1. The Lord became angry with Israel again, so he provoked David to turn against Israel. He said, “Go, count Israel and Judah.”
2. King David said to Joab, the commander of the army who was with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and count the people. That way I will know how many there are.”
3. Joab responded to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the people a hundred times over, and may Your Majesty ⌊live⌋ to see it. But why does Your Majesty wish to do this?”