2 King David said to Joab, the commander of the army who was with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and count the people. That way I will know how many there are.”
3 Joab responded to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the people a hundred times over, and may Your Majesty ⌊live⌋ to see it. But why does Your Majesty wish to do this?”
4 However, the king overruled Joab and the commanders of the army. So they left the king ⌊in order⌋ to count the people of Israel.
5 They crossed the Jordan River and camped at Aroer, south of the city in the middle of the valley. Then they went to Gad and to Jazer.
6 They went to Gilead and to Tahtim Hodshi and then to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon.
7 They went to the fortified city of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Then they went to Beersheba in the Negev of Judah.
8 When they had covered the whole country, they came to Jerusalem after 9 months and 20 days.