1 Kings 21:5-26

5But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “How is it that your spirit is so sullen that you are not eating 1food?” 6So 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 a vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” 7Jezebel his wife said to him, “2Do you now 3reign over Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

84So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and sent letters to 5the elders and to the nobles who were living with Naboth in his city. 9Now she wrote in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people; 10and seat two 6worthless men before him, and let them testify against him, saying, ‘7You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and 8stone him 9to death.”

11So the men of his city, the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them, just as it was written in the letters which she had sent them. 12They 10proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the people. 13Then the two worthless men came in and sat before him; and the worthless men testified against him, even against Naboth, before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” 11So they took him outside the city and stoned him 12to death with stones. 14Then they sent word to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”

15When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, 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.” 16When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

17Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18“Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, 13who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth where he has gone down to take possession of it. 19You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “14Have you murdered and also taken possession?”’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “15In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth the dogs will lick up your blood, even yours.”’”

20Ahab said to Elijah, “16Have you found me, O my enemy?” And he 17answered, “I have found you, 18because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord. 21Behold, I will bring evil upon you, and 19will utterly sweep you away, and will cut off from Ahab every male, both bond and free in Israel; 22and 20I will make your house 21like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and because you 22have made Israel sin. 23Of Jezebel also has the Lord spoken, saying, ‘23The dogs will eat Jezebel in the 24district of Jezreel.’ 2425The one belonging to Ahab, who dies in the city, the dogs will eat, and the one who dies in the field the birds of heaven will eat.”

2526Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the Lord, 27because Jezebel his wife incited him. 2628He acted very abominably in following idols, 29according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the Lord cast out before the sons of Israel.