David looked up and saw the angel of Yahweh standing between earth and heaven, with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, covered in sackcloth, fell on their faces.
In context
14So Yahweh sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell. 15God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, but as he was about to destroy it, Yahweh saw and relented concerning the calamity, and he said to the destroying angel, “Enough! Now stay your hand.” The angel of Yahweh was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 16David looked up and saw the angel of Yahweh standing between earth and heaven, with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, covered in sackcloth, fell on their faces. 17David said to God, “Was it not I who gave the order to count the people? I am the one who sinned and did great evil. But these sheep, what have they done? Yahweh my God, let your hand be against me and against my father’s house, but do not let the plague be against your people.” 18Then the angel of Yahweh told Gad to say to David that David should go up and set up an altar to Yahweh on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
