, one of David's prophets,
10. “Tell David that I will punish him in one of three ways. But he will have to choose which one it will be.”
11. Gad went to David and told him:You must choose how the Lord will punish you:
12. Will there be three years when the land won't grow enough food for its people? Or will your enemies constantly defeat you for three months? Or will the Lord send a horrible disease to strike your land for three days? Think about it and decide, because I have to give your answer to God who sent me.
13. David was miserable and said, “It's a terrible choice to make! But the Lord is kind, and I'd rather be punished by him than by anyone else.”
14. So the Lord sent a horrible disease on Israel, and seventy thousand Israelites died.
15. Then he sent an angel to destroy the city of Jerusalem. But just as the angel was about to do that, the Lord felt sorry for all the suffering he had caused the people, and he told the angel, “Stop! They have suffered enough.” This happened at the threshing place that belonged to Araunah the Jebusite.
16. David saw the Lord's angel in the air, holding a sword over Jerusalem. He and the leaders of Israel, who were all wearing sackcloth, bowed with their faces to the ground,
17. and David prayed, “It's my fault! I sinned by ordering the people to be counted. They have done nothing wrong—they are innocent sheep. Lord God, please punish me and my family. Don't let the disease wipe out your people.”