15 And God sent [a]an (A)angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As [b]he was destroying, the Lord looked and (B)relented of the disaster, and said to the angel who was destroying, “It is enough; now restrain [c]your hand.” And the angel of the Lord stood by the (C)threshing floor of [d]Ornan the Jebusite.

16 Then David lifted his eyes and (D)saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. So David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces. 17 And David said to God, “Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these (E)sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O Lord my God, be against me and my father’s house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.”

18 Therefore, the (F)angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David that David should go and erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 19 So David went up at the word of Gad, which he had spoken in the name of the Lord. 20 Now Ornan turned and saw the angel; and his four sons who were with him hid themselves, but Ornan continued threshing wheat. 21 So David came to Ornan, and Ornan looked and saw David. And he went out from the threshing floor, and bowed before David with his face to the ground.

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21 Then Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”

(A)And David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, to build an altar to the Lord, that (B)the plague may be withdrawn from the people.”

22 Now Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up whatever seems good to him. (C)Look, here are oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing implements and the yokes of the oxen for wood. 23 All these, O king, Araunah has given to the king.”

And Araunah said to the king, “May the Lord your God (D)accept you.”

24 Then the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing.” So (E)David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

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25 So (A)David gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the place. 26 And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called on the Lord; and (B)He answered him from heaven by fire on the altar of burnt offering.

27 So the Lord commanded the angel, and he returned his sword to its sheath.

28 At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there. 29 (C)For the tabernacle of the Lord and the altar of the burnt offering, which Moses had made in the wilderness, were at that time at the high place in (D)Gibeon. 30 But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord.

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Praise for the Lord’s Mercies

A Psalm of David.

103 Bless (A)the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
(B)Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who (C)heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
(D)Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that (E)your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed.
(F)He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel.
(G)The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
(H)He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
10 (I)He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He (J)removed our transgressions from us.
13 (K)As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
14 For He [a]knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, (L)his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 (M)For the wind passes over it, and it is [b]gone,
And (N)its place remembers it no more.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
18 (O)To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

19 The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
And (P)His kingdom rules over all.

20 (Q)Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, who (R)do His word,
Heeding the voice of His word.
21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
(S)You [c]ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
22 Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 103:14 Understands our constitution
  2. Psalm 103:16 not
  3. Psalm 103:21 servants

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