2
And the king said to Joab, the prince of his host, Go thou by all the lineages of Israel, from Dan till to Beersheba, and number thou the people, that I know the number thereof. (And the king said to Joab, the leader of his army, Go thou through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan unto Beersheba, and count the people, so that I can know their number.)
3
And Joab said to the king, Thy Lord God increase to this people, how great it is now, and again multiply he it an hundredfold in the sight of my lord the king; but what will my lord the king to himself in such a thing? (And Joab said to the king, May the Lord thy God increase this people to be more numerous than they be now, and may he multiply them a hundredfold before my lord the king; but why would my lord the king desire to do such a thing as to count the people?)
4
But the word of the king overcame the words of Joab, and of the princes of the host; and Joab went out, and the princes of the knights, from the face of the king, that they should number the people of Israel. (But the king's word overruled what Joab and the other leaders of the army said; and so Joab, and the leaders of the horsemen, went out from before the king, to count the people of Israel.)
5
And when they had passed [over] Jordan (And when they had crossed over the Jordan River), they came into Aroer, to the right side of the city that is in the valley of Gad; and they passed forth by Jazer
6
into Gilead, and into the lower land of Hodshi, and they came into the woody places of Dan; and they went about beside Sidon, (to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtimhodshi, and they came to Danjaan; and they went about beside Sidon,)
7
and passed nigh the walls of Tyre, and nigh all the land of Hivites, and of Canaanites; and they came to the south of Judah, in[to] Beersheba.
8
And when all the land was compassed, they came after nine months and twenty days into Jerusalem. (And when they had gone throughout all the land, they came back to Jerusalem after nine months and twenty days.)
9
And so Joab gave the number of [the] describing of the people to the king. And of Israel were found nine hundred thousand of strong men, that drew out sword; and of Judah five hundred thousand of fighters. (And so Joab gave the census count to the king. And there were found in Israel eight hundred thousand strong men who drew out the sword; and in Judah five hundred thousand fighting men.)
10
And the heart of David smote him, that is, his conscience reproved him, after that the people was numbered; and David said to the Lord, I have sinned greatly in this deed; but, Lord, I pray, that thou turn away the wickedness of thy servant, for I have done full follily. (And then David's heart struck him, that is, his conscience rebuked him, after that the people were counted; and David said to the Lord, I have greatly sinned by doing this deed; but, Lord, I pray thee, that thou turn away thy servant's wickedness, yea, what I have done so foolishly.)
11
Therefore David rose (up) early; and the word of the Lord was made to Gad, the prophet and seer, and said,
12
Go thou, and speak to David (Go thou, and say to David), The Lord saith these things, The choice of three things is given to thee; choose thou one, which thou wilt of these, that I do to thee.