16  And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: ^bstay now thine hand. And the angel of the Lord was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.

  23  But it is by the prayers of the righteous that ye are spared; now therefore, if ye will ^bcast out the righteous from among you then will not the Lord stay his hand; but in his fierce anger he will come out against you; then ye shall be smitten by famine, and by pestilence, and by the sword; and the time is soon at hand except ye repent.