17
And David said to God, "Was it not I who gave command to number the people? It is I who have sinned and done great evil. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand, O LORD my God, be against me and against my father's house. But do not let the plague be on your people."
18
Now the angel of the LORD had commanded Gad to say to David that David should go up and raise an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19
So David went up at Gad's word, which he had spoken in the name of the LORD.
20
Now Ornan was threshing wheat. He turned and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves.
21
As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David and went out from the threshing floor and paid homage to David with his face to the ground.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.