4 But the king commanded Joab, so Joab left and went through all Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
5 Joab gave the list of the people to David. There were one million one hundred thousand men in all of Israel who could use the sword, and there were four hundred seventy thousand men in Judah who could use the sword.
6 But Joab did not count the tribes of Levi and Benjamin, because he didn’t like King David’s order.
7 David had done something God had said was wrong, so God punished Israel.
8 Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by what I have done! Now, I beg you to forgive me, your servant, because I have been very foolish.”
9 The Lord said to Gad, who was David’s seer,
10 “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I offer you three choices. Choose one of them and I will do it.’ ”