Study Desk

^(C1)Now ^(C2)the anger of the LORD burned against Israel again, and He incited David against them to say, "^(C3)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, ^(C1)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, "^(C1)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 ^(C1)Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the middle of the Valley of Gad and toward ^(C2)Jazer.

Then they came to Gilead and to ^(F1)the land of Tahtim-hodshi, and they came to Dan-jaan and around to ^(C1)Sidon,

then they came to the ^(C1)fortress of Tyre and to all the cities of the ^(C2)Hivites and of the Canaanites, and they went out to the south of Judah, to ^(C3)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 ^(C1)the number of the census of the people to the king: in Israel there were ^(C2)eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

Now ^(C1)David's heart ^(F1)troubled him after he had counted the people. So David said to the LORD, "^(C2)I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, LORD, please ^(F2)overlook the guilt of Your servant, for ^(C3)I have acted very foolishly."

When David got up in the morning, the word of the LORD came to ^(C1)Gad the prophet, David's ^(C2)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 ^(C1)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, ^(C1)for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into human hands."