1 Chronicles 21:17

15 Then God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem, but as the angel was doing so, the LORD saw it and relented from the calamity, and He said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand now!” At that time the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

16 When David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem, David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.

And David said to God, “Was it not I who gave the order to count the people? I am the one who has sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, please let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house, but do not let this plague remain upon Your people.”

18 Then the angel of the LORD ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

19 So David went up at the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the LORD.

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
And David said to God, “Was it not I who gave the order to count the people? I am the one who has sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, please let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house, but do not let this plague remain upon Your people.”
KJV
And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father’s house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.
WEB
David said to God, “Isn’t it I who commanded the people to be counted? It is even I who have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand, O LORD my God, be against me and against my father’s house; but not against your people, that they should be plagued.”
ASV
And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? let thy hand, I pray thee, O Jehovah my God, be against me, and against my father`s house; but not against thy people, that they should be plagued.
DARBY
And David said to God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? It is I that have sinned and done evil; but these sheep, what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, Jehovah my God, be on me and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be smitten.
BLB
And David said to God, “Was [it] not I [who] said to number the people? And I [am] he who has sinned and done great evil. And these sheep, what have they done? O YHWH my God, please, let Your hand be upon me and upon the house of my father, and not upon Your people, that they should be plagued.”
ÅB
Og David sa til Gud: Var det ikke jeg som befalte at folket skulle telles? Det er jeg som har syndet og gjort ille; men denne min flokk, hva har de gjort? Herre min Gud, la heller din hånd komme over meg og over min fars hus, men ikke over ditt folk, så det blir hjemsøkt!
OTB
David sa til Gud:
"Var det ikke jeg som befalte å telle folket?
Sannelig, jeg er den som har syndet og gjort meget ondt,
men disse fårene, hva har de gjort?
Herre min Gud, la din hånd være mot meg og min fars hus,
men ikke mot ditt folk, så det ikke blir en pest blant dem."
B1930
Og David sa til Gud: Var det ikke jeg som bød at folket skulde telles? Det er jeg som har syndet og gjort ille; men denne min hjord, hvad har de gjort? Herre min Gud, la heller din hånd komme over mig og over min fars hus, men ikke over ditt folk, så det blir hjemsøkt!

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Ezekiel 16:63

    so that when I make atonement for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your disgrace, declares the Lord GOD.”

    Read in context
  • Psalms 44:11

    You have given us up as sheep to be devoured; You have scattered us among the nations.

    Read in context
  • Genesis 44:33

    Now please let your servant stay here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him return with his brothers.

    Read in context
  • 1 John 3:16

    By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

    Read in context
  • 1 Chronicles 21:8

    Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing. Now I beg You to take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”

    Read in context
  • Exodus 20:5

    You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

    Read in context
  • Psalms 51:14

    Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness.

    Read in context
  • John 10:11–12

    I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

    Read in context