1 Chronicles 21:1-6

Evangelical Heritage Version

David’s Census

21 Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to count Israel. ² David said to Joab and to the officers of the army, “Go, count Israel from Beersheba to Dan. Let me know how many they are.”

³ Joab said, “The Lord will multiply his people a hundred times. Are not all of them your servants, my lord the king? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should there be guilt upon Israel?”

⁴ But the word of the king overruled Joab.

Joab went throughout all Israel and came back to Jerusalem. ⁵ He reported the total number of the people to David: In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who could draw the sword, including four hundred seventy thousand from Judah who could draw the sword. ⁶ He did not include Levi and Benjamin in the census because the king’s directive was offensive to Joab.