Joabsaid,"May the LORDaddto His peoplea hundredtimesas many as they are! But, my lordthe king,are they not allmy lord'sservants?Whydoes my lordseekthisthing?Whyshould he be a causeof guiltto Israel?"
Then AbimelechcalledAbrahamand saidto him, "Whathave you doneto us? And howhave I sinnedagainst you, that you have broughton me and on my kingdoma greatsin?You have doneto me thingsthat ought not to be done."
"He will giveup Israelon accountof the sinsof Jeroboam,whichhe committedand with whichhe made Israelto sin."
Then KingJehoashcalledfor Jehoiadathe priest,and for the [other] priestsand saidto them, "Whydo you not repairthe damagesof the house?Nowtherefore takeno[more] moneyfrom your acquaintances,but payit for the damagesof the house."
"Be strong,and let us showourselves courageousfor the sakeof our peopleand for the citiesof our God;and may the LORDdowhatis goodin His sight."
Nevertheless, the king'swordprevailedagainstJoab.Therefore, Joabdepartedand wentthroughout allIsrael,and cameto Jerusalem.
May the LORDgiveyou increase,You and your children.
"Whenyou takea censusof the sonsof Israelto numberthem, then eachoneof them shall givea ransomfor himselfto the LORD,when you numberthem, so that there will be noplagueamong them when you numberthem.
Then Mosessaidto Aaron,"Whatdid thispeopledoto you, that you have brought[such] greatsinupon them?"
In a multitudeof peopleis a king'sglory,But in the dearthof peopleis a prince'sruin.
You have increasedthe nation,O LORD,You have increasedthe nation,You are glorified;You have extendedallthe bordersof the land.
"Your descendantswould have beenlike the sand,And your offspringlike its grains;Their namewould neverbe cutoffor destroyedfrom My presence."
May the LORD,the Godof your fathers,increaseyou a thousand-foldmorethan you are and blessyou, justas He has promisedyou!
They cameto the sonsof Reubenand to the sonsof Gadand to the half-tribeof Manasseh,to the landof Gilead,and they spokewith them saying,
"No,my sons;for the reportis not goodwhichI hearthe LORD'Speoplecirculating.
