21
1 After
these things,
Naboth the
Jezreelite had a
vineyard which was
in Jezreel, next
to the palace
of Ahab king of
Samaria.
2 Ahab spoke
to Naboth, saying,
“Give me your
vineyard, that I
may have it
for a garden
of herbs, because
it is near
my house; and
I will give
you for it
a better vineyard
than it. Or,
if it seems
good to you,
I will give
you its worth
in money.”
3 Naboth said
to Ahab, “May the
LORD forbid me,
that I should
give the
inheritance of
my fathers to you!”
4 Ahab came
into his house
sullen and angry
because of the
word which Naboth
the Jezreelite had
spoken to him,
for he had
said, “I will
not give you
the inheritance of
my fathers.” He
laid himself down
on his bed,
and turned away
his face, and
would eat no
bread.
5 But Jezebel
his wife came
to him, and
said to him, “Why
is your spirit
so sad that
you eat no
bread?”
6 He
said to her, “Because
I spoke to
Naboth the
Jezreelite, and
said to him, ‘Give
me your vineyard
for money; or
else, if it
pleases you, I
will give you
another vineyard
for it.’ He
answered, ‘I will
not give you
my vineyard.’ ”
7 Jezebel
his wife said to
him, “Do you
now govern the
kingdom of Israel?
Arise, and eat
bread, and let
your heart be
merry. I will
give you the
vineyard of Naboth
the Jezreelite.”
8 So
she wrote letters
in Ahab’s name and
sealed them with
his seal, and
sent the letters
to the elders
and to the
nobles who were
in his city,
who lived with
Naboth.
9 She
wrote in the
letters, saying, “Proclaim
a fast, and
set Naboth on
high among the
people.
10 Set
two men, wicked
fellows, before
him, and let them
testify against
him, saying, ‘You
cursed God and the
king!’ Then carry
him out, and
stone him to
death.”
11 The
men of his
city, even the
elders and the
nobles who lived
in his city,
did as Jezebel
had instructed them
in the letters
which she had
written and sent
to them.
12 They
proclaimed a fast,
and set Naboth
on high among
the people.
13 The
two men, the
wicked fellows,
came in and
sat before him.
The wicked fellows
testified against
him, even against
Naboth, in the
presence of the
people, saying, “Naboth
cursed God and the
king!” Then they
carried him out
of the city
and stoned him
to death with
stones.
14 Then they
sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth
has been stoned and
is dead.”
15 When Jezebel
heard that Naboth
had been stoned
and was dead,
Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession
of the vineyard
of Naboth the
Jezreelite, which
he refused to
give you for
money; for Naboth
is not alive,
but dead.”
16 When Ahab
heard that Naboth
was dead, Ahab
rose up to
go down to
the vineyard of
Naboth the
Jezreelite, to
take possession of
it.
17 The
LORD’s word came
to Elijah the
Tishbite, saying,
18 “Arise,
go down to
meet Ahab king of
Israel, who dwells
in Samaria. Behold,
he is in
the vineyard of
Naboth, where he
has gone down
to take possession
of it.
19 You
shall speak to
him, saying, ‘The
LORD says, “Have
you killed and
also taken
possession?” ’ You
shall speak to
him, saying, ‘The
LORD says, “In
the place where
dogs licked the
blood of Naboth,
dogs will lick
your blood,
even yours.” ’ ”
20 Ahab said
to Elijah, “Have
you found me,
my enemy?”
He answered, “I
have found you,
because you have
sold yourself to
do that which
is evil in
the LORD’s sight.
21 Behold,
I will bring
evil on you,
and will utterly
sweep you away
and will cut
off from Ahab everyone
who urinates against
a wall,
and him who
is shut up
and him who
is left at large
in Israel.
22 I
will make your
house like the
house of Jeroboam
the son of
Nebat, and like
the house of
Baasha the son
of Ahijah, for the
provocation with
which you have
provoked me to
anger, and have
made Israel to
sin.”
23 The
LORD also spoke
of Jezebel, saying, “The
dogs will eat Jezebel
by the rampart of
Jezreel.
24 The
dogs will eat
he who dies of Ahab
in the city;
and the birds
of the sky
will eat he who
dies in the
field.”
25 But
there was no
one like Ahab, who
sold himself to
do that which
was evil in
the LORD’s sight,
whom Jezebel his wife
stirred up.
26 He
did very
abominably in
following idols, according
to all that
the Amorites did,
whom the LORD
cast out before
the children of
Israel.
27 When Ahab
heard those words,
he tore
his clothes, put
sackcloth on his
body, fasted, lay
in sackcloth, and
went about despondently.
28 The
LORD’s word came
to Elijah the
Tishbite, saying,
29 “See
how Ahab humbles himself
before me? Because
he humbles himself
before me, I
will not bring
the evil in
his days; but
I will bring
the evil on
his house in
his son’s day.”