1 Kings 21

Ahab Covets Naboth’s Vineyard

1Now it came about after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in 1Jezreel beside the palace of Ahab, the king of Samaria. 2And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “2Give me your vineyard so that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is close beside my house, and I will give you a better vineyard in place of it; if 3you prefer, I will give you what 4it is worth in money.” 3But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid me 5that I would give you the inheritance of my fathers!” 46So Ahab entered his house sullen and furious because of the 7answer that Naboth the Jezreelite had given to him, since he said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed and turned his face away, and ate no 8food.

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 9food?” 6So he said to her, “It is because I was speaking to Naboth the Jezreelite and saying to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you a vineyard in place of it.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” 7Jezebel his wife said to him, “10Do you now 11reign over Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

812So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to 13the elders and to the nobles who were living with Naboth in his city. 9Now she had written in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people; 10and seat two 14worthless men opposite him, and have them testify against him, saying, ‘15You 16cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and 17stone him 18to death.”

Jezebel’s Plot

11So the men of his city, the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did just as Jezebel had sent word to them, just as it was written in the letters which she had sent them. 12They 19proclaimed a fast, and seated Naboth at the head of the people. 13Then the two worthless men came in and sat opposite him; and the worthless men testified against him, against Naboth, before the people, saying, “Naboth 20cursed God and the king.” 21So they took him outside the city and stoned him 22to death with stones. 14Then they sent word to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”

15And when 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 got up 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, 23who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it. 19And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says: “24Have you murdered and also taken possession?”’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘The Lord says this: “25In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, the dogs will lick up your blood, yours as well.”’”

20Then Ahab said to Elijah, “26Have you found me, enemy of mine?” And he 27answered, “I have found you, 28because you have given yourself over to do evil in the sight of the Lord. 21Behold, I am bringing disaster upon you, and I 29will utterly sweep you away, and will eliminate from Ahab every male, both 30bond and free in Israel; 22and 31I will make your house 32like 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 33have misled Israel into sin. 23The Lord has also spoken of Jezebel, saying, ‘34The dogs will eat Jezebel in the 35territory of Jezreel.’ 2436The one belonging to Ahab, who dies in the city, the dogs will eat; and the one who dies in the field, the birds of the sky will eat.”

2537There certainly was no one like Ahab who gave himself over to do evil in the sight of the Lord, 38because Jezebel his wife incited him. 2639He also acted very despicably in following idols, 40conforming to everything that the Amorites had done, whom the Lord drove out from the sons of Israel.

27Yet it came about, when Ahab heard these words, that 41he tore his clothes and put 42on sackcloth and fasted, and he lay in sackcloth and went about despondently. 28Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29“Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; I will bring the disaster upon his house 43in his son’s days.”