1 Chronicles 21:1-17 - The Census Of David
1 And Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to number Israel. 2 And David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.
3 And Joab answered, The LORD make his people a hundred times as many more as they are; but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's slaves? Why then does my lord require this thing? Why will he be a cause of guiltiness unto Israel?
4 Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed against Joab. Therefore, Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came to Jerusalem. 5 And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And they found in all Israel eleven times one hundred thousand men that drew sword, and of Judah four hundred seventy thousand men that drew sword. 6 Among these the Levites and the sons of Benjamin were not counted, for the king's word was abominable to Joab. 7 And God was also displeased with this word; therefore, he smote Israel.
8 And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing; but now, I beseech thee, take away the iniquity of thy slave, for I have done very foolishly. 9 And the LORD spoke unto Gad, David's seer, saying, 10 Go and tell David, saying, Thus hath the LORD said, I offer thee three things: choose one of them that I will do unto thee.
11 So Gad came to David and said unto him, Thus hath the LORD said, Choose thee, 12 either three years' famine or three months to be destroyed before thy foes while the sword of thine enemies overtakes thee or else three days of the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.
13 Then David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait; let me fall now into the hand of the LORD, for very great are his mercies, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.
14 So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel; and seventy thousand men of Israel fell. 15 And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it; and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented of that evil and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thy hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan, the Jebusite.
16 And David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the heaven and the earth, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. 17 And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? Even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be against me and against my father's house, but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.