1Now it happened after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
2And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that it may become for me a vegetable garden, since it is close beside my house; and in exchange for it I will give you a better vineyard than it. Or, if it is good in your eyes, I will give you its price in silver.”
3But Naboth said to Ahab, “Far be it from me, by Yahweh, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you.”
4So Ahab came to his house sullen and vexed over the word which 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 not eat food.
5Then Jezebel his wife came to him and spoke to him, “Why is your spirit so sullen that you are not eating food?”
6And he spoke to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for silver, or, if you prefer, I will give you a vineyard in its place’; but he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”
7Then Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now exercise kingship over Israel? Get up, eat food, and let your heart be glad. I myself will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
8So 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 were in his city, those dwelling with Naboth.
9And she wrote in the letters, saying: “Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth at the head of the people.
10And seat two men, sons of worthlessness, opposite him, and let them testify against him, saying, ‘You have blessed God and king!’ Then take him out and stone him, that he may die.”
11And the men of his city, the elders and the nobles who dwelt in his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them.
12They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the people.
13Then the two men, sons of worthlessness, came and sat opposite him, and the worthless men testified against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth has blessed God and king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones, and he died.
14Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”
15And it happened, when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, “Get up, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for silver; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.”
16And it happened, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab 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, saying:
18“Get up, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel who is in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it.
19And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh: Have you murdered and also taken possession?’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh: In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, the dogs will lick up your blood — yours as well.’”
20And Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” And he said, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the eyes of Yahweh.
21Behold, I am bringing disaster upon you, and I will sweep you away, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, both bond and free in Israel.
22And I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked me and have caused Israel to sin.
23And also concerning Jezebel Yahweh has spoken, saying, ‘The dogs will eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel.’
24The one belonging to Ahab who dies in the city, the dogs will eat; and the one who dies in the field, the birds of the heavens will eat.”
25Surely there was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do what is evil in the eyes of Yahweh, whom Jezebel his wife incited.
26And he acted very abominably in going after the idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom Yahweh dispossessed before the sons of Israel.
27And it happened, when Ahab heard these words, that he tore his garments and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted; and he lay in the sackcloth and went about subdued.
28Then the word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying:
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 the days of his son I will bring the disaster upon his house.”
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