Now the Philistines fought against Israel. The Israelites fled before the Philistines and many of them fell dead on Mount Gilboa.

So the Lord sent a plague through Israel, and 70,000 Israelite men died.

He was buried in the City of David ¹  with the kings, because he had accomplished good in Israel and for God and his temple.

For the music director; to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm of Asaph, a song. God has revealed himself in Judah; ²  in Israel his reputation ³  is great.

He established a rule ¹  in Jacob; he set up a law in Israel. He commanded our ancestors to make his deeds known to their descendants, ² 

When ¹  the Lord heard this, he was furious. A fire broke out against Jacob, and his anger flared up ²  against Israel,

“‘This will be their inheritance: I am their inheritance, and you must give them no property in Israel; I am their property. ¹ 

They may eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, and every devoted thing in Israel will be theirs.

All the people of the land will contribute ¹  to this offering for the prince of Israel.

When Ephraim ¹  spoke, ²  there was terror; ³  he was exalted ⁴  in Israel, but he became guilty by worshiping Baal and died.

You and Aaron are to number ¹  all in Israel who can serve in the army, ²  those who are ³  twenty years old or older, ⁴  by their divisions. ⁵ 

All the Israelites who were twenty years old or older, who could serve in Israel’s army, were numbered ¹  according to their families.

See, I have given the Levites all the tithes in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they perform – the service of the tent of meeting.

¹ When the Canaanite king of Arad ²  who lived in the Negev ³  heard that Israel was approaching along the road to Atharim, he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoner.

He ¹  has not looked on iniquity in Jacob, ²  nor has he seen trouble ³  in Israel. The Lord their God is with them; his acclamation ⁴  as king is among them.

For there is no spell against ¹  Jacob, nor is there any divination against Israel. At this time ²  it must be said ³  of Jacob and of Israel, ‘Look at ⁴  what God has done!’

“Take a census of the whole community of Israelites, from twenty years old and upward, by their clans, ¹  everyone who can serve in the army of Israel.” ² 

So the Lord’s anger was kindled against the Israelites, and he made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all that generation that had done wickedly before ¹  the Lord was finished. ² 

When it is reported to you and you hear about it, you must investigate carefully. If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing ¹  is being done in Israel,

Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, launched an attack ¹  against Israel. He summoned ²  Balaam son of Beor to call down judgment ³  on you.