Naboth’s Vineyard
And it was, after these things: Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard that was in Jezreel, beside the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria.
And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying: “Give me your vineyard, and it will be my vegetable garden — for it is close beside my house — and I will give you in its place a better vineyard than it. Or if it is good in your eyes, I will give you silver, the price of this one.”
And Naboth said to Ahab, “Far be it from me, by the LORD, that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”
And Ahab came to his house sullen and vexed over 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 down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would not eat bread.
And Jezebel his wife came to him, and spoke to him: “Why is it your spirit is so sullen, and you are not eating bread?”
And he spoke to her: “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for silver — or, if you prefer, I will give you a vineyard in its place.’ And he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”
And Jezebel his wife said to him: “You — do you now exercise kingship over Israel? Rise, eat bread, and let your heart be good. I myself will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
Jezebel’s Plot
And 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.
And she wrote in the letters, saying: “Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth at the head of the people.
And seat two men, sons of worthlessness, opposite him, and let them testify against him, saying, ‘You have cursed God and king.’ Then take him out and stone him, so that he dies.”
And 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 she had sent to them.
They proclaimed a fast, and seated Naboth at the head of the people.
And the two men, sons of worthlessness, came in and sat opposite him; and the men of worthlessness testified against him — against Naboth — in front of the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed God and king.” And they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones, and he died.
And they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned, and he is dead.”
And it was, when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, “Rise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for silver — for Naboth is not alive, but dead.”
And it was, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
Elijah Denounces Ahab and Jezebel
And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying:
“Rise, go down to meet Ahab, king of Israel, who is in Samaria. Look — he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it.
And you shall speak to him, saying: Thus says the LORD: Have you murdered — and also taken possession? And you shall speak to him, saying: Thus says the LORD: In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, the dogs will lick up your blood — yours also.”
And Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?” And he said: “I have found you — because you have sold yourself to do the evil in the eyes of the LORD.
Look — I am bringing evil on you, and I will burn you away; and I will cut off from Ahab every one who urinates against a wall, bound or free in Israel.
And 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, and caused Israel to sin.
And also concerning Jezebel the LORD has spoken, saying: The dogs will eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel.
The one of Ahab who dies in the city, the dogs will eat; and the one who dies in the field, the birds of the heavens will eat.”
Ahab’s Repentance
(Surely there was none like Ahab, who sold himself to do the evil in the eyes of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife incited.
And he acted most abominably in going after the idols, according to all that the Amorite had done, whom the LORD dispossessed from before the sons of Israel.)
And it was, when Ahab heard these words, that he tore his garments, and put sackcloth on his flesh, and fasted; and he lay in the sackcloth and walked about softly.
And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying:
“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days; in the days of his son I will bring the evil on his house.”