God Kills 70,000 Men Over a Census

(God punishes David for ordering a census of his people.)  Yahweh spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying, Go and speak to David, saying, Thus says Yahweh, I offer you three things: choose you one of them, that I may do it to you.  So Gad came to David, and said to him, Thus says Yahweh, Take which you will:  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 the sword of Yahweh, even pestilence in the land, and the angel of Yahweh destroying throughout all the borders of Israel.  Now therefore consider what answer I shall return to him who sent me.  David said to Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall, I pray, into the hand of Yahweh; for very great are his mercies: and let me not fall into the hand of man.  So Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel; and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.  (1 Chronicles 21:9-14 WEB)