2 Samuel 24:16–25

¹⁶Then the angel extended his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it,ⁿ but the Lord relented concerning the destruction^o and said to the angel who was destroying^p the people, “Enough, withdraw your hand now!” The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.^q

¹⁷When David saw the angel striking the people, he said to the Lord, “Look, I am the one who has sinned; I am the one^B who has done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let your hand be against me and my father’s family.”

DAVID’S ALTAR

¹⁸Gad came to David that day and said to him, “Go up and set up an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” ¹⁹David went up in obedience to Gad’s command, just as the Lord had commanded. ²⁰Araunah looked down and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, so he went out and paid homage to the king with his face to the ground.

²¹Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”

David replied, “To buy the threshing floor from you in order to build an altar to the Lord, so the plague on the people may be halted.”^a

²²Araunah said to David, “My lord the king may take whatever he wants^C and offer it. Here are the oxen for a burnt offering and the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.^{b 23}Your Majesty, Araunah gives everything here to the king.” Then he said to the king, “May the Lord your God accept you.”

²⁴The king answered Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it from you for a price, for I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for twenty ounces^D of silver. ²⁵He built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord was receptive to prayer for the land,^c and the plague on Israel ended.