6 Then they went to Gilead and the land of Tahtim Hodshi. Next they went to Dan Jaan and around to Sidon.
7 They went to the strong, walled city of Tyre. They also went to all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went to southern Judah, to Beersheba.
8 After 9 months and 20 days, they had gone through all the land. Then they came back to Jerusalem.
9 Joab gave the list of the people to the king. There were 800,000 men in Israel who could use the sword. And there were 500,000 men in Judah.
10 David felt ashamed after he had counted the people. He said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done! Lord, I beg you, forgive my sin! I have been very foolish.”
11 Before David got up in the morning, the Lord spoke his word to Gad. He was a prophet and David’s seer.
12 The Lord told Gad, “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I offer you three choices. Choose one for me to do to you.’”