6. Joab did not count the tribes of Levi and Benjamin because he did not like King David’s order.
7. David had done a bad thing in God’s sight, so God punished Israel.
8. Then David said to God, “I have done something very foolish. I have committed a terrible sin by counting the Israelites. Now, I beg you to take the sin away from me, your servant.”
13. David said to Gad, “I am in trouble! I don’t want some man to decide my punishment. The Lord is very merciful, so let him decide how to punish me.”
14. So the Lord sent terrible sicknesses to Israel, and 70,000 people died.