Naboth’s Vineyard

1And it will be after these words, and a vineyard was to Naboth the Jezreelite which was in Jezreel, by the palace of Ahab king of Shomeron. 2And Ahab will speak to Naboth, saying, Wilt thou give to me thy vineyard? and it shall be to me for a garden of herbs, for it is near by my house: and I will give to thee in its stead a vineyard good above it; if good in thine eyes I will give thee silver the price of this. 3And Naboth will say to Ahab, Far be it to me from Jehovah, my giving the inheritance of my fathers to thee. 4And Ahab will come to his house rebellious and angry for the word that Naboth the Jezreelite spake to him: and he will say, I will not give to thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he will lie down upon his bed and turn away his face, and not eat bread.

5And Jezebel his wife will come to him, and she will speak to him, What this thy spirit rebellious, and thou not eating bread? 6And he will speak to her, Because I shall speak to Naboth the Jezreelite and say to him, Thou shalt give to me thy vineyard for silver; or if thou art willing, I will give to thee a vineyard in its stead. And he will say, I will not give to thee my vineyard. 7And Jezebel his wife will say to him, Thou now wilt do the kingdom over Israel: arise, eat bread, and do thy heart good: I will give to thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

Jezebel’s Plot

8And she will write letters in the name of Ahab, and seal with his seal; and she will send the letters to the old men, and to the nobles who were in his city dwelling with Naboth. 9And she will write in the letters, Saying, Call a fast; set Naboth in the head of the people: 10And set two men, sons of Belial, over against him, and they shall bear witness, saying, Thou didst praise God and the king. And they shall bring him forth and stone him, and he shall die.

11And the men of his city, the old men and the nobles, who were dwelling in his city, will do as Jezebel sent to them, according to what was written in the letters which she sent to them. 12They called a fast; they will set Naboth upon the head of the people. 13And two men will come, sons of Belial, and they will set before him: and the men of Belial will testify against Naboth before the people, saying, Naboth praised Jehovah and the king. And they will bring him without the city, and stone him with stones, and he will die. 14And they will send to Jezebel, saying, Naboth was stoned, and he will die.

15And it will be when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned and he will die, and Jezebel will say to Ahab, Arise, inherit the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give to thee for silver: for Naboth is not living, but dead. 16And it will be when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, and Ahab will rise to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, and to possess it.

Elijah Denounces Ahab and Jezebel

17And the word of Jehovah will be to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Shomeron: behold, in the vineyard of Naboth where he went down there to possess it. 19And speak to him, saying, Thus said Jehovah, Didst thou kill and also possess? And speak to him, saying, said Jehovah, In the place which the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick thy blood, also thine.

20And Ahab will say to Elijah, Didst thou find me, O mine enemy? And he will say I found: because thou didst sell thyself to do evil in the eyes of Jehovah, 21Behold me bringing evil to thee, and I took away after thee, and I cut off to Ahab him pissing against a wall and him shut up and left in Israel; 22And I gave thy house as the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and as the house of Baasha, son of Ahijah, for the irritation which thou didst irritate, and thou wilt cause Israel to sin. 23And also to Jezebel spake Jehovah, saying, Dogs shall eat Jezebel in the fortification of Jezebel. 24Him dying to Ahab in the city shall dogs eat; and him dying in the field shall the birds of the heavens eat.

Ahab’s Repentance

25Only there was not as Ahab who was sold to do evil in the eves of Jehovah, whom Jezebel stimulated him. 26And he will cause abhorrence exceeding to go after blocks, according to all which the Amorites did whom Jehovah dispossessed from the face of the sons of Israel.

27And it will be when Ahab heard these words, and he will rend his garments, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and he will fast and lie down in sackcloth, and go softly. 28And the word of Jehovah will be to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29Thou sawest that Ahab humbled himself from before me. Because that he humbled himself from before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: in the days of his sons I will bring the evil upon his house.