2 Samuel 24:3

Easy-to-Read Version

But Joab said to the king, "May the Lord your God give you 100 times as many people, no matter how many there are! And may your eyes see this thing happen. But why do you want to do this?"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times more than they are—while my lord the king looks on! But why does my lord the king want to do this?”

Hebrew Names Version
Yo'av said to the king, Now the LORD your God add to the people, however many they may be, one hundred times; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it: but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?

King James Version
And Joab said unto the king, Now the Lord thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?

English Standard Version
But Joab said to the king, "May the Lord your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see it, but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?"

New Century Version
But Joab said to the king, "May the Lord your God give you a hundred times more people, and may my master the king live to see this happen. Why do you want to do this?"

New English Translation
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?"

Amplified Bible
But Joab said to the king, "May the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times as many as there are, and let the eyes of my lord the king see it; but why does my lord the king want to do this thing?"

New American Standard Bible
But Joab said to the king, "May the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king can still see; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Ioab saide vnto the King, The Lorde thy God increase the people an hundreth folde mo then they be, and that the eyes of my lorde the King may see it: but why doeth my lord the King desire this thing?

Legacy Standard Bible
But Joab said to the king, "Now may Yahweh your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?"

Contemporary English Version
Joab answered, "I hope the Lord your God will give you a hundred times more soldiers than you already have. I hope you will live to see that day! But why do you want to do a thing like this?"

Complete Jewish Bible
Yo'av said to the king, "May Adonai your God add to the people a hundredfold, no matter how many there are; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king take pleasure in doing this?"

Darby Translation
And Joab said to the king, May Jehovah thy God even add to the people, how many soever they be, a hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see [it]; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?

George Lamsa Translation
And Joab said to the king, May the LORD your God add to the people a hundredfold, howsoever many they be, so that the eyes of my lord the king may see it; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?

Good News Translation
But Joab answered the king, "Your Majesty, may the Lord your God make the people of Israel a hundred times more numerous than they are now, and may you live to see him do it. But why does Your Majesty want to do this?"

Lexham English Bible
Then Joab said to the king, "May Yahweh your God increase the people a hundred times what they are as the eyes of my lord the king are seeing. But my lord the king, why does he desire this thing?"

Literal Translation
And Joab said to the king, Yea, may Jehovah your God add to the people, however many they may be, a hundredfold. And may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king delight in this thing?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Ioab sayde vnto the kynge: The LORDE thy God adde vnto this people an hundreth tymes as moch as it is now, that my lorde the kynge maye se his eyes lust theron. But why hath my lorde the kynge a desyre to this thinge?

American Standard Version
And Joab said unto the king, Now Jehovah thy God add unto the people, how many soever they may be, a hundredfold; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?

Bible in Basic English
And Joab said to the king, Whatever the number of the people, may the Lord make it a hundred times as much, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it: but why does my lord the king take pleasure in doing this thing?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Ioab saide vnto the king: The Lorde thy God encrease the people an hundreth folde mo then they be, & that the eyes of my lorde the king may see it: And what is the cause that my lorde the king hath a lust to this thyng?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Joab said unto the king: 'Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they may be, a hundredfold, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it; but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?'

King James Version (1611)
And Ioab sayde vnto the King, Now the Lord thy God adde vnto the people (how many soeuer they be) an hundred folde, and that the eyes of my lorde the king may see it: but why doeth my lord the king delight in this thing?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Joab said to the king, Now may the Lord add to the people a hundred-fold as many as they are, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it: but why does my lord the king desire this thing?

English Revised Version
And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?

Berean Standard Bible
But Joab replied to the king, "May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Joab seide to the kyng, Thi Lord God encresse to this puple, `hou greet it is now, and eft multiplie he an hundrid fold in the siyt of my lord the kyng; but what wole my lord the kyng to hym silf in sich a thing?

Young's Literal Translation
And Joab saith unto the king, `Yea, Jehovah thy God doth add unto the people, as they are, a hundred times, and the eyes of my lord the king are seeing; and my lord the king, why is he desirous of this thing?'

Update Bible Version
And Joab said to the king, May Yahweh your God add to the people, however many they may be, a hundredfold; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it: but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?

Webster's Bible Translation
And Joab said to the king, Now the LORD thy God add to the people, how many soever they may be, a hundred-fold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see [it]: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?

World English Bible
Joab said to the king, Now Yahweh your God add to the people, however many they may be, one hundred times; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it: but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?

New King James Version
And Joab said to the king, "Now may the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times more than there are, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king desire this thing?"

New Living Translation
But Joab replied to the king, "May the Lord your God let you live to see a hundred times as many people as there are now! But why, my lord the king, do you want to do this?"

New Life Bible
But Joab said to the king, "May the Lord your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are. And may it be while the eyes of my lord the king still see. But why does my lord the king find this thing pleasing?"

