had stretched out his hand over
Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord had pity on the affliction, and said
to the angel that slew the people: It is enough: now hold thy hand. And
the angel of the Lord was by the thrashingfloor of Areuna the Jebusite.

24:17. And David said to the Lord, when he saw the angel striking the
people: It is I; I am he that have sinned, I have done wickedly: these
that are the sheep, what have they done? let thy hand, I beseech thee,
be turned against me, and against my father's house.

24:18. And Gad came to David that day, and said: Go up, and build an
altar to the Lord in the thrashingfloor of Areuna the Jebusite.

24:19. And David went up according to the word of Gad which the Lord had
commanded him.

24:20. And Areuna looked, and saw the king and his servants coming
towards him:

24:21. And going out he worshipped the king, bowing with his face to the
earth, and said: Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And
David said to him: To buy the thrashingfloor of thee, and build an altar
to the Lord, that the plague, which rageth among the people, may cease.

24:22. And Areuna said to David: Let my lord the king take, and offer,
as it seemeth good to him: thou hast here oxen for a holocaust, and the
wain, and the yokes of the oxen for wood.

24:23. All these things Areuna as a king gave to the king: and Areuna
said to the king: The Lord thy God receive thy vow.

24:24. And the king answered him, and said: Nay, but I will buy it of
thee, at a price, and I will not offer to the Lord my God holocausts
free cost. So David bought the floor, and the oxen, for fifty sicles of
silver:

24:25. And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered
holocausts and peace offerings: and the Lord became merciful to the
land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

THE THIRD BOOK OF KINGS

This and the following Book are called by the holy fathers the third and
fourth book of Kings; but by the Hebrews, the first and second. They
contain the history of the kingdoms of Israel and Juda, from the
beginning of the reign of Solomon, to the captivity. As to the writer of
these books, it seems most probable they were not written by one man;
nor at one time; but as there was all along a succession of prophets in
Israel, who recorded, by divine inspiration, the most remarkable things
that happened in their days, these books seem to have been written by
these prophets. See 2 Paralip. al