Bible Verses About Nation: Involved in sins of rulers

Now Avimelekh had not come near her; so he said, "Lord, will you kill even an upright nation?

Then Avimelekh called Avraham and said to him, "What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you to cause you to bring on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done things to me that are just not done."

But after he had taken the census, David was conscience-stricken. David said to ADONAI, "I have greatly sinned in what I have done. But now, ADONAI, please! Put aside your servant's sin, for I have done a very foolish thing."

When David got up in the morning, this word of ADONAI came to the prophet Gad, David's seer:

"Go and say to David that this is what ADONAI says: 'I am giving you a choice of three punishments. Choose one of them, and I will execute it against you."

Gad came to David and told him; he said: "Do you want seven years of famine in your land? or do you want to flee before your enemies for three months while they pursue you? or do you want three days of plague in your land? Think about it, and tell me what to answer the one who sent me."

David said to Gad, "This is very hard for me. Let us fall into the hand of ADONAI, because his mercies are great, rather than have me fall into the hand of man."

So ADONAI sent a plague on Isra'el from that morning until the end of the specified time; 70,000 of the people died between Dan and Be'er-Sheva.

But when the angel stretched out his hand toward Yerushalayim to destroy it, ADONAI changed his mind about causing such distress and said to the angel destroying the people, "Enough! Now withdraw your hand."The angel of ADONAI was at the threshing-floor of Aravnah the Y'vusi.

David spoke to ADONAI when he saw the angel striking the people; he said, "Here, I have sinned, I have done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Please! Let your hand be against me and against my father's family!"

God was displeased with this and therefore punished Isra'el.

David said to God, "I have greatly sinned by doing this. But now, please! Put aside your servant's sin, for I have done a very foolish thing."

ADONAI spoke to Gad, David's seer:

"Go and tell David that ADONAI says, 'I am offering you a choice of three punishments: choose one of them, and I will execute it against you.'"

Gad came to David and said to him, "Take your choice:

three years of famine; or three months of being swept away by your enemies, while your enemies' sword overwhelms you; or three days of ADONAI's sword - plague in the land, with the angel of ADONAI destroying everywhere in Isra'el's territory. Now think about what answer I should give to the one who sent me."

David said to Gad, "This is very hard for me. Let me fall into the hand of ADONAI, because his mercies are very great, rather than have me fall into the hand of man."

So ADONAI sent a plague on Isra'el; 70,000 of the people of Isra'el died.

God also sent an angel to destroy Yerushalayim, but when he was about to carry out the destruction, ADONAI saw it and changed his mind about causing such distress; so he said to the destroying angel, "Enough! Now withdraw your hand."The angel of ADONAI was standing at the threshing-floor of Ornan the Y'vusi.

David raised his eyes and saw the angel of ADONAI standing between the earth and the sky, and in his hand was a drawn sword stretched out over Yerushalayim. Then David and the leaders, wearing sackcloth, fell on their faces.

David said to God, "Wasn't it I who ordered the census of the people? Yes, I am the one who has sinned and done something very wicked. But these sheep, what have they done? Please! Let your hand be against me and my father's family, but not against your people, striking them with this plague!"