1 Kings 21

1Some time after this, there was a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. It was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

2Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard so that I can have it for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. I will give you a better vineyard in exchange for it, or if you prefer, I will pay you what it is worth in silver.”

3But Naboth said to Ahab, “Yahweh forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors!”

4So Ahab went home sullen and angry because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him: “I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” He lay down on his bed, turned his face away, and would not eat.

5His wife Jezebel came to him and said to him, “Why are you so upset that you will not eat?”

6He said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for silver, or if you would rather, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”

7His wife Jezebel said to him, “Is this how you rule as king over Israel? Get up, eat something, and cheer up. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

8So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who lived in Naboth’s town with him.

9In the letters she wrote, “Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people.

10Then seat two worthless men opposite him and have them testify against him, ‘You have cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”

11So the men of his town, the elders and the nobles who lived in his town, did as Jezebel had sent word to them, just as it was written in the letters she had sent them.

12They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people.

13Then the two worthless men came in and sat opposite him, and the worthless men testified against Naboth in front of the people: “Naboth has cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.

14Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”

15As soon as 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 sell you for silver. Naboth is no longer alive; he is dead.”

16As soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to take possession of it.

17Then the word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite:

18“Get up, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria. He is in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone down to take possession of it.

19Say to him, ‘This is what Yahweh says: Have you murdered and also taken possession?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what Yahweh says: In the place where the dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, the dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours.’”

20Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!” He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of Yahweh.

21I am going to bring disaster on you. I will burn you up and cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, whether slave or free.

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

23Yahweh has also spoken concerning Jezebel: ‘The dogs will eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’

24Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city, the dogs will eat, and anyone who dies in the open country, the birds of the sky will eat.”

25Truly, there was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, urged on by his wife Jezebel.

26He acted in the most detestable way by going after idols, just as the Amorites had done, whom Yahweh drove out before the Israelites.

27When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his body, and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went about subdued.

28Then the word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite:

29“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days. In his son’s days I will bring the disaster on his house.”