1 Satan stood 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 1,100,000 swordsmen and in Judah itself 470,000 swordsmen .
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.”
9 Then the LORD instructed Gad, David’s seer,
10 “ Go and say to David, ‘ This is what the LORD says: I am offering you three choices. Choose one of them for yourself, and I will do it to you.’ ”
11 So Gad went to David and said to him, “ This is what the LORD says: ‘ Take your choice:
12 three years of famine, or three months of devastation by your foes with the sword of your enemy overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the LORD — a plague on the land, the angel of the LORD bringing destruction to the whole territory of Israel .’ Now decide what answer I should take back to the One who sent me.”
13 David answered Gad, “ I’m in anguish. Please, let me fall into the LORD’s hands because His mercies are very great, but don’t let me fall into human hands.”
