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."
24. But King David replied to Araunah, "No! I want to pay the full price. I won't take what belongs to you and give it to the Lord. I won't sacrifice a burnt offering that hasn't cost me anything."
25. So David paid Araunah 15 pounds of gold for the property.
26. David built an altar there to honor the Lord. He sacrificed burnt offerings and friendship offerings. He called out to the Lord. The Lord answered him by sending fire from heaven on the altar for burnt offerings.
27. Then the Lord spoke to the angel. And the angel put his sword away.
28. When the angel did that, David was still at the threshing floor of Araunah, the Jebusite. David saw that the Lord had answered him. So he offered sacrifices there.
29. At that time, the Lord's holy tent was at the high place in Gibeon. The altar for burnt offerings was there too. Moses had made the holy tent in the desert.