1 Chronicles 21:1-7
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
The Census and Plague
21 [a]Satan stood up against Israel, and incited David to number Israel. 2 So David said to Jo′ab and the commanders of the army, “Go, number Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan, and bring me a report, that I may know their number.” 3 But Jo′ab said, “May the Lord add to his people a hundred times as many as they are! Are they not, my lord the king, all of them my lord’s servants? Why then should my lord require this? Why should he bring guilt upon Israel?” 4 But the king’s word prevailed against Jo′ab. So Jo′ab departed and went throughout all Israel, and came back to Jerusalem. 5 And Jo′ab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to David. In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and in Judah four hundred and seventy thousand who drew the sword. 6 But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, for the king’s command was abhorrent to Jo′ab.
7 But God was displeased with this thing, and he smote Israel.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 21–end 21–end: In these chapters the Chronicler enlarges on the organization of divine worship and of the clergy charged with carrying it out. He records the erection of a (permanent) altar to Yahweh on the site of the future temple and even describes David’s preparation for the temple construction.
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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