2 Samuel 24:3-11

New International Version

³ But Joab^(A) replied to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over,^(B) and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”

⁴ The king’s word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel.

⁵ After crossing the Jordan, they camped near Aroer,^(C) south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer.^{(D) 6} They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon.^{(E) 7} Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre^(F) and all the towns of the Hivites^(G) and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba^(H) in the Negev^(I) of Judah.

⁸ After they had gone through the entire land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

⁹ Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand.^(J)

¹⁰ David was conscience-stricken^(K) after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, “I have sinned^(L) greatly in what I have done. Now, Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.^(M)”

¹¹ Before David got up the next morning, the word of the Lord had come to Gad^(N) the prophet, David’s seer:^(O)