1 Chronicles 21:1-8 ▼

1 Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to count the people of Israel.

2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count Israel from Beer-sheba to Dan and bring a report to me so I can know their number.”

3 Joab replied, “May the LORD multiply the number of his people a hundred times over! My lord the king, aren’t they all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel? ”

4 Yet the king’s order prevailed over Joab. So Joab left and traveled throughout Israel and then returned to Jerusalem.

5 Joab gave the total troop registration to David. In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand armed men and in Judah itself four hundred seventy thousand armed men.

6 But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the count because the king’s command was detestable to him.

7 This command was also evil in God’s sight, so he afflicted Israel.

8 David said to God, “I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing. Now, please take away your servant’s guilt, for I’ve been very foolish.”