1 Chronicles 21:1–14

The Census of David

21Then Satan^a stood against Israel and urged David to count Israel. ²So David said to Joab and to the commanders of the nation, “Go, count Israel from Beersheba to Dan and bring a report to me that I might know their number.” ³But Joab said, “May Yahweh add to the people a hundred times what they are! Are they not, O my lord the king, all of them the king’s servants? Why does my lord seek this? Why would he bring guilt to Israel?” ⁴But the word of the king prevailed over Joab. Then he went about through all Israel and came to Jerusalem. ⁵And Joab gave the number of the enrollment of the people to David. And it happened that all Israel was one million one hundred thousand men drawing a sword, and in Judah were four hundred and seventy thousand men drawing a sword. ⁶But he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them, for the word of the king was repulsive to Joab.

⁷But this word was displeasing in the eyes of God, and he struck Israel. ⁸Then David said to God, “I have sinned severely in that I have done this thing. But now, please forgive the sin of your servant, for I have been very foolish.” ⁹Then Yahweh spoke to Gad the seer of David, saying, ¹⁰“Go, you must speak to David, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh: “Three choices I offer to you. Choose one of them for yourself that I will do to you.” ’ ” ¹¹So Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘Choose for yourself: ¹²whether three years of famine or three months of devastation by your enemies while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or three days of the sword of Yahweh, with disease in the land and the angel of Yahweh destroying throughout all the territory in Israel.’ So now, see what word I should return to my sender.” ¹³Then David said to Gad, “I am very troubled.^b Let me fall into the hand of Yahweh, for his compassion is very great, but do not let me fall into the hand of a man.”

¹⁴So Yahweh sent a pestilence through Israel, and seventy thousand men from Israel fell.