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2 Samuel 24:1-9
Contemporary English Version
2 Samuel 24:1-9
Contemporary English Version
David Counts the People
(1 Chronicles 21.1-6)
24 The Lord was angry with Israel again, and he made David think it would be a good idea to count the people in Israel and Judah. 2 So David told Joab and the army officers,[a] “Go to every tribe in Israel, from the town of Dan in the north all the way south to Beersheba, and count everyone who can serve in the army. I want to know how many there are.”
3 Joab answered, “I hope the Lord your God will give you 100 times more soldiers than you already have. I hope you will live to see that day! But why do you want to do a thing like this?”
4 But when David refused to change his mind, Joab and the army officers went out and started counting the people. 5 They crossed the Jordan River and began with[b] Aroer and the town in the middle of the river valley. From there they went toward Gad and on as far as Jazer. 6 They went to Gilead and to Kadesh in Syria.[c] Then they went to Dan, Ijon,[d] and on toward Sidon. 7 They came to the fortress of Tyre, then went through every town of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Finally, they went to Beersheba in the Southern Desert of Judah. 8 After they had gone through the whole land, they went back to Jerusalem. It had taken them 9 months and 20 days.
9 Joab came and told David, “In Israel there are 800,000 who can serve in the army, and in Judah there are 500,000.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 24.2 Joab … officers: Some manuscripts of one ancient translation (see 24.4); 1 Chronicles 21.2; Hebrew “Joab, the officer of the army.”
- 24.5 began with: Some manuscripts of one ancient translation; Hebrew “set up camp in.”
- 24.6 Kadesh in Syria: Or “the lower slopes of Mount Hermon.”
- 24.6 Dan, Ijon: Or “Danjaan,” an unknown place.
2 Samuel 24:1-9
New International Version
2 Samuel 24:1-9
New International Version
David Enrolls the Fighting Men(A)
24 Again(B) the anger of the Lord burned against Israel,(C) and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of(D) Israel and Judah.”
2 So the king said to Joab(E) and the army commanders[a] with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba(F) and enroll(G) the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.”
3 But Joab(H) replied to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over,(I) 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,(J) south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer.(K) 6 They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon.(L) 7 Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre(M) and all the towns of the Hivites(N) and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba(O) in the Negev(P) 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.(Q)
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 24:2 Septuagint (see also verse 4 and 1 Chron. 21:2); Hebrew Joab the army commander
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