1Now Satan, designing evil against Israel, put into David's mind the impulse to take the number of Israel.
2And David said to Joab and the captains of the people, Now let all Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan, be numbered; and give me word so that I may be certain of their number.
3And Joab said, May the Lord make his people a hundred times more in number than they are; but, my lord king, are they not all my lord's servants? why would my lord have this done? why will he become a cause of sin to Israel?
4But the king's word was stronger than Joab's. So Joab went out and went through all Israel and came to Jerusalem.
5And Joab gave David the number of all the people; all the men of Israel, able to take up arms, were one million, one hundred thousand men; and those of Judah were four hundred and seventy thousand men, able to take up arms.
6But Levi and Benjamin were not numbered among them, for Joab was disgusted with the king's order.
7And God was not pleased with this thing; so he sent punishment on Israel.
