1 Chronicles 21:18-27

Expanded Bible

¹⁸ Then the angel of the Lord ·told [ordered; commanded] Gad to tell David that he should build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of ·Araunah [or Ornan; or Aravna; 2 Sam. 24:16] the Jebusite. ¹⁹ So David ·did what Gad told him to do, [went up as Gad had spoken/instructed/commanded] in the name of the Lord.

²⁰ ·Araunah [or Ornan; or Aravna; 2 Sam. 24:16] was ·separating the wheat from the straw [threshing wheat]. When he turned around, he saw the angel. Araunah’s four sons who were with him hid themselves. ²¹ David came to Araunah, and when Araunah saw him, he left the threshing floor and bowed facedown on the ground before David.

²² David said to him, “·Sell me [Let me have] your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the Lord here. Then the ·terrible disease will stop [plague will be lifted from the people]. ·Sell it to me for the full price [I’ll pay top price; ^LFull silver].”

²³ ·Araunah [or Ornan; or Aravna; v. 18] said to David, “Take this threshing floor. My master the king, do ·anything you want [^Lwhatever is good in your eyes]. Look, I will also give you oxen for the whole burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17], the threshing ·boards [sledges; sleds] for the wood, and wheat for the ·grain [^Lgift; tribute] offering [Lev. 2:1]. I give everything to you.”

²⁴ But King David answered Araunah, “No, I ·will pay [insist on paying] the full price for the land. I won’t take anything that is yours and give it to the Lord. I won’t offer a burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] that costs me nothing.”

²⁵ So David paid ·Araunah [or Ornan; or Aravna; v. 18] ·about fifteen pounds [^Lsix hundred shekels] of gold for the place. ²⁶ David built an altar to the Lord there [^Cthe site of the future Temple; 2 Chr. 3:1] and offered whole burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1]. David ·prayed to [called on] the Lord, and he answered him by sending down fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. ²⁷ Then the Lord commanded the angel to put his sword back into its ·holder [sheath].