1 Kings 21

1 It happened after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, near the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

And it cometh to pass, after these things, a vineyard hath been to Naboth the Jezreelite, that [is] in Jezreel, near the palace of Ahab king of Samaria,

2 Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, "Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near to 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."

and Ahab speaketh unto Naboth, saying, 'Give to me thy vineyard, and it is to me for a garden of green herbs, for it [is] near by my house, and I give to thee in its stead a better vineyard than it; if good in thine eyes, I give to thee silver — its price.'

3 Naboth said to Ahab, "May the LORD forbid me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you."

And Naboth saith unto Ahab, 'Far be it from me, by Jehovah, my giving the inheritance of my fathers to thee;'

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.

and Ahab cometh in unto his house, sulky and wroth, because of the word that Naboth the Jezreelite hath spoken unto him when he saith, 'I do not give to thee the inheritance of my fathers,' and he lieth down on his bed, and turneth round his face, and hath not eaten bread.

5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, "Why is your spirit so sad, that you eat no bread?"

And Jezebel his wife cometh in unto him, and speaketh unto him, 'What [is] this? — thy spirit sulky, and thou art not eating 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.'"

And he saith unto her, 'Because I speak unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and say to him, Give to me thy vineyard for money, or if thou desire, I give to thee a vineyard in its stead; and he saith, I do not give to thee 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."

And Jezebel his wife saith unto him, 'Thou now dost execute rule over Israel! rise, eat bread, and let thy heart be glad, — I do give to thee 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.

And she writeth letters in the name of Ahab, and sealeth with his seal, and sendeth the letters unto the elders, and unto the freemen, who are in his city, those dwelling with Naboth,

9 She wrote in the letters, saying, "Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.

and she writeth in the letters, saying, 'Proclaim a fast, and cause Naboth to sit at the head of the people,

10 Set two men, base 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."

and cause two men — sons of worthlessness — to sit over-against him, and they testify of him, saying, Thou hast blessed God and Melech; and they have brought him out, and stoned him, and he dieth.'

11 The men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, according as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them.

And the men of his city, the elders and the freemen who are dwelling in his city, do as Jezebel hath sent unto them, as written in the letters that she sent unto them,

12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.

they have proclaimed a fast, and caused Naboth to sit at the head of the people,

13 The two men, the base fellows, came in and sat before him. The base 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.

and two men — sons of worthlessness — come in, and sit over-against him, and the men of worthlessness testify of him, even Naboth, before the people, saying, 'Naboth blessed God and Melech;' and they take him out to the outside of the city, and stone him with stones, and he dieth;

14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, "Naboth has been stoned, and is dead."

and they send unto Jezebel, saying, 'Naboth was stoned, and is dead.'

15 It happened, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that 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."

And it cometh to pass, at Jezebel's hearing that Naboth hath been stoned, and is dead, that Jezebel saith unto Ahab, 'Rise, possess the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, that he refused to give to thee for money, for Naboth is not alive but dead.'

16 It happened, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

And it cometh to pass, at Ahab's hearing that Naboth is dead, that Ahab riseth to go down unto the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to possess it.

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

And the word of Jehovah is unto Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

18 "Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who dwells in Samaria. Look, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it.

'Rise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who [is] in Samaria, — lo, in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he hath gone down to possess it,

19 You shall speak to him, saying, 'Thus says the LORD, "Have you killed and also taken possession?"' You shall speak to him, saying, 'Thus says the LORD, "In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs will lick your blood, even yours."'"

and thou hast spoken unto him, saying, Thus said Jehovah, Hast thou murdered, and also possessed? and thou hast spoken unto him, saying, Thus said Jehovah, In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, do the dogs lick thy blood, even thine.'

20 And Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, my enemy?" And he answered, "I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do that which is evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

And Ahab saith unto Elijah, 'Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?' and he saith, 'I have found — because of thy selling thyself to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah;

21 Thus says the LORD, 'Look, I will bring disaster on you, and will utterly sweep you away and will cut off from Ahab everyone, slave or free in Israel.

lo, I am bringing in unto thee evil, and have taken away thy posterity, and cut off to Ahab those sitting on the wall, and restrained, and left, 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.'"

and given up thy house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah, for the provocation with which thou hast provoked [Me], and dost cause Israel to sin.

23 The LORD also spoke of Jezebel, saying, "The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.

'And also of Jezebel hath Jehovah spoken, saying, The dogs do eat Jezebel in the bulwark 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."

him who dieth of Ahab in a city do the dogs eat, and him who dieth in a field do fowl of the heavens eat;

25 But there was none like Ahab, who sold himself to do that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.

surely there hath none been like Ahab, who sold himself to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, whom Jezebel his wife hath moved,

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.

and he doth very abominably to go after the idols, according to all that the Amorite did whom Jehovah dispossessed from the presence of the sons of Israel.'

27 It happened, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

And it cometh to pass, at Ahab's hearing these words, that he rendeth his garments, and putteth sackcloth on his flesh, and fasteth, and lieth in sackcloth, and goeth gently.

28 The word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

And the word of Jehovah is unto Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

29 "See how Ahab humbles himself before me? Because he humbles himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son's days will I bring the disaster on his house."

'Hast thou seen that Ahab hath been humbled before Me? because that he hath been humbled before Me, I bring not in the evil in his days; in the days of his son I bring in the evil on his house.'