1 Chronicles 21:1-14

Common English Bible

David’s census

21 A heavenly Adversary^[a] arose against Israel and incited David to count Israel. ² So David told Joab and the leaders of the people, “Go throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba, and take a census of the people so I know how many people there are.”

³ But Joab replied, “May the Lord increase his people a hundred times! Sir, aren’t you the king, and aren’t they all your servants? Why do you want to do this? Why bring guilt on Israel?”

⁴ But the king overruled Joab, who left and traveled throughout all Israel. When he returned to Jerusalem, ⁵ he reported to David the total number: there were 1,100,000 men available for military service in all Israel, while Judah alone had 470,000. ⁶ He didn’t include Levi and Benjamin among them, because Joab disagreed with the king’s order.

⁷ God was offended by this census and punished Israel. ⁸ Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done! Now please take away the guilt of your servant because I have done something very foolish.”

⁹ The Lord told Gad, David’s seer: ¹⁰ Go and tell David, This is what the Lord says: I’m offering you three punishments. Choose one of them, and that is what I will do to you.

¹¹ When Gad came to David, he said to him, “This is what the Lord says: Take your choice: ¹² three years of famine, three months of fleeing^[b] from your enemies while your enemies’ sword overtakes you, or three days of the Lord’s sword, that is, plague in the land and the Lord’s messenger bringing disaster in every part of Israel. Decide now what answer I should take back to the one who sent me.”

¹³ “I’m in deep trouble,” David said to Gad. “I’d rather fall into the hands of the Lord, who is very merciful; don’t let me fall into human hands.” ¹⁴ So the Lord sent a plague throughout Israel, and seventy thousand Israelites fell dead.