1 Chronicles 21:13

13 David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”

1 Chronicles 21:13 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
13 Then David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for his mercy is very great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man."
New Living Translation (NLT)
13 “I’m in a desperate situation!” David replied to Gad. “But let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great. Do not let me fall into human hands.”
The Message Bible (MSG)
13 David told Gad, "They're all terrible! But I'd rather be punished by God whose mercy is great, than fall into human hands."
American Standard Version (ASV)
13 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall, I pray, into the hand of Jehovah; for very great are his mercies: and let me not fall into the hand of man.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
13 "I'm in a desperate situation," David told Gad. "Please let me fall into the LORD's hands because he is extremely merciful. But don't let me fall into human hands."
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
13 David answered Gad, "I have great anxiety. Please, let me fall into the Lord's hands because His mercies are very great, but don't let me fall into human hands."
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
13 David said to Gad, "I'm suffering terribly. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord. His mercy is very great. But don't let me fall into the hands of men."

1 Chronicles 21:13 Meaning and Commentary

1 Chronicles 21:13

(See Gill on 1 Chronicles 21:1).

1 Chronicles 21:13 In-Context

11 So Gad went to David and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Take your choice:
12 three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the LORD—days of plague in the land, with the angel of the LORD ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”
13 David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”
14 So the LORD sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead.
15 And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the LORD saw it and relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the LORD was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

Cross References 1

  • 1. Psalms 6:4; Psalms 86:15; Psalms 130:4,7
Scripture quoted by permission.  Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.  NIV®.  Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.  All rights reserved worldwide.