1 Chronicles 21:16-18

21st Century King James Version

¹⁶ And David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

¹⁷ And David said unto God, “Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? Even I it is who have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? Let Thine hand, I pray Thee, O Lord my God, be on me and on my father’s house, but not on Thy people, that they should be plagued.”

¹⁸ Then the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David that David should go up and set up an altar unto the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.