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21 Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to take a census of Israel. David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, “Go, count Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring me word, that I may know how many there are.”

Joab said, “May Yahweh make his people a hundred times as many as they are. But, my lord the king, aren’t they all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord require this thing? Why will he be a cause of guilt to Israel?”

Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, then came to Jerusalem. Joab gave up the sum of the census of the people to David. All those of Israel were one million one hundred thousand men who drew a sword; and in Judah were four hundred seventy thousand men who drew a sword. But he didn’t count Levi and Benjamin among them; for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.

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The Census of Israel and Judah(A)

21 Now (B)Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to [a]number Israel. So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, “Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan, (C)and bring the number of them to me that I may know it.

And Joab answered, “May the Lord make His people a hundred times more than they are. But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why then does my lord require this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt in Israel?”

Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came to Jerusalem. Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to David. All Israel had one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and Judah had four hundred and seventy thousand men who drew the sword. (D)But he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king’s [b]word was abominable to Joab.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 21:1 take a census of
  2. 1 Chronicles 21:6 command