21:1 Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
21:2 Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.”
21:3 But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”
21:4 So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.
21:5 His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat?”
21:6 He answered her, “Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”
21:7 Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
21:8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him.
21:9 In those letters she wrote: “Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people.
21:10 But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.”
21:11 So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them.
21:12 They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people.
21:13 Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.
21:14 Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”
21:15 As soon as 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 that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead.”
21:16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard.
21:17 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite:
21:18 “Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it.
21:19 Say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood–yes, yours!’”
21:20 Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!” “I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD.
21:21 ‘I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel–slave or free.
21:22 I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.’
21:23 “And also concerning Jezebel the LORD says: ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’
21:24 “Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country.”
21:25 (There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife.
21:26 He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the LORD drove out before Israel.)
21:27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.
21:28 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite:
21:29 “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”
21:1 And after these things, it so happened that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, alongside the palace of Ahab the king of Samaria.
21:2 And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden; for it is nearby, alongside my house. And I will give you in its place a better vineyard than it; or if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money.
21:3 And Naboth said to Ahab, Jehovah forbid that I give the inheritance of my fathers to you!
21:4 And Ahab came into his house sullen and vexed because of the word that Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers. And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food.
21:5 And Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, Why is your spirit so sullen that you will not eat any food?
21:6 And 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; and he said, I will not give you my vineyard.
21:7 And Jezebel his wife said to him, Do you now exercise sovereignty over Israel? Rise up, eat some food, and let your heart be glad: I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
21:8 And she wrote letters in Ahab s name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles who dwelt with Naboth in his city.
21:9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people.
21:10 And put two worthless fellows before him, and they shall testify against him, saying, You cursed God and the king. Then carry him out, and stone him that he may die.
21:11 And the men of his city, the elders and the nobles who dwelt in his city, did according to the instructions that Jezebel had sent to them, as it was written in the letters that she had sent to them.
21:12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people.
21:13 And the two worthless fellows came and sat before him; and the worthless men testified against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth cursed God and the king. And they carried him out of the city and stoned him with stones, and he died.
21:14 And they sent word to Jezebel, saying, Naboth has been stoned and is dead.
21:15 And when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, Rise up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive but dead.
21:16 And when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to take possession of it.
21:17 And the word of Jehovah came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
21:18 Rise up and go down to meet Ahab the king of Israel, who is in Samaria. He is now in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it.
21:19 And you shall speak to him, saying, Thus says Jehovah, Have you killed and also taken possession? Then you shall speak to him, saying, Thus says Jehovah, In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, the dogs will lick up your blood also.
21:20 And Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, my enemy? And he said, I have found you because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of Jehovah.
21:21 I am now bringing evil upon you, and I will take away your posterity and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond and free, in Israel;
21:22 And I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah because of the provocation by which you have provoked Me to anger and caused Israel to sin.
21:23 And concerning Jezebel, Jehovah also spoke, saying, The dogs will eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel.
21:24 Him of Ahab s who dies in the city, the dogs will eat; and him who dies in the field, the birds of heaven will eat.
21:25 (Indeed there was none like Ahab, who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of Jehovah because Jezebel his wife urged him on.
21:26 And he acted very abominably in going after idols, according to all that the Amorites did, whom Jehovah had dispossessed before the children of Israel.)
21:27 And when Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth upon his flesh and fasted; and he lay in sackcloth and went about carefully.
21:28 And the word of Jehovah came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
21:29 Do you see how Ahab humbles himself before Me? Because he humbles himself before Me, I will not bring the evil upon him in his days; in his son s days I will bring the evil upon his house.