Chapter 21

And it came to pass after these things, [that] Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which [was] in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

And Ahab spake¹⁷ unto Naboth, saying,² Give³ me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it [is] near unto my house: and I will give⁴ thee for it a better vineyard than it; [or], if it seem good to thee, I will give⁴ thee the worth of it in money.

And Naboth said⁴ to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give² the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.

And Ahab came⁴ into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken¹⁴ to him: for he had said,⁴ I will not give⁴ thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down⁴ upon his bed, and turned away⁵⁵ his face, and would eat¹ no bread.

But Jezebel his wife came⁴ to him, and said¹⁷ unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest⁶ no bread?

And he said¹⁷ unto her, Because I spake¹⁷ unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said⁴ unto him, Give³ me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give⁴ thee [another] vineyard for it: and he answered,⁴ I will not give⁴ thee my vineyard.

And Jezebel his wife said⁴ unto him, Dost thou now govern⁴ the kingdom of Israel? arise,³ [and] eat³ bread, and let thine heart be merry:⁴ I will give⁴ thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

So she wrote⁴ letters in Ahab's name, and sealed⁴ [them] with his seal, and sent⁴ the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that [were] in his city, dwelling⁶ with Naboth.

And she wrote⁴ in the letters, saying,² Proclaim³ a fast, and set⁵⁴ Naboth on high among the people:

And set⁵⁴ two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness⁵⁵ against him, saying,² Thou didst blaspheme¹⁴ God and the king. And [then] carry him out,⁵² and stone³ him, that he may die.⁴

And the men of his city, [even] the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants⁶ in his city, did⁴ as Jezebel had sent¹ unto them, [and] as it [was] written⁷ in the letters which she had sent¹ unto them.

They proclaimed¹ a fast, and set⁵² Naboth on high among the people.

And there came⁴ in two men, children of Belial, and sat⁴ before him: and the men of Belial witnessed⁵⁵ against him, [even] against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying,² Naboth did blaspheme¹⁴ God and the king. Then they carried him forth⁵⁵ out of the city, and stoned⁴ him with stones, that he died.⁴

Then they sent⁴ to Jezebel, saying,² Naboth is stoned,²⁷ and is dead.⁴

And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard² that Naboth was stoned,²⁷ and was dead,⁴ that Jezebel said⁴ to Ahab, Arise,³ take possession³ of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused¹⁴ to give² thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead.¹

And it came to pass, when Ahab heard² that Naboth was dead,¹ that Ahab rose up⁴ to go down² to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession² of it.

And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,²

Arise,³ go down³ to meet² Ahab king of Israel, which [is] in Samaria: behold, [he is] in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down¹ to possess² it.

And thou shalt speak¹⁴ unto him, saying,² Thus saith¹ the LORD, Hast thou killed,¹ and also taken possession?¹ And thou shalt speak¹⁴ unto him, saying,² Thus saith¹ the LORD, In the place where dogs licked¹ the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick⁴ thy blood, even thine.

And Ahab said⁴ to Elijah, Hast thou found¹ me, O mine enemy?⁶ And he answered,⁴ I have found¹ [thee]: because thou hast sold⁹⁹ thyself to work² evil in the sight of the LORD.

Behold, I will bring⁵⁶ evil upon thee, and will take away¹⁴ thy posterity, and will cut off⁵² from Ahab him that pisseth⁵⁶ against the wall, and him that is shut up⁷ and left⁷ in Israel,

And will make¹ thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked [me] to anger,⁵² and made Israel to sin.⁵⁵

And of Jezebel also spake¹⁴ the LORD, saying,² The dogs shall eat⁴ Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.

Him that dieth⁵ of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat;⁴ and him that dieth⁵ in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.⁴

But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell⁹⁸ himself to work² wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.⁵²

And he did very abominably⁵⁵ in following^{2 310} idols, according to all [things] as did¹ the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out⁵² before the children of Israel.

And it came to pass, when Ahab heard² those words, that he rent⁴ his clothes, and put⁴ sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted,⁴ and lay⁴ in sackcloth, and went¹⁷ softly.

And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,²

Seest¹ thou how Ahab humbleth⁸ himself before me? because he humbleth⁸ himself before me, I will not bring⁵⁵ the evil in his days: [but] in his son's days will I bring⁵⁵ the evil upon his house.