2 Samuel 24:14

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.'

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."

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.

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.

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 the heart of David smiteth him, after that he hath numbered the people, and David saith unto Jehovah, `I have sinned greatly in that which I have done, and now, O Jehovah, cause to pass away, I pray Thee, the iniquity of Thy servant, for I have acted very foolishly.' <sup>11</sup> And David riseth in the morning, and the word of Jehovah hath been unto Gad the prophet, seer of David, saying, <sup>12</sup> `Go, and thou hast spoken unto David, Thus said Jehovah: Three -- I am lifting up for thee, choose thee one of them, and I do [it] to thee.' ¹³ And Gad cometh in unto David, and declareth to him, and saith to him, `Do seven years of famine come in to thee in thy land? or three months art thou fleeing before thine adversary -- and he pursuing thee? or are three days' pestilence in thy land? now, know and see what word I take back to Him sending me.' <sup>14</sup> 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.' ¹⁵ And Jehovah giveth a pestilence on Israel from the morning even unto the time appointed, and there die of the people, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba, seventy thousand men, ¹⁶ and the messenger putteth forth his hand to Jerusalem to destroy it, and Jehovah repenteth concerning the evil, and saith to the messenger who is destroying among the people, `Enough, now, cease thy hand;' and the messenger of Jehovah was near the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. <sup>17</sup> And David speaketh unto Jehovah, when he seeth the messenger who is smiting among the people, and saith, `Lo, I have sinned, yea, I have done perversely; and these -- the flock -- what have they done? Let, I pray Thee, Thy hand be on me, and on the house of my father.'

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 saith, `Lord Jehovah, whereby do I know that I possess it?'

Genesis 24:1
And Abraham [is] old, he hath entered into days, and Jehovah hath blessed Abraham in all [things];

Genesis 24:2
and Abraham saith unto his servant, the eldest of his house, who is ruling over all that he hath, `Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh,

Genesis 24:7
Jehovah, God of the heavens, who hath taken me from the house of my father, and from the land of my birth, and who hath spoken to me, and who hath sworn to me, saying, To thy seed I give this land, He doth send His messenger before thee, and thou hast taken a wife for my son from thence;

Genesis 24:8
and if the woman be not willing to come after thee, then thou hast been acquitted from this mine oath: only my son thou dost not cause to turn back thither.'

Genesis 24:9
And the servant putteth his hand under the thigh of Abraham his lord, and sweareth to him concerning this matter.

Genesis 24:10
And the servant taketh ten camels of the camels of his lord and goeth, also of all the goods of his lord in his hand, and he riseth, and goeth unto Aram-Naharaim, unto the city of Nahor;

Genesis 24:11
and he causeth the camels to kneel at the outside of the city, at the well of water, at even-time, at the time of the coming out of the women who draw water.

Genesis 24:13
lo, I am standing by the fountain of water, and daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water;

Genesis 24:15
And it cometh to pass, before he hath finished speaking, that lo, Rebekah (who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, wife of Nahor, brother of Abraham) is coming out, and 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.