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Texts -- 2 Samuel 24:1-14 (NET)

Context
David Displeases the Lord by Taking a Census
24:1 The Lord’s anger again raged against Israel , and he incited David against them, saying , “Go count Israel and Judah .” 24:2 The king told Joab , the general in command of his army , “Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba and muster the army , so I may know the size of the army .” 24:3 Joab replied to the king , “May the Lord your God make the army a hundred times larger right before the eyes of my lord the king ! But why does my master the king want to do this ?” 24:4 But the king’s edict stood , despite the objections of Joab and the leaders of the army . So Joab and the leaders of the army left the king’s presence in order to muster the Israelite army . 24:5 They crossed the Jordan and camped at Aroer , on the south side of the city , at the wadi of Gad , near Jazer . 24:6 Then they went on to Gilead and to the region of Tahtim Hodshi , coming to Dan Jaan and on around to Sidon . 24:7 Then they went to the fortress of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and the Canaanites . Then they went on to the Negev of Judah , to Beer Sheba . 24:8 They went through all the land and after nine months and twenty days came back to Jerusalem . 24:9 Joab reported the number of warriors to the king . In Israel there were 800,000 sword-wielding warriors , and in Judah there were 500,000 soldiers . 24:10 David felt guilty after he had numbered the army . David said to the Lord , “I have sinned greatly by doing this! Now , O Lord , please remove the guilt of your servant , for I have acted very foolishly .” 24:11 When David got up the next morning , the Lord had already spoken to Gad the prophet , David’s seer : 24:12 “Go , tell David , ‘This is what the Lord says : I am offering you three forms of judgment. Pick one of them and I will carry it out against you.’” 24:13 Gad went to David and told him, “Shall seven years of famine come upon your land ? Or shall you flee for three months from your enemy with him in hot pursuit ? Or shall there be three days of plague in your land ? Now decide what I should tell the one who sent me.” 24:14 David said to Gad , “I am very upset ! I prefer that we be attacked by the Lord , for his mercy is great ; I do not want to be attacked by men !”

Pericope

NET
  • 2Sa 24:1-17 -- David Displeases the Lord by Taking a Census

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