David was not a bad man, but he sometimes did wrong and then God had
to punish him although He was very fond of him. When he had been king
many years he had the Israelites counted. This displeased God and He
sent a plague upon Israel. This plague killed many thousand people.
David felt very sorry to have his people die for his sin and prayed God
to stop the plague and punish him instead. God told David to go to the
threshing-floor of Araunah and make an offering. David went. He bought
the threshing-floor and some oxen and wood. Then he built an altar and
made the offering. God stopped the plague.
[Illustration: DAVID AND ARAUNAH.]