1 Chronicles 21:12

Judgment

¹⁰ Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.

¹¹ So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee

Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.

¹³ And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.

¹⁴ So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: between three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies and overtaken by their swords, or three days of the sword of the LORD—days of plague upon the land, with the angel of the LORD ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should reply to Him who sent me.”
KJV: Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.
WEB: either three years of famine; or three months to be consumed before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you; or else three days of the sword of the LORD, even pestilence in the land, and the LORD’s angel destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore consider what answer I shall return to him who sent me.’”
ASV: either three years of famine; or three months to be consumed before thy foes, while the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of Jehovah, even pestilence in the land, and the angel of Jehovah destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore consider what answer I shall return to him that sent me.
DARBY: Choose thee, either three years of famine, or three months to be destroyed before thine adversaries while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee, or three days the sword of Jehovah and the pestilence in the land, and the angel of Jehovah destroying through all the borders of Israel. And now consider what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.
BLB: either three years of famine, or three months of being swept away before the faces of your foes—and the sword of your enemies overtaking [you], or three days of the sword of YHWH and the plague upon the land and the angel of YHWH destroying in all the territory of Israel.’ And consider what word I should take back to Him who sent me.”

ÅB: enten hungersnød i tre år eller å ligge under for dine motstandere i tre måneder, så du ikke kan undfly dine fienders sverd, eller at Herrens sverd og pest skal komme over landet i tre dager, og Herrens engel skal volde ødeleggelse i hele Israels landemerke! Tenk nå etter hva jeg skal svare ham som har sendt meg!
OTB: 'Velg for deg selv:
enten tre år med hungersnød,
eller tre måneder å bli feid bort foran dine fiender,
mens dine fienders sverd overmanner deg,
eller tre dager med Herrens sverd,
en pest i landet,
og Herrens engel som ødelegger over hele Israels område.'
Nå bestem hva svar jeg skal bringe tilbake til Ham som sendte meg."
B1930: enten hungersnød i tre år eller å ligge under for dine motstandere i tre måneder, så du ikke kan undfly dine fienders sverd, eller at Herrens sverd og pest skal komme over landet i tre dager, og Herrens engel skal volde ødeleggelse i hele Israels landemerke! Tenk nu efter hvad jeg skal svare ham som har sendt mig!

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Matthew 13:49–50
So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
Read in context
1 Chronicles 21:15–16
And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
Read in context
Acts 12:23
And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 28:35
The LORD shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head.
Read in context
Jeremiah 47:6
O thou sword of the LORD, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still.
Read in context
2 Samuel 21:1
Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.
Read in context
Psalms 91:6
Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
Read in context
1 Kings 17:1
And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
Read in context