1 Kings 21

1 Some time later, Naboth the Jezreelite happened to own a vineyard in Jezreel next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

And it came to pass after these events, that Naboth the Yizre'elite had a vineyard, which was in Yizre'el, near the palace of Achab the king of Samaria.

2 So Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to use as a vegetable garden, since it is next to my palace. I will give you a better vineyard in its place—or if you prefer, I will give you its value in silver.”

And Achab spoke unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that it may serve me for a herb-garden, because it is near unto my house; and I will give thee in its stead a vineyard better than it; [or, ] if it seem good in thy eyes, I will give thee the money, the value of the same.

3 But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”

And Naboth said to Achab, Far be it from me before the Lord, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.

4 So Ahab went to his palace, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had told him, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He lay down on his bed, turned his face away, and refused to eat.

And Achab came into his house low-spirited and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Yizre'elite had spoken to him, when he said, I will not give unto thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid himself down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food.

5 Soon his wife Jezebel came in and asked, “Why are you so sullen that you refuse to eat?”

But Izebel his wife came to him, and spoke unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad! and why eatest thou no food?

6 Ahab answered, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and told him, ‘Give me your vineyard for silver, or if you wish, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ And he replied, ‘I will not give you my vineyard!’”

And he said unto her, Because I spoke unto Naboth the Yizre'elite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee a vineyard in its stead; but he hath said, I will not give unto thee my vineyard.

7 But his wife Jezebel said to him, “Do you not reign over Israel? Get up, eat some food, and be cheerful, for I will get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

Then said unto him Izebel his wife, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, eat bread, and let thy heart be merry: I will myself give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Yizre'elite.

8 Then Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived with Naboth in his city.

So she wrote letters in Achab's name, and sealed them with his seal; and she sent the letters unto the elders and unto the nobles who were in his city, and who dwelt near Naboth.

9 In the letters she wrote: “Proclaim a fast and give Naboth a seat of honor among the people.

And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and cause Naboth to sit at the head of the people;

10 But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, ‘You have cursed both God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”

And seat two men, worthless fellows, opposite to him, and let them bear witness against him, saying, Thou hast blasphemed God and the king; and then lead him forth, and stone him, that he may die.

11 So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel had instructed in the letters she had written to them.

And the men of his city, the elders and the nobles, those who dwelt in his city, did as Izebel had sent unto them, as was written in the letters which she had sent unto them.

12 They proclaimed a fast and gave Naboth a seat of honor among the people.

They proclaimed a fast, and caused Naboth to sit at the head of the people.

13 And the two scoundrels came in and sat opposite Naboth, and these men testified against him before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.

And there came in two men, worthless fellows, and seated themselves opposite to him; and these worthless men testified against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth hath blasphemed God and the king. Then they led him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.

14 Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”

And they sent to Izebel, saying, Naboth hath been stoned, and is dead.

15 When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, who refused to give it to you for silver. For Naboth is no longer alive, but dead.”

And it came to pass, when Izebel heard that Naboth had been stoned, and was dead, that Izebel said to Achab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Yizre'elite, which he refused to give thee for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.

16 And when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

And it came to pass, when Achab heard that Naboth was dead, that Achab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Yizre'elite, to take possession of it.

17 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

18 “Get up and go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria. See, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, of which he has gone to take possession.

Arise, go down to meet Achab the king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to take possession of it.

19 Tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Have you not murdered a man and seized his land?’ Then tell him that this is also what the LORD says: ‘In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, there also the dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’”

And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus hath said the Lord, Hast thou murdered, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus hath said the Lord, In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall the dogs lick thy blood, yes, thine also.

20 When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So you have found me out, my enemy.” He replied, “I have found you out because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD.

And Achab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O my enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to do what is evil in the eyes of the Lord.

21 This is what the LORD says: ‘I will bring calamity on you and consume your descendants; I will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both slave and free.

Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and I will sweep out after thee, and will cut off from Achab every male, and the guarded and fortified in Israel,

22 I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked My anger and caused Israel to sin.’

And I will make thy house like the house of Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, and like the house of Ba'sha the son of Achiyah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked [me] to anger, and induced Israel to sin.

23 And the LORD also speaks concerning Jezebel: ‘The dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’

And also concerning Izebel hath the Lord spoken, saying, The dogs shall eat Izebel in the valley of Yizre'el.

24 Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone who dies in the field will be eaten by the birds of the air.”

Him that dieth of Achab in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the heavens eat.

25 (Surely there was never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, incited by his wife Jezebel.

But indeed there was none like unto Achab, who sold himself to do what is evil in the eyes of the Lord, to which Izebel his wife incited him.

26 He committed the most detestable acts by going after idols, just like the Amorites whom the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.)

And he acted very abominably in following the idols, in all things just as had done the Emorites, whom the Lord had driven out from before the children of Israel.

27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth and walked around meekly.

And it came to pass, when Achab heard these words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and slept in the sackcloth, and walked about barefooted.

28 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying:

And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

29 “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity during his days, but I will bring it upon his house in the days of his son.”

Hast thou seen how Achab hath humbled himself before me? therefore, because he hath humbled himself before me, will I not bring the evil in his days: in the days of his son will I bring the evil upon his house.