15. God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing it, the Lord saw it. He was very sad because of the plague. So he spoke to the angel who was destroying the people. He said, "That is enough! Do not kill any more people!" The angel of the Lord was standing at Araunah's threshing floor. Araunah was from the city of Jebus.
16. David looked up. He saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth. The angel was holding out a sword over Jerusalem. David and the elders fell with their faces to the ground. They were wearing black clothes.
17. David said to God, "I ordered the fighting men to be counted. I'm the one who has sinned. I'm the one who has done what is wrong. These people are like sheep. What have they done? Lord my God, let your powerful hand punish me and my family. But don't let this plague continue to strike your people."
18. Then the angel of the Lord ordered Gad to tell David to go up to the threshing floor of Araunah, the Jebusite. He wanted David to build an altar there to honor the Lord.
19. So David went up and did it. He obeyed the message that Gad had spoken in the Lord's name.
20. Araunah was threshing wheat. He turned and saw the angel. His four children were with him. They hid themselves.
21. David approached the threshing floor. Araunah looked up and saw him. So Araunah left the threshing floor. He bowed down to David with his face toward the ground.
22. David said to him, "Let me have the property your threshing floor is on. I want to build an altar there to honor the Lord. When I do, the plague on the people will be stopped. Sell the threshing floor to me for the full price."
23. Araunah said to David, "Take it! King David, you are my master. Do what you please. I'll even provide the oxen for the burnt offerings. Use boards from the threshing sleds for the wood. Use the wheat for the grain offering. I'll give all of it to you."