17. And Dawiḏ said to Elohim, “Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed. But these, the sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O יהוה my Elohim, be against me and my father’s house, but not against Your people, to be plagued.”
18. And the messenger of יהוה commanded Gaḏ to say to Dawiḏ that Dawiḏ should go up to raise an altar to יהוה on the threshing-floor of Ornan the Yeḇusite.
19. So Dawiḏ went up at the word of Gaḏ, which he had spoken in the Name of יהוה.
20. And Ornan turned and saw the messenger. And his four sons with him hid themselves, and Ornan was threshing wheat.