2 Samuel 24:14

Green's Literal Translation

And David said, Because of this it is great distressing to me. Let us fall now into the hand of Jehovah, for many are His mercies; and do not let me fall into the hand of man.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
David answered Gad, “I have great anxiety. Please, let us fall into the Lord’s hands because his mercies are great, but don’t let me fall into human hands.”

Hebrew Names Version
David said to Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great; and let me not fall into the hand of man.

King James Version
And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the Lord ; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.

English Standard Version
Then David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hand of the Lord , for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man."

New Century Version
David said to Gad, "I am in great trouble. Let the Lord punish us, because the Lord is very merciful. Don't let my punishment come from human beings!"

New English Translation
David said to Gad, "I am very upset! I prefer that we be attacked by the Lord , for his mercy is great; I do not want to be attacked by men!"

Amplified Bible
Then David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hands of man."

New American Standard Bible
Then David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into human hands."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Dauid said vnto Gad, I am in a wonderfull strait: let vs fall nowe into the hand of the Lord, (for his mercies are great) and let mee not fall into the hand of man.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of Yahweh, for His compassions are abundant. But do not let me fall into the hand of man."

Contemporary English Version
David was really frightened and said, "It's a terrible choice to make! But the Lord is kind, and I'd rather have him punish us than for anyone else to do it."

Complete Jewish Bible
David said to Gad, "This is very hard for me. Let us fall into the hand of Adonai , because his mercies are great, rather than have me fall into the hand of man."

Darby Translation
And David said to Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall, I pray thee, into the hand of Jehovah; for his mercies are great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.

Easy-to-Read Version
David said to Gad, "This is a terrible situation to be in. But it would be better to be punished by the Lord than by anyone else, because he is very merciful."

George Lamsa Translation
Then David answered and said to the prophet Gad, I am greatly distressed; it is better for me to be punished by the hand of the LORD our God; for his mercies are great: let us not be punished by the hand of men.

Good News Translation
David answered, "I am in a desperate situation! But I don't want to be punished by people. Let the Lord himself be the one to punish us, for he is merciful."

Lexham English Bible
Then David said to Gad, "I am greatly distressed. Please let us fall into the hand of Yahweh, because he is great in his compassion; but into the hand of man don't let me fall."

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Dauid sayde vnto Gad: I am in extreme trouble. Neuertheles (yf it maye be) let me rather fall in to ye handes of the LORDE (for his mercy is greate) I wyll not fall in to the handes of men.

American Standard Version
And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of Jehovah; for his mercies are great; and let me not fall into the hand of man.

Bible in Basic English
And David said to Gad, This is a hard decision for me to make: let us come into the hands of the Lord, for great are his mercies: let me not come into the hands of men.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Dauid saide vnto Gad, I am in a wonderfull strayte: Let vs fall now into the hand of the Lorde (for much is his mercy) and let me not fall into the hand of man.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And David said unto Gad: 'I am in a great strait; let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for His mercies are great; and let me not fall into the hand of man.'

King James Version (1611)
And Dauid saide vnto Gad, I am in a great strait: let vs fall now into the hand of the Lord (for his mercies are great,) and let me not fall into the hand of man.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And David said to Gad, On every side I am much straitened: let me fall now into the hands of the Lord, for his compassions are very many; and let me not fall into the hands of man.

English Revised Version
And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.

Berean Standard Bible
David answered Gad, "I am deeply distressed. Please, let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe Dauid seide to Gad, Y am constreyned on ech side greetli; but it is betere that Y falle in to the hondis of the Lord [Note: if Dauyth hadde chose huugur of vii. yeer, he and riche men wolden haue purueyed to hem silf of liyflode, and pore men schulden haue be turmentid gretly; and if he hadde chose fliyt bifor enemyes, he and myyty men schulden haue be defendid and pore men slayn, therfor he chees pestilence, comyn peyne to alle, for he tristide in Goddis mersi. ], for his emercies ben manye, than in the hondis of men.

Young's Literal Translation
And David saith unto Gad, `I have great distress, let us fall, I pray thee, into the hand of Jehovah, for many [are] His mercies, and into the hand of man let me not fall.'

Update Bible Version
And David said to Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of Yahweh; for his mercies are great; and don't let me fall into the hand of man.

Webster's Bible Translation
And David said to Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies [are] great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.

World English Bible
David said to Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of Yahweh; for his mercies are great; and let me not fall into the hand of man.

New King James Version
And David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man."

New Living Translation
"I'm in a desperate situation!" David replied to Gad. "But let us fall into the hands of the Lord , for his mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands."

New Life Bible
David said to Gad, "I am in much trouble. Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His loving-kindness is great. But do not let me fall into the hand of man."

New Revised Standard
Then David said to Gad, "I am in great distress; let us fall into the hand of the Lord , for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into human hands."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And David said unto Gad - I am in a great strait, - let us fall, I pray thee, into the hand of Yahweh, for, manifold, are, his compassions, but, into the hand of man, let me not fall.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And David said to Gad: I am in a great strait: but it is better that I should fall into the hands of the Lord (for his mercies are many) than into the hands of men.

Revised Standard Version
Then David said to Gad, "I am in great distress; let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man."

THE MESSAGE
David told Gad, "They're all terrible! But I'd rather be punished by God , whose mercy is great, than fall into human hands."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the LORD for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man."

