⁴ The king’s word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel.

⁵ After crossing the Jordan, they camped near Aroer,^(A) south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer.^{(B) 6} They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon.^{(C) 7} Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre^(D) and all the towns of the Hivites^(E) and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba^(F) in the Negev^(G) of Judah.

⁸ After they had gone through the entire land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

⁹ Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand.^(H)

⁴ The king’s word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem.

⁵ Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel^(A) there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah.

²³ David did not take the number of the men twenty years old or less,^(A) because the Lord had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars^(B) in the sky.

²⁴ Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the men but did not finish. God’s wrath came on Israel on account of this numbering,^(A) and the number was not entered in the book^[a] of the annals of King David.