2 Samuel 24:1-3

Evangelical Heritage Version

The Census

24 The anger of the Lord burned against Israel again, and he incited David against them so that he said, “Go count Israel and Judah.”

² The king said to Joab, the commander of his army, “Travel through all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and register the fighting men. Then I will know how many there are.”

³ Joab said to the king, “The Lord your God will make the people a hundred times larger, however many they may be, and the eyes of my lord the king will see it. But why does my lord the king have such a strong desire to do this?”