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.

Sometime later this happened: There was a man named Naboth from Jezreel, who owned a vineyard in Jezreel close to King Ahab's palace in 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."

Ahab went to Naboth and said, “Give me your vineyard so I can turn it into a vegetable garden, because it's close to my palace. In return I'll give you a better vineyard, or if you want I'll pay you for it in cash.”

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

But Naboth replied, “The Lord curse me if I should give you my forefathers' inheritance.”

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.

Ahab went home sulking and infuriated because Naboth from Jezreel had said, “I will not give you my forefathers' inheritance.” He went to bed, wouldn't look at anyone, and refused to eat.

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

His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so upset about? That you don't want to eat?”

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.'"

Ahab replied, “It's because I talked with Naboth from Jezreel and I asked him, ‘Give me your vineyard for cash, or if you want, I'll give you another vineyard instead.’ But he said, ‘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."

“Aren't you the king of Israel?” his wife Jezebel replied. “Get up, have something to eat, and cheer up. I'll get you the vineyard of Naboth from Jezreel.”

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.

So she wrote some letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal. She sent the letters to the elders and leaders in the town where Naboth lived.

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

In the letters she wrote to tell them, “Announce a religious fast, and give Naboth a seat of honor.

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."

But seat two bad men opposite him and have them accuse him, saying, ‘You have cursed God and the king!’ Then take 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 sent to them, according as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them.

So the elders and leaders who lived in Naboth's town did as Jezebel had said in the letters she had written and sent to them.

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

They announced a religious fast, and gave Naboth a seat of honor.

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.

Two bad men came and sat opposite him, and accused him in front of the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the town and stoned him to death.

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

Then they sent a message to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned. He's 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."

As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and he was dead, Jezebel told Ahab, “Get up, go and claim ownership of the vineyard of Naboth from Jezreel, which he refused to sell you, for Naboth is no longer 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.

When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went to claim ownership of Naboth's vineyard.

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

Then the Lord sent a message to Elijah the Tishbite:

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.

“Go and meet Ahab, king of Israel, in Samaria. He is right now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to claim ownership of it.

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

Tell him: This is what the Lord says: Have you murdered a man and robbed him? Then tell him: This is what the Lord says: In the very spot where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your own blood.”

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 YHWH, to provoke him to anger.

“So have you come to find me, my enemy?” Ahab asked Elijah. “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the Lord sight,” Elijah replied.

21 Thus says YHWH, '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.

He says, “Watch out! I'm going to bring disaster on you and destroy your descendants. I will kill from every male of Ahab's line, both slave and free, in the whole of 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.'"

I will make your house like that of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, and like that of Baasha, son of Ahijah, because you have angered me and made Israel sin.

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

And as far as Jezebel is concerned, the Lord says, ‘Dogs will eat Jezebel by the wall 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."

Those of Ahab's family who die in the town will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the countryside will be eaten by birds.”

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

(No one else was so bad as Ahab, who sold himself to do what is evil in the Lord's sight, because his wife Jezebel encouraged him.

26 He did very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites did, whom YHWH cast out before the children of Israel.

He did the most despicable things, worshiping idols like the Amorites the Lord had driven out before 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.

As soon as Ahab heard this message, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He even went to bed in sackcloth, and walked around repentantly.

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

Then the Lord sent a message to Elijah the Tishbite:

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."

“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster during his lifetime, but I will bring down disaster on his family in the lifetime of his son.”