1 Chronicles 21:2-4

Christian Standard Bible Anglicised

² So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, ‘Go and count Israel from Beer-sheba to Dan and bring a report to me so I can know their number.’^(A)

³ Joab replied, ‘May the Lord multiply the number of his people a hundred times over!^(B) My lord the king, aren’t they all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel? ’

⁴ Yet the king’s order prevailed over Joab. So Joab left and travelled throughout Israel and then returned to Jerusalem.