1 Now it came about after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in AJudg 6:33; 1 Kin 18:45, 46Jezreel beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “A1 Sam 8:14Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden because it is close beside my house, and I will give you a better vineyard than it in its place; if 1Lit it is good in your eyesyou like, I will give you the price of 2Lit thisit in money.” 3 But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Loʀᴅ forbid me ALev 25:23; Num 36:7; Ezek 46:18that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.” 4 A1 Kin 20:43So Ahab came into his house sullen and vexed because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and ate no 1Lit breadfood.

5 But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “How is it that your spirit is so sullen that you are not eating 1Lit breadfood?” 6 So 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.’ ” 7 Jezebel his wife said to him, “A1 Sam 8:14Do you now 1Lit exercise kingshipreign over Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

8 AEsth 3:12; 8:8, 10So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and sent letters to B1 Kin 20:7the elders and to the nobles who were living with Naboth in his city. 9 Now she wrote in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people; 10 and seat two A1 Sam 2:12; 2 Sam 20:1worthless men before him, and let them testify against him, saying, ‘BEx 22:28; Lev 24:15, 16; Acts 6:11You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and CLev 24:14stone him 1Lit so that he diesto death.”

11 So 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. 12 They AIs 58:4proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the people. 13 Then 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.” A2 Kin 9:26; 2 Chr 24:21; Acts 7:58, 59; Heb 11:37So they took him outside the city and stoned him 1Lit with stones so that he diedto death with stones. 14 Then they sent word to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”

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

17 Then the word of the Loʀᴅ came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 “Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, A1 Kin 16:29who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth where he has gone down to take possession of it. 19  “You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Loʀᴅ, “A2 Sam 12:9Have you murdered and also taken possession?” ’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Loʀᴅ, “B1 Kin 22:38; 2 Kin 9:26In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth the dogs will lick up your blood, even yours.” ’ ”

20 Ahab said to Elijah, “A1 Kin 18:17Have you found me, O my enemy?” And he 1Lit saidanswered, “I have found you, B1 Kin 21:25; 2 Kin 17:17; Rom 7:14because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Loʀᴅ. 21  “Behold, I will bring evil upon you, and A1 Kin 14:10; 2 Kin 9:8will utterly sweep you away, and will cut off from Ahab every male, both bond and free in Israel; 22 and A1 Kin 15:29I will make your house B1 Kin 16:3, 11like 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 C1 Kin 12:30; 13:34; 14:16have made Israel sin. 23  “Of Jezebel also has the Loʀᴅ spoken, saying, ‘A2 Kin 9:10, 30-37The dogs will eat Jezebel in the 1Lit portion; some mss read rampartdistrict of Jezreel.’ 24  “A1 Kin 14:11; 16:4The 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.”

25 A1 Kin 16:30-33; 21:20Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the Loʀᴅ, 1Or whom Jezebel his wife incitedbecause Jezebel his wife incited him. 26 A1 Kin 15:12; 2 Kin 17:12He acted very abominably in following idols, BGen 15:16; Lev 18:25-30; 2 Kin 21:11according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the Loʀᴅ cast out before the sons of Israel.

27 It came about when Ahab heard these words, that AGen 37:34; 2 Sam 3:31; 2 Kin 6:30he tore his clothes and put 1Lit sackcloth on his fleshon sackcloth and fasted, and he lay in sackcloth and went about 2Or softlydespondently. 28 Then the word of the Loʀᴅ 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 evil in his days, but I will bring the evil upon his house A2 Kin 9:25-37in his son’s days.”