2 Samuel 24:2-4

New English Translation

² The king told Joab, the general in command of his army, “Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba and muster the army, so I may know the size of the army.”

³ Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord your God make the army a hundred times larger right before the eyes of my lord the king! But why does my master the king want to do this?”

⁴ But the king’s edict stood, despite the objections of^[a] Joab and the leaders of the army. So Joab and the leaders of the army left the king’s presence in order to muster the Israelite army.