17. Then David said to God, “Was it not I who gave a command to count the people? Now I am he who has sinned, and I have certainly done wickedness, but these sheep, what have they done? O Yahweh, my God, please let your hand be against me and against the house of my father, but against your people, let there be no plague.”
18. Now the angel of Yahweh had spoken to Gad to say to David that David should go up and erect an altar for Yahweh.
19. So David went up at the word of Gad that he had spoken in the name of Yahweh.
20. Now Ornan was threshing wheat, and Ornan turned and saw the angel, and his four sons with him hid themselves.
21. Then David came to Ornan, and Ornan looked and saw David. And he went out from the threshing floor, and they bowed down to David, faces to the ground.
22. Then David said to Ornan, “Please give me the place, the threshing floor, that I might build an altar on it to Yahweh; at full price please give it to me, that the plague against the people might be stopped.”