2 Samuel 24:18-25

Modern English Version

David Builds an Altar^(A)

¹⁸ Gad came to David that day and said to him, “Go up and erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” ¹⁹ So David went up according to the word of Gad, as the Lord commanded. ²⁰ When Araunah looked and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, he went out and bowed low to the king with his face on the ground.

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

David replied, “To purchase the threshing floor from you in order to build an altar to the Lord, so that the plague may be averted from the people.”

²² Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Here are the oxen for the burnt offering and the threshing sledges and yokes of the oxen for wood. ²³ Everything, O king, Araunah gives to the king.” Araunah also said to the king, “May the Lord your God be favorable toward you.”

²⁴ However, the king said to Araunah, “No, for I will certainly purchase from you for a fair price. I will not offer up to the Lord burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”

So David purchased the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels^[a] of silver. ²⁵ David built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then the land pleaded with the Lord, and the plague was averted from Israel.