Scriptures

New Living Translation (NLT)

1 Chronicles 21
¹ Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel.
² So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, “Take a census of all the people of Israel—from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north—and bring me a report so I may know how many there are.”
³ But Joab replied, “May the LORD increase the number of his people a hundred times over! But why, my lord the king, do you want to do this? Are they not all your servants? Why must you cause Israel to sin?”
⁴ But the king insisted that they take the census, so Joab traveled throughout all Israel to count the people. Then he returned to Jerusalem
⁵ and reported the number of people to David. There were 1,100,000 warriors in all Israel who could handle a sword, and 470,000 in Judah.
⁶ But Joab did not include the tribes of Levi and Benjamin in the census because he was so distressed at what the king had made him do.
⁷ God was very displeased with the census, and he punished Israel for it.
⁸ Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt for doing this foolish thing.”
⁹ Then the LORD spoke to Gad, David’s seer. This was the message:
¹⁰ “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the LORD says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.’”
¹¹ So Gad came to David and said, “These are the choices the LORD has given you.