2 Samuel 24 1-2 Samuel 24 15
Now the anger of the Lord burned against Israel again, and He incited David against them to say,“ Go, count Israel and Judah.”So the king said to Joab the commander of the army, who was with him,“ Roam about now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and conduct a census of the people, so that I may know the number of the people.”But Joab said to the king,“ May the Lord your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king can still see; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?”Nevertheless, the king’s order prevailed against Joab and against the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army left the presence of the king to conduct a census of the people of Israel.They crossed the Jordan and camped in Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the middle of the Valley of Gad and toward Jazer.Then they came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtim hodshi, and they came to Dan jaan and around to Sidon,then they came to the fortress of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and of the Canaanites, and they went out to the south of Judah, to Beersheba.So when they had roamed about through the whole land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.And Joab gave the number of the census of the people to the king: in Israel there were eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.Now David’s heart troubled him after he had counted the people. So David said to the Lord,“ I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, Lord, please overlook the guilt of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”When David got up in the morning, the word of the Lord came to Gad the prophet, David’s seer, saying,“ Go and speak to David,‘ This is what the Lord says:“ I am imposing upon you three choices; choose for yourself one of them, and I will do it to you.” ’ ”So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him,“ Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee for three months before your enemies while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ of plague in your land? Now consider and see what answer I shall return to Him who sent me.”Then David said to Gad,“ I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel from the morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand men of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.
1 Chronicles 21 1-1 Chronicles 21 17
Then Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to count Israel.So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people,“ Go, count Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring me word so that I may know their number.”But Joab said,“ May the Lord add to His people a hundred times as many as they are! My lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord seek this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt to Israel?”Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore, Joab departed and went throughout Israel, and came to Jerusalem.Then Joab gave the number of the census of the people to David. Israel was 1,100,000 men in all who drew the sword; and Judah was 470,000 men who drew the sword.But he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them, because the king’s command was abhorrent to Joab.Now God was displeased with this thing, so He struck Israel.David said to God,“ I have sinned greatly, by doing this thing. But now, please overlook Your servant’s guilt, for I have behaved very foolishly.”The Lord spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying,“ Go and speak to David, saying,‘ This is what the Lord says:“ I extend to you three choices; choose for yourself one of them, which I will do to you.” ’ ”So Gad came to David and said to him,“ This is what the Lord says:‘ Take for yourselfthree years of famine, or three months to be swept away before your foes while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the Lord: a plague in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout the territory of Israel.’ Now, therefore, consider what answer I shall bring back to Him who sent me.”David said to Gad,“ I am in great distress; please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are very great. But do not let me fall into human hands.”So the Lord sent a plague on Israel; seventy thousand men of Israel fell.And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy it, the Lord saw and was sorry about the catastrophe, and said to the destroying angel,“ It is enough; now relax your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.Then David raised his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, covered with sackcloth, fell on their faces.And David said to God,“ Is it not I who commanded to count the people? Indeed, I am the one who has sinned and acted very wickedly, but these sheep, what have they done? Lord, my God, just let Your hand be against me and my father’s household, and not against Your people as a plague.”