⁶ The king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites^(A) who inhabited the land. The Jebusites had said to David, “You will never get in here. Even the blind and lame can repel you” thinking, “David can’t get in here.”

⁷ Yet David did capture the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.^{(B) 8} He said that day, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites must go through the water shaft to reach the lame and the blind who are despised by David.”^[a] For this reason it is said, “The blind and the lame will never enter the house.”^[b]

⁹ David took up residence in the stronghold, which he named the city of David. He built it up all the way around from the supporting terraces inward. ¹⁰ David became more and more powerful,^(C) and the Lord God of Armies was with him.^(D)

¹⁶ Then the angel extended his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it,^(A) but the Lord relented concerning the destruction^(B) and said to the angel who was destroying^(C) the people, “Enough, withdraw your hand now!” The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah^[a] the Jebusite.^(D)

¹⁷ When David saw the angel striking the people, he said to the Lord, “Look, I am the one who has sinned; I am the one^[b] who has done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let your hand be against me and my father’s family.”

David’s Altar

¹⁸ Gad came to David that day and said to him, “Go up and set up an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” ¹⁹ David went up in obedience to Gad’s command, just as the Lord had commanded. ²⁰ Araunah looked down and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, so he went out and paid homage to the king with his face to the ground.

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

David replied, “To buy the threshing floor from you in order to build an altar to the Lord, so the plague on the people may be halted.”^(E)

²² Araunah said to David, “My lord the king may take whatever he wants^[c] and offer it. Here are the oxen for a burnt offering and the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.^{(F) 23} Your Majesty, Araunah gives everything here to the king.” Then he said to the king, “May the Lord your God accept you.”

²⁴ The king answered Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it from you for a price, for I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for twenty ounces^[d] of silver. ²⁵ He built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord was receptive to prayer for the land,^(G) and the plague on Israel ended.