1 Chronicles 21:1-6

International Standard Version

David’s Unauthorized Census^(A)

21 Then Satan attacked Israel by inciting David to enumerate a census of Israel. ² David ordered Joab and the commanders of the army,^[a] “Go take a census of Israel from Beer-sheba to Dan, and bring me a report so I can be aware of the total number.”

³ But Joab replied, “May the Lord increase the population of his people a hundredfold! Your majesty,^[b] all of them are your majesty’s servants, aren’t they? So why should your majesty demand this? Why should he bring guilt to Israel?”

⁴ But the king’s order overruled Joab, so Joab left, traveled throughout all of Israel, and then returned to Jerusalem ⁵ to report the total population count to David. Throughout all of Israel there were 1,100,000 men trained for war.^[c] In Judah there were 470,000 men trained for war. ⁶ Levi and Benjamin were not included in the census, because what the king had commanded was unethical to Joab.