Ahab Covets Naboth's Vineyard

1And it cometh to pass, after these things, a vineyard hath been to Naboth the Jezreelite, that is in Jezreel, near the palace of Ahab king of Samaria, 2and Ahab speaketh unto Naboth, saying, 'Give to me thy vineyard, and it is to me for a garden of green herbs, for it is near by my house, and I give to thee in its stead a better vineyard than it; if good in thine eyes, I give to thee silver -- its price.' 3And Naboth saith unto Ahab, 'Far be it from me, by Jehovah, my giving the inheritance of my fathers to thee;' 4and Ahab cometh in unto his house, sulky and wroth, because of the word that Naboth the Jezreelite hath spoken unto him when he saith, 'I do not give to thee the inheritance of my fathers,' and he lieth down on his bed, and turneth round his face, and hath not eaten bread.

5And Jezebel his wife cometh in unto him, and speaketh unto him, 'What is this? -- thy spirit sulky, and thou art not eating bread!' 6And he saith unto her, 'Because I speak unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and say to him, Give to me thy vineyard for money, or if thou desire, I give to thee a vineyard in its stead; and he saith, I do not give to thee my vineyard.' 7And Jezebel his wife saith unto him, 'Thou now dost execute rule over Israel! rise, eat bread, and let thy heart be glad, -- I do give to thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.'

8And she writeth letters in the name of Ahab, and sealeth with his seal, and sendeth the letters unto the elders, and unto the freemen, who are in his city, those dwelling with Naboth, 9and she writeth in the letters, saying, 'Proclaim a fast, and cause Naboth to sit at the head of the people, 10and cause two men -- sons of worthlessness -- to sit over-against him, and they testify of him, saying, Thou hast blessed God and Melech; and they have brought him out, and stoned him, and he dieth.'

Jezebel's Plot

11And the men of his city, the elders and the freemen who are dwelling in his city, do as Jezebel hath sent unto them, as written in the letters that she sent unto them, 12they have proclaimed a fast, and caused Naboth to sit at the head of the people, 13and two men -- sons of worthlessness -- come in, and sit over-against him, and the men of worthlessness testify of him, even Naboth, before the people, saying, 'Naboth blessed God and Melech;' and they take him out to the outside of the city, and stone him with stones, and he dieth; 14and they send unto Jezebel, saying, 'Naboth was stoned, and is dead.'

15And it cometh to pass, at Jezebel's hearing that Naboth hath been stoned, and is dead, that Jezebel saith unto Ahab, 'Rise, possess the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, that he refused to give to thee for money, for Naboth is not alive but dead.' 16And it cometh to pass, at Ahab's hearing that Naboth is dead, that Ahab riseth to go down unto the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to possess it.

Elijah Denounces Ahab and Jezebel

17And the word of Jehovah is unto Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18Rise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria, -- lo, in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he hath gone down to possess it, 19and thou hast spoken unto him, saying, Thus said Jehovah, Hast thou murdered, and also possessed? and thou hast spoken unto him, saying, Thus said Jehovah, In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, do the dogs lick thy blood, even thine.'

20And Ahab saith unto Elijah, 'Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?' and he saith, 'I have found -- because of thy selling thyself to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah; 21lo, I am bringing in unto thee evil, and have taken away thy posterity, and cut off to Ahab those sitting on the wall, and restrained, and left, in Israel, 22and given up thy house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah, for the provocation with which thou hast provoked Me, and dost cause Israel to sin. 23'And also of Jezebel hath Jehovah spoken, saying, The dogs do eat Jezebel in the bulwark of Jezreel; 24him who dieth of Ahab in a city do the dogs eat, and him who dieth in a field do fowl of the heavens eat;

Ahab's Repentance

25surely there hath none been like Ahab, who sold himself to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, whom Jezebel his wife hath moved, 26and he doth very abominably to go after the idols, according to all that the Amorite did whom Jehovah dispossessed from the presence of the sons of Israel.'

27And it cometh to pass, at Ahab's hearing these words, that he rendeth his garments, and putteth sackcloth on his flesh, and fasteth, and lieth in sackcloth, and goeth gently. 28And the word of Jehovah is unto Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29'Hast thou seen that Ahab hath been humbled before Me? because that he hath been humbled before Me, I bring not in the evil in his days; in the days of his son I bring in the evil on his house.'