17. David said to God, “I’m the one who ordered the people to be counted. I am the one who sinned and did wrong. What have these sheep done? Lord my God, let your punishment be against me and my father’s family, but don’t punish your people with a plague.”
18. The Lord’s Messenger told Gad to tell David to go and set up an altar for the Lord at Ornan the Jebusite’s threshing floor.
19. David went as Gad had told him in the Lord’s name.
20. Now, Ornan had turned around and seen the Messenger. Ornan’s four sons who were with him hid, but Ornan kept on threshing the wheat.
21. When David arrived, Ornan looked up and saw him. So he left the threshing floor and bowed down with his face touching the ground in front of David.