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And God was displeased with this thing, therefore he smote Israel.

And Dauid saide vnto God, I haue sinned greatly, because I haue done this thing: but uow, I beseech thee, doe away the iniquitie of thy seruant, for I haue done very foolishly.

And the Lord spake vnto Gad, Dauids Seer, saying,

Goe and tell Dauid, saying, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things, choose thee one of them, that I may doe it vnto thee.

So Gad came to Dauid, and said vnto him, Thus saith the Lord, Choose thee

Either three yeeres famine, or three moneths to bee destroyed before thy foes (while that the sword of thine enemies ouertaketh thee) or else three dayes the sword of the Lord, euen the pestilence in the land, and the Angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore aduise thy selfe, what word I shall bring againe to him that sent me.

And Dauid said vnto Gad, I am in a great strait. Let mee fall now into the hand of the Lord (for very great are his mercies,) but let me not fall into the hand of man.

So the Lord sent pestilence vpon Israel: and there fell of Israel, seuentie thousand men.

And God sent an Angel vnto Ierusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the Lord beheld, and he repented him of the euill, and said to the Angel that destroyed, It is ynough, stay now thine hand. And the Angel of the Lord stood by the threshing floore of Ornan the Iebusite.

And Dauid lift vp his eyes, and saw the Angel of the Lord stand betweene the earth and the heauen, hauing a drawen sword in his hand stretched out ouer Ierusalem. Then Dauid and the Elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackecloth, fell vpon their faces.

And Dauid said vnto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbred? euen I it is that haue sinned, and done euill indeed, but as for these sheepe, what haue they done? Let thine hand, I pray thee, O Lord my God, be on me, and on my fathers house, but not on thy people, that they should bee plagued.