2 Samuel 24:2-9

New International Version

² So the king said to Joab^(A) and the army commanders^[a] with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba^(B) and enroll^(C) the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.”

³ But Joab^(D) replied to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over,^(E) and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”

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,^(F) south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer.^{(G) 6} They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon.^{(H) 7} Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre^(I) and all the towns of the Hivites^(J) and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba^(K) in the Negev^(L) 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.^(M)