1 Chronicles 21:1-17 - The Census Of David
1 Satan wanted to bring trouble on the people of Israel. He made David decide to take a census. 2 David gave orders to Joab and the other officers. He said: Go through Israel, from one end of the country to the other, and count the people. I want to know how many there are.
3 Joab answered: May Jehovah make the people of Israel a hundred times more numerous than they are now! They are all your servants, Your Majesty. Why do you want to do this and make the whole nation guilty?
4 But the king made Joab obey the order. Joab traveled through the whole country of Israel, and then returned to Jerusalem. 5 He reported to King David the total number of men capable of military service. There were one million one hundred thousand in Israel and four hundred seventy thousand in Judah. 6 Because Joab disapproved of the king's command, he did not take any census of the tribes of Levi and Benjamin. 7 God was displeased with what had been done, so he punished Israel.
8 David said to God: I have committed a terrible sin in doing this! Please forgive me. I have acted foolishly. 9 Jehovah said to Gad, David's prophet: 10 Tell David that I am giving him three choices. I will do whichever he chooses.
11 Gad went to David and told him what Jehovah said. He asked: Which is it to be? 12 Three years of famine? Three months of running away from the armies of your enemies? Or: three days in which Jehovah attacks you with his sword and sends an epidemic on your land. He will use his angel to bring death throughout Israel? What answer shall I give Jehovah?
13 David replied to Gad: I am in a desperate situation! But I do not want to be punished by the people. Let Jehovah be the one to punish me, because he is merciful.
14 Therefore Jehovah sent an epidemic on the people of Israel, and seventy thousand of them died. 15 Then God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. Then he changed his mind. He said to the angel: Stop! That is enough! The angel was standing at the threshing place of Araunah, a Jebusite.
16 David saw the angel standing in midair, holding his sword in his hand, ready to destroy Jerusalem. Then David and the leaders of the people, all of whom were wearing sackcloth bowed low, with their faces touching the ground. 17 David prayed: O God, I am the one who did wrong. I am the one who ordered the census. What have these poor people done? Jehovah, my God, punish my family, and me and spare your people.