New Revised Standard
But Joab said to the king, "May the Lord your God increase the number of the people a hundredfold, while the eyes of my lord the king can still see it! But why does my lord the king want to do this?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Joab unto the king - Yea, Yahweh thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, a hundredfold, and suffer the eyes of my lord the king, to see it, - but, my lord the king, wherefore doth he find pleasure in this thing?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Joab said to the king: The Lord thy God increase thy people, and make them as many more as they are now, and again multiply them a hundredfold in the sight of my lord the king: but what meaneth my lord the king by this kind of thing?

Revised Standard Version
But Jo'ab said to the king, "May the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see it; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?"

THE MESSAGE
But Joab resisted the king: "May your God multiply people by the hundreds right before the eyes of my master the king, but why on earth would you do a thing like this?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But Joab said to the king, "Now may the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?"

Contextual Overview

¹ The Lord was angry with Israel again. He caused David to turn against the Israelites. He told David, "Go count the people of Israel and Judah." ² King David said to Joab, the captain of the army, "Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba, and count the people. Then I will know how many people there are." ³ But Joab said to the king, "May the Lord your God give you 100 times as many people, no matter how many there are! And may your eyes see this thing happen. But why do you want to do this?" ⁴ King David strongly commanded Joab and the other captains of the army to count the people. So they went out from the king to count the people of Israel. ⁵ After they crossed over the Jordan River, they made their camp in Aroer on the right side of the city. (The city is in the middle of the valley of Gad, on the way to Jazer.) ⁶ Then they went east to Gilead, all the way to Tahtim Hodshi. Then they went north to Dan Jaan and around to Sidon. ⁷ They went to the fort of Tyre. They went to all the cities of the Hivites and of the Canaanites. Then they went south to Beersheba in the southern part of Judah. ⁸ It took them nine months and 20 days for them to go through the country. After nine months and 20 days 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.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

2 Samuel 10:12, 1 Chronicles 21:3, 1 Chronicles 21:4, Psalms 115:14, Proverbs 14:28, Isaiah 60:5

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 1:11 - make you 2 Samuel 24:21 - Wherefore 1 Kings 1:37 - and make 1 Kings 1:48 - mine eyes 2 Chronicles 24:6 - Why hast thou Jonah 1:10 - Why

Cross-References

Genesis 14:19
He blessed Abram and said, "Abram, may you be blessed by God Most High, the one who made heaven and earth.

Genesis 14:22
But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I promise to the Lord , the God Most High, the one who made heaven and earth.

Genesis 21:23
So make a promise to me here before God. Promise that you will be fair with me and with my children. Promise that you will be kind to me and this country where you have lived. Promise that you will be as kind to me as I have been to you."

Genesis 24:3
Now I want you to make a promise to me. Promise to me before the Lord , the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry a girl from Canaan. We live among these people, but don't let him marry a Canaanite girl.

Genesis 24:4
Go back to my country, to my own people, to find a wife for my son Isaac. Bring her here to him."

Genesis 24:14
I will say to one of them, ‘Please put your jar down so that I can drink.' Let her answer show whether she is the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. If she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give water to your camels,' I will know that she is the right one. It will be proof that you have shown kindness to my master."

Genesis 24:15
Before the servant finished praying, a young woman named Rebekah came to the well. She was the daughter of Bethuel. (Bethuel was the son of Milcah and Nahor, Abraham's brother.) Rebekah came to the well with her water jar on her shoulder.

Genesis 24:17
Then the servant ran to her and said, "Please give me a little water to drink from your jar."

Genesis 24:19
As soon as she finished giving him something to drink, Rebekah said, "I will also pour some water for your camels."

Genesis 24:28
Then Rebekah ran and told her family about all these things.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Joab said unto the king,.... Not so rudely and insolently as he did on account of his mourning for Absalom, but in a more modest, decent, and polite manner:

now the Lord thy God add unto the people (how many soever they be) an hundredfold; he wished his subjects were an hundred times more numerous than they were:

and that the eyes of my lord the king may see [it]; that he might live to see with his own eyes so great an increase:

but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing? he being now old, and therefore it might seem strange to indulge such curiosity, pride, and vanity, and besides quite needless and useless: the numbering of them would not make them more or less; and they were all the king's servants, who were ready to obey him whenever he needed them, whether numbered or not; and it might be prejudicial to them, and bring down the wrath of God upon them, as well as be a troublesome and expensive business; all which, though not expressed here, is hinted at in

1 Chronicles 21:3.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 24:3. Joab said unto the king — This very bad man saw that the measure now recommended by the king was a wrong one, and might be ruinous to the people, and therefore he remonstrates against it in a very sensible speech; but the king was infatuated, and would hear no reason.