Kings III 21

1 And Achaab numbered the young men the heads of the districts, and they were two hundred and thirty: and afterwards he numbered the people, [even] every man fit for war, seven thousand.

Now some time later, Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, near the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria.

2 And he went forth at noon, an the son of Ader was drinking [and] getting drunk in Socchoth, he and the kings, [even] thirty and two kings, his allies.

Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, so I can have it as a vegetable garden, because it is near my house. In exchange, I will give you a better vineyard, or, if you prefer, I will pay you its value in money.”

3 And the young men the heads of the districts went forth first; and they send and report to the king of Syria, saying, There are men come forth out of Samaria.

Naboth replied to Ahab, “May Yahweh forbid that I should give the inheritance of my ancestors to you.”

4 And he said to them, If they come forth peaceably, take them alive; and if they come forth to war, take them alive:

So Ahab went into his palace resentful and angry because of the answer Naboth the Jezreelite gave him when he said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” He lay down on his bed, turned away his face, and refused to eat any food.

5 and let not the young men the heads of the districts go forth of the city. And the force that was behind them

Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “Why is your heart so sad, so that you eat no food?”

6 smote each one the man next to him; and each one a second time smote the man next to him: and Syria fled, and Israel pursued them; and the son of Ader, [even] the king of Syria, escapes on the horse of a horseman.

He replied to her, “I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, 'Give me your vineyard for money, or if it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard to be yours.' Then he answered me, 'I will not give you my vineyard.'”

7 And the king of Israel went forth, and took all the horses and the chariots, and smote [the enemy] with a great slaughter in Syria.

So Jezebel his wife replied to him, “Do you not still rule the kingdom of Israel? Get up and eat; let your heart be happy. I will obtain for you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

8 And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said, Strengthen thyself, and observe, and see what thou shalt do; for at the return of the year the son of Ader king of Syria comes up against thee.

So Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab's name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and to the wealthy who sat with him in meetings, and who lived near Naboth.

9 And the servants of the king of Syria, even they said, The God of Israel [is] a God of mountains, and not a God of valleys; therefore has he prevailed against us: but if we should fight against them in the plain, verily we shall prevail against them.

She wrote in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth above the people.

10 And do thou this thing: Send away the kings, each one to his place, and set princes in their stead.

Also place two dishonest men with him and let them testify against him, saying, 'You cursed God and the king.'” Then take him out and stone him to death.

11 And we will give thee [another] army according to the army that was destroyed, and cavalry according to the cavalry, and chariots according to the chariots, and we will fight against them in the plain, and we shall prevail against them. And he hearkened to their voice, and did so.

So the men of his city, the elders and the wealthy who lived in Naboth's city, did as Jezebel had described to them, as was written in the letters that she had sent to them.

12 And it came to pass at the return of the year, that the son of Ader reviewed Syria, and went up to Apheca to war against Israel.

They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth above the people.

13 And the children of Israel were numbered, and came to meet them: and Israel encamped before them as two little flocks of goats, but Syria filled the land.

The two dishonest men came in and sat before Naboth; they testified against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed both God and the king.” Then they carried him out of the city and stoned him to death.

14 And there came the man of God, and said to the king of Israel, Thus saith the Lord, Because Syria has said, The Lord God of Israel [is] a God of the hills, and he [is] not a God of the valleys, therefore will I give this great army into thy hand, and thou shalt know that I [am] the Lord.

Then the elders sent word to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”

15 And they encamp one over against the other before them seven days. And it came to pass on the seventh day that the battle drew on, and Israel smote Syria, [even] a hundred thousand footmen in one day.

So when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money, because Naboth is not alive, but dead.”

16 And the rest fled to Apheca, into the city; and the wall fell upon twenty-seven thousand men that were left: and the son of Ader fled, and entered into an inner chamber, into a closet.

When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite and take possession of it.

17 And he said to his servants, I know that the kings of Israel are merciful kings: let us now put sackcloth upon our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and let us go forth to the king of Israel, if by any means he will save our souls alive.

Then the word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

18 So they girt sackcloth upon their loins, and put ropes upon their heads, and said to the king of Israel, Thy servant the son of Ader says, Let our souls live, I pray thee. And he said, Does he yet live? He is my brother.

“Get up and go meet Ahab king of Israel, who lives in Samaria. He is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession of it.

19 And the men divined, and offered drink-offerings; and they caught the word out of his mouth, and said, Thy brother the son of Ader. And he said, Go ye in and fetch him. And the son of Ader went out to him, and they cause him to go up to him into the chariot.

You must speak to him and say that Yahweh says, 'Have you killed and also taken possession?' Then you will tell him that Yahweh says, 'In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, the dogs will lick your blood, yes, your blood.'”

20 And he said to him, The cities which my father took from thy father I will restore to thee; and thou shalt make streets for thyself in Damascus, as my father made streets in Samaria; and I will let thee go with a covenant. And he made a covenant with him, and let him go.

Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?” Elijah answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of Yahweh.

21 And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbour by the word of the Lord, Smite me, I pray, And the man would not smite him.

Yahweh says this to you: 'See, I will bring disaster on you and will completely consume and cut off from you every male child and slave and free man in Israel.

22 And he said to him, Because thou hast not hearkened to the voice of the Lord, therefore, behold, as thou departest from me, a lion shall smite thee: and he departed from him, and a lion found him, and smote him.

I will make your family like the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the family of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have led Israel to sin.'

23 And he finds another man, and says, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, and in smiting wounded [him].

Yahweh has also spoken concerning Jezebel, saying, 'The dogs will eat Jezebel beside the wall of Jezreel.'

24 And the prophet went and stood before the king of Israel by the way, and bound his eyes with a bandage.

Anyone who belongs to Ahab and dies in the city, the dogs will eat; and the birds of the sky will eat anyone who dies in the field.”

25 And it came to pass as the king passed by, that he cried aloud to the king, and said, Thy servant went out to war, and, behold, a man brought [another] man to me, and said to me, Keep his man; and if he should by any means escape, then thy life shall go for his life, or thou shalt pay a talent of silver.

There was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, whom Jezebel his wife incited to sin.

26 And it came to pass, that thy servant looked round this way and that way, and the man was gone. And the king of Israel said to him, Behold, thou hast also destroyed snares [set] for me.

Ahab did disgusting deeds for the idols he followed, just as all that the Amorites had done, those whom Yahweh had removed before the people of Israel.

27 And he hasted, and took away the bandage from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized him, that he was one of the prophets.

When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body and fasted, and lay in sackcloth and became very sad.

28 And he said to him, Thus saith the Lord, Because thou hast suffered to escape out of thine hand a man appointed to destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.

Then the word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

29 And the king of Israel departed confounded and discouraged, and came to Samaria.

“Do you see how Ahab humbles himself before me? Because he humbles himself before me, I will not bring the coming disaster in his days; it is in his son's day that I will bring disaster on his family.”