1 Kings 21:2-16

2And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “1Give 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 2you prefer, I will give you what 3it is worth in money.” 3But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid me 4that I would give you the inheritance of my fathers!” 45So Ahab entered his house sullen and furious because of the 6answer 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 7food.

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 8food?” 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, “9Do you now 10reign over Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

811So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to 12the 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 13worthless men opposite him, and have them testify against him, saying, ‘14You 15cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and 16stone him 17to death.”

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 18proclaimed 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 19cursed God and the king.” 20So they took him outside the city and stoned him 21to 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.