First Kings Chapter 21
1 After these things, Naboth of Jezreel had a vineyard in Jezreel, near the place of Ahab king of Samaria.
2 Ahab spoke to Naboth saying, Give me your vineyard so that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near my house. And I will give you a better vineyard than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you the worth of it in silver.
3 Naboth said to Ahab, Far be it from me, by the Lord, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you.
4 Ahab came to his house heavy and displeased because of the word that Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him. For he had said, I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers. And he lay on his bed and turned away his face, and would not eat food.
5 His wife Jezebel came to him and said to him, Why is your spirit so sad that you are not eating food?
6 He said to her, Because I spoke to Naboth of Jezreel and said to him, Give me your vineyard for silver. Or else, if it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard for it. And he answered, I will not give you my vineyard.
7 His wife Jezebel said to him, Do you now rule over Israel? Rise up, eat food, and let your heart be good. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel.
8 She wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles in his city, dwelling with Naboth.
9 She wrote in the letter saying, Proclaim a fast and set Naboth on high among the people.
10 Set two men, sons of Belial, before him to bear witness against him saying, You blasphemed God and the king. And carry him out and stone him so that he may die.
11 The men of his city, the elders and the nobles who lived in his city did as Jezebel had sent to them, as it was written in the letters that she had sent to them.
12 They proclaimed a fast and set Naboth on high among the people.
13 Two men, sons of Belial, came and sat before him. The men of Belial witnessed against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people saying, Naboth blasphemed God and the king. So they carried him out of the city and stoned him with stones so that he died.
14 They sent to Jezebel saying, Naboth is stoned and is dead.
15 When Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel that he refused to give you for silver. For Naboth is not alive, but dead.
16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab rose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel, to take possession of it.
17 The Word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite saying,
18 Arise, go down to meet King Ahab of Israel in Samaria. He is in the vineyard of Naboth where he has gone to possess it.
19 Speak to him saying, Thus says the Lord, Have you killed and taken possession? Speak to him saying, Thus says the Lord, In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs will lick your blood.
20 Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, my enemy? He answered, I have found you because you have sold yourself to work evil in the sight of the Lord.
21 I will bring evil on you and take away those after you and will cut off from Ahab every male, both bond and free in Israel.
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 made Israel to sin.
23 The Lord also spoke of Jezebel saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.
24 Anyone who dies by Ahab in the city, the dogs will eat. Anyone who dies in the field, the birds of the air will eat.
25 But there was none like Ahab, who sold himself to work wickedness 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 children of Israel.
27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth and walked softly.
28 The Word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite saying,
29 Do you see 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 I will bring the evil on his house.