Naboth’s Vineyard
1Some time later, Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard, so I can use it for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my house. I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or if you prefer, I will pay you its value in silver.” 3But Naboth said to Ahab, “Yahweh forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” 4So Ahab went home sullen and angry because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him — “I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” He lay down on his bed, turned his face away, and would not eat. 5His wife Jezebel came to him and asked, “Why are you so sullen that you refuse to eat?” 6He said to her, “Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard for silver, or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place,’ and he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” 7Jezebel his wife said to him, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up, eat some food, and cheer up. I will get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” 8So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him. 9In the letters she wrote: “Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people, 10and seat two scoundrels opposite him to testify against him, saying, ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.” 11The men of his city, the elders and nobles who lived there, did as Jezebel had instructed them in the letters she had sent them. 12They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the people. 13Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him, and they testified against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. 14Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.” 15As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, the one he refused to sell you — Naboth is no longer alive, he is dead.” 16When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard.
Elijah’s Judgment on Ahab
17Then the word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite: 18“Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who reigns in Samaria. He is now in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession of it. 19Say to him: Thus says Yahweh: Have you murdered, and also taken possession? Then say to him: Thus says Yahweh: In the place where the dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, the dogs will lick up your blood too.” 20Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!” “I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the eyes of Yahweh. 21I am about to bring disaster on you. I will sweep away your descendants and will cut off from Ahab every male, both slave and free, in Israel. 22I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah, because of the anger you have provoked, and because you have caused Israel to sin. 23And concerning Jezebel, Yahweh also says: the dogs will eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. 24Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city, the dogs will eat, and anyone who dies in the field, the birds of the sky will eat.” 25(There was truly no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh, urged on by Jezebel his wife. 26He behaved in the most detestable way, going after idols, just as the Amorites had done, whom Yahweh drove out before the Israelites.) 27When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth next to his skin, and fasted. He lay down in the sackcloth and walked around subdued. 28Then the word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite: 29“Have you seen 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 it on his house in the days of his son.”