Contextual Overview

¹⁰ And after he had numbered the people, the heart of David struck him. And David said to Jehovah, I have sinned greatly in that which I have done. And now, O Jehovah, I pray, take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly. ¹¹ And David rose up in the morning; and the Word of Jehovah came to Gad the prophet, David's seer, saying, ¹² Go and you shall speak to David, So says Jehovah, I am setting up three things for you; you choose one of them and I will do it for you. ¹³ And Gad came in to David and told him, and said to him, Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or shall you flee before your adversary three months, and they pursue you? Or shall three days' plague come into your land? Now consider, and see what I shall take back to Him who sent word to me. ¹⁴ And David said, Because of this it is great distressing to me. Let us fall now into the hand of Jehovah, for many are His mercies; and do not let me fall into the hand of man. ¹⁵ And Jehovah sent a plague on Israel from the morning even to the time appointed. And from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand of the people died. ¹⁶ And the angel put forth his hand to Jerusalem, to destroy it. And Jehovah had pity as to the evil, and said to the angel who was destroying among the people, Enough! Now drop your hand. And the angel of Jehovah was near the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. ¹⁷ And when he saw the angel who was striking among the people, David spoke to Jehovah and said, Behold, I have sinned. Yea, I have acted perversely. And these, the flock, what have they done? Now let your hand be on me, and on my father's house.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I am in: 1 Samuel 13:6, 2 Kings 6:15, John 12:27, Philippians 1:23

for his: Exodus 34:6, Exodus 34:7, 1 Chronicles 21:13, Psalms 51:1, Psalms 86:5, Psalms 86:15, Psalms 103:8-14, Psalms 119:156, Psalms 145:9, Isaiah 55:7, Jonah 4:2, Micah 7:18

great: or, many

let me not: 2 Kings 13:3-7, 2 Chronicles 28:5-9, Psalms 106:41, Psalms 106:42, Proverbs 12:10, Isaiah 47:6, Zechariah 1:15

Reciprocal: Joshua 9:25 - we are Judges 10:15 - deliver 2 Samuel 24:25 - So the Lord 1 Kings 20:6 - and they shall search 1 Chronicles 21:12 - Now therefore 2 Chronicles 12:5 - left you Proverbs 6:3 - when Jeremiah 39:17 - of whom Ezekiel 23:24 - I will set Luke 9:44 - into

Cross-References

Genesis 15:8
And he said, My Lord Jehovah, by what shall I know that I shall inherit it?

Genesis 24:1
And Abraham was old, going on in days, and Jehovah had blessed Abraham in all things.

Genesis 24:2
And Abraham said to his slave, oldest in his house, the one who governed in all that was to him, Please put your hand under my thigh.

Genesis 24:7
Jehovah, God of Heaven, who took me from the house of my father and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, I will give this land to your Seed; He shall send His Angel before you, and you shall take a wifefrom there for my son.

Genesis 24:8
And if the woman will not be willing to go after you, then you shall be clear from this oath of mine; only do not take my son back there.

Genesis 24:9
And the slave put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore to him concerning this thing.

Genesis 24:10
And the slave took ten camels from his master's camels and left. And all his master's goods were in his hand. And he rose up and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.

Genesis 24:11
And he made the camels kneel outside the city, by a well of water at the time of the evening, the time that women go out to draw.

Genesis 24:13
Behold! I am standing by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.

Genesis 24:15
And it happened before he had finished speaking. Behold! Rebekah came out, she who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham, with her pitcher on her shoulder.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait,.... Not knowing well which to choose, each of them being so grievous, and an answer being to be returned immediately; but by his next words, and by the event, it seems he chose the pestilence, though that is not expressly said:

let us fall now into the hand of the Lord; the Targum in

1 Chronicles 21:13, is

"into the hand of the Word of the Lord:''

(for his mercies [are] great), and let me not fall into the hand of men; indeed all the three judgments mentioned are by the hand of the Lord whenever they come; but in the pestilence the hand of the Lord is more visible, it coming immediately from his hand, as especially this was to do, and did; it did not arise from second causes, a noxious air, c. but by means of an angel of God: David chose this, because he and his people would have nothing to do with men, as in famine they must have gone into other countries for food, and in war flee before their enemies, and lie at their mercy, and either of them more disgraceful than this and which he might the rather choose on his own account, that his people might not be able to say he sought himself and his own interest; for had he chosen famine, as his people had been lately distressed that way already, they might, besides urging that, say, that he could lay up stores for himself and family; or had he chosen war, they might observe he had fortified places to flee to, one after another, and shelter himself; but for the arrows of the pestilence he was as likely a mark as the meanest of his subjects: but what seems to have moved him chiefly to make this choice is, that it would not only be the soonest over, but that it wholly depended on the pleasure of God what use he would make of it in that time; and chiefly because he knew God was gracious and merciful, and it was upon his great mercy he cast himself and his people.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 24:14. I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the Lord — David acted nobly in this business. Had he chosen war, his own personal safety was in no danger, because there was already an ordinance preventing him from going to battle. Had he chosen famine, his own wealth would have secured his and his own family's support. But he showed the greatness of his mind in choosing the pestilence, to the ravages of which himself and household were exposed equally with the meanest of his subjects.