Naboth’s Vineyard

1After these thinges, it chaunced, that Naboth the Iezraelite had a vineyard in Iezrahel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2And Ahab spake vnto Naboth, saying: Geue me thy vineyarde, that I may make me a garde of hearbes thereof, because it lyeth so nye my house, and I wil geue thee for it a better vineyarde then it is: or rather if it please thee, I will geue thee the worth of it in money. 3And Naboth sayd to Ahab: The Lord forbid that from me, that I should geue the inheritauce of my fathers vnto thee. 4And Ahab came into the house heauy and euyll apayde because of the worde whiche Naboth the Iesraelite had spoken to him, for he had sayde: I will not geue thee the inheritaunce of my fathers. And he layde him downe vpon his bed, and turned away his face, and woulde eate no bread.

5But Iezabel his wyfe came to him, and sayde vnto him: Why is thy spirite so wayward that thou eatest no bread? 6And he sayd vnto her: For I spake vnto Naboth the Iezraelite, and said vnto him, Geue me thy vineyarde for money: Or els if it please thee, I will geue thee another vineyarde for it. And he aunswered: I will not geue thee my vineyarde. 7And Iezabel his wyfe sayde vnto him: Doest thou nowe gouerne the kingdome of Israel? vp, and eate bread, and set thyne heart at rest: I wil geue thee ye vineyarde of Naboth the Iezraelite.

Jezebel’s Plot

8And so she wrote a letter in Ahabs name, and sealed it with his seale, and sent the letter vnto the elders, and to the nobles that were in his citie dwelling with Naboth. 9And she wrote in the letter, saying: Proclayme a fast, and set Naboth on hye among the people: 10And set two vnthriftes before him, to beare witnesse against him, saying, Thou dyddest blaspheme God and the king: And then carie him out, and stone him to death.

11And the men of his citie, euen the elders and gouernours whiche dwelt in his citie, dyd as Iezabel had sent vnto them, and as it was written in the letter whiche she had sent vnto them. 12They proclaymed a fast, and set Naboth among the chiefe of the people. 13And there came in two men the children of Belial, and sate before him: And the two vnthriftie persons witnessed against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying: Naboth dyd blaspheme God and the king. And they caried him out of the citie, & stoned him with stones, that he died. 14And then they sent to Iezabel, saying: Naboth is stoned to death.

15And it fortuned, when Iezabel hearde that Naboth was stoned to death, she sayde to Ahab: Up, and take possession of the vineyarde of Naboth the Iezraelite, whiche he denied to geue for money: for Naboth is not alyue, but dead. 16And when Ahab hearde that Naboth was dead, he stoode vp to go downe to the vineyarde of Naboth the Iezraelite, and to take possession of it.

Elijah Denounces Ahab and Jezebel

17And the worde of the Lorde came vnto Elias the Thesbite, saying: 18Up, and go downe to meete Ahab king of Israel, whiche is in Samaria: Beholde he is in the vineyarde of Naboth, whyther he is gone downe to possesse it. 19And therfore shalt thou say vnto him, thus sayth the Lorde: Hast thou killed & also gotten possession? And thou shalt speake vnto him, saying, thus sayth the Lord: In the place were dogges licked the blood of Naboth, shall dogges licke euen thy blood also.

20And Ahab sayde to Elias: Hast thou founde me, O thou myne enemie? He aunswered: I haue founde thee, for thou hast sold thy selfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lorde. 21Behold, I will bring euyll vpon thee, & wil make cleane riddaunce of thy posteritie, and wil destroy fro Ahab, euen him that maketh water against the wal, and him that is shut vp, & left behind in Israel. 22And will make thyne house lyke the house of Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat, & lyke the house of Baasa the sonne of Ahia, for the prouocation wherwith thou hast prouoked, and made Israel to synne. 23And of Iezabel spake the Lord, saying: The dogges shall eate Iezabel by the wall of Iezrahel, 24And he that dieth of Ahab in ye towne, him shall dogges eate: and he that dieth in the fielde, him shal the fowles of the ayre eate.

Ahab’s Repentance

25But there was none lyke Ahab, which dyd euen sell him selfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lorde, and that because Iezabel his wyfe pricked hym forwarde. 26He dyd exceeding abhominablie in folowing foule idols, according to all thinges as dyd the Ammorites whom the Lorde cast out before the children of Israel.

27And it fortuned, that whe Ahab heard those wordes, he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth about his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth & wene bare foote. 28And the worde of the Lorde came to Elia the Thesbyte, saying: 29Seest thou howe Ahab humbleth him selfe before me? because he so submitteth him selfe before me, I wil not bring that euil in his dayes: but in his sonnes dayes will I bring euyll vpon his house.