1 Chronicles 21:18-30

1 Chronicles 21:18-30 NCV

Then the angel of the LORD told Gad to tell David that he should build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. So David did what Gad told him to do, in the name of the LORD. Araunah was separating the wheat from the straw. When he turned around, he saw the angel. Araunah’s four sons who were with him hid. David came to Araunah, and when Araunah saw him, he left the threshing floor and bowed facedown on the ground before David. David said to him, “Sell me your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the LORD here. Then the terrible disease will stop. Sell it to me for the full price.” Araunah said to David, “Take this threshing floor. My master the king, do anything you want. Look, I will also give you oxen for the whole burnt offerings, the threshing boards for the wood, and wheat for the grain offering. I give everything to you.” But King David answered Araunah, “No, I will pay 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 that costs me nothing.” So David paid Araunah about fifteen pounds of gold for the place. David built an altar to the LORD there and offered whole burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. David prayed to the LORD, and he answered him by sending down fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. Then the LORD commanded the angel to put his sword back into its holder. When David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Araunah, he offered sacrifices there. The Holy Tent that Moses made while the Israelites were in the desert and the altar of burnt offerings were in Gibeon at the place of worship. But David could not go to the Holy Tent to speak with God, because he was afraid of the angel of the LORD and his sword.