Naboth Is Murdered for His Vineyard
1And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. close to
2And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near to my house: and I will give you for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to you, I will give you the worth of it in money.
3And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you.
4And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased 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. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. resentful
5But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, Why is your spirit so sad, that you eat no bread?
6And 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 please you, I will give you another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give you my vineyard.
7And 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.
8So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.
9And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:
10And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, You did blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. wickedness; show contempt for, curse
11And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them.
12They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.
13And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.
14Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.
15And it came to pass, 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.
16And it came to pass, 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.
The Lord Condemns Ahab
17And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
18Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he is gone down to possess it.
19And you shall speak to him, saying, Thus says the Lord, Have you killed, and also taken possession? And you shall speak to him, saying, Thus says the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your blood, even yours.
20And Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, O my enemy? And he answered, I have found you: because you have sold yourself to work evil in the sight of the Lord.
21Behold, I will bring evil upon you, and will take away your posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that urinates against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, males
22And 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 wherewith you have provoked Me to anger, and made Israel to sin.
23And of Jezebel also spoke the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. fortress
24Him that dies of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dies in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.
25But there was none like to Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. incited
26And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel. behaved in a vile, evil manner
27And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. tore; gently
28And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
29See you how Ahab humbles himself before Me? because he humbles himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.
