1. And Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.
2. And David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, Go, number Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring me word, that I may know the sum of them.
3. And Joab said, The Lord make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of guilt unto Israel?
4. Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
5. And Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword;
6. But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.
7. And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.
8. And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing: but now, put away, I beseech thee, the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
9. And the Lord spake unto Gad, David's seer, saying,
10. Go and speak unto David, saying, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
11. So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Take which thou wilt;
12. either three years of famine; or three months to be consumed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the Lord, even pestilence in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore consider what answer I shall return to him that sent me.
13. And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the Lord; for very great are his mercies: and let me not fall into the hand of man.
14. So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.