The Census of David

21 Then Satan^[a] stood against Israel and urged David to count Israel. ² So David said to Joab and to the commanders of the nation, “Go, count Israel from Beersheba to Dan and bring a report to me that I might know their number.” ³ But Joab said, “May Yahweh add to the people a hundred times what they are! Are they not, O my lord the king, all of them the king’s servants? Why does my lord seek this? Why would he bring guilt to Israel?” ⁴ But the word of the king prevailed over Joab. Then he went about through all Israel and came to Jerusalem. ⁵ And Joab gave the number of the enrollment of the people to David. And it happened that all Israel was one million one hundred thousand men drawing a sword, and in Judah were four hundred and seventy thousand men drawing a sword. ⁶ But he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them, for the word of the king was repulsive to Joab.