Ahab Covets Naboth’s Vineyard
1 After these things, Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs because it is near my house, and for it, I will give you a better vineyard. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you money for whatever it is worth.”
3 Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!”
4 Ahab came into his house sullen and angry 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.” He laid himself down on his bed and turned his face away and would eat no bread.
5 But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “Why is your spirit so sad, that you eat no bread?”
6 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.’ He answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’ ”
7 Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now govern the kingdom of Israel? Get up and eat bread, and let your heart be merry. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” 8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles who were in his city, who lived with Naboth. 9 She wrote in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast and set Naboth on high among the people. 10 Set two wicked men before him and let them testify against him, saying, ‘You cursed God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
Jezebel’s Plot
11 The men of his city, the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had instructed them in the letters which she had written and sent to them. 12 They proclaimed a fast and set Naboth on high among the people. 13 The two wicked men came in and sat before him. The wicked men testified against him, against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king!” Then they carried him out of the city and stoned him to death. 14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”
15 When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Get up, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused give you for money, for Naboth is not alive, but dead.”
16 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.
17 The word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 “Get up, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who dwells in Samaria. He is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it. 19 You shall speak to him, saying, ‘The Lord says, “Have you murdered and also taken possession?” ’ You shall speak to him, saying, ‘The Lord says: In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs will lick your own blood.’ ”
20 Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?”
He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do that which is evil in the sight of the Lord. 21 Hear this. I will bring disaster on you and will utterly sweep you away and will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, whether slave or free. 22 I 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 with which you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.” 23 The Lord also spoke of Jezebel, saying, “The dogs will eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. 24 The dogs will eat any from Ahab who die in the city, and the birds of the sky will eat any of his who die in the field.”
25 But there was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. 26 He did very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites did, whom the Lord cast out before the Israelites. 27 When Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went meekly.
28 The word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29 “See how Ahab humbles himself before me? Because he humbles himself before me, I will not bring disaster in his days, but I will bring the disaster to his house in his son’s day.”