1. The Lord was angry with Israel again, and he made David think it would be a good idea to count the people in Israel and Judah.
2. So David told Joab and the army officers, “Go to every tribe in Israel, from the town of Dan in the north all the way south to Beersheba, and count everyone who can serve in the army. I want to know how many there are.”
3. Joab answered, “I hope the Lord your God will give you a hundred times more soldiers than you already have. I hope you will live to see that day! But why do you want to do a thing like this?”
4. But when David refused to change his mind, Joab and the army officers went out and started counting the people.
5. They crossed the River Jordan and began with Aroer and the town in the middle of the river valley. From there they went towards Gad and on as far as Jazer.
6. They went to Gilead and to Kadesh in Syria. Then they went to Dan, Ijon, and on towards Sidon.
7. They came to the fortress of Tyre, then went through every town of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Finally, they went to Beersheba in the Southern Desert of Judah.
8. After they had gone through the whole land, they went back to Jerusalem. It had taken them nine months and twenty days.
9. Joab came and told David, “In Israel there are eight hundred thousand who can serve in the army, and in Judah there are five hundred thousand.”
10. After David had everyone counted, he felt guilty and told the Lord, “What I did was stupid and terribly wrong. Lord, please forgive me.”
11. Before David even got up the next morning, the Lord had told David's prophet Gad
12-13. to take a message to David. Gad went to David and told him:You must choose one of three ways for the Lord to punish you: will there be seven years when the land won't grow enough food for your people? Or will your enemies chase you and make you run from them for three months? Or will there be three days of horrible disease in your land? Think about it and decide, because I have to give your answer to God, who sent me.
14. David was really frightened and said, “It's a terrible choice to make! But the Lord is kind, and I'd rather be punished by him than by anyone else.”