¹⁹ I will break down your stubborn pride^(A) and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze.^(B)

¹⁶ Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them.^{(A) 17} Then the Lord’s anger^(B) will burn against you, and he will shut up^(C) the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce,^(D) and you will soon perish^(E) from the good land the Lord is giving you.

¹⁰ David was conscience-stricken^(A) after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, “I have sinned^(B) greatly in what I have done. Now, Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.^(C)”

¹¹ Before David got up the next morning, the word of the Lord had come to Gad^(D) the prophet, David’s seer:^{(E) 12} “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’”

¹³ So Gad went to David and said to him, “Shall there come on you three^[a] years of famine^(F) in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague^(G) in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”