Old Testament · History

1 Kings chapter 21

After these events, there was a belonging to the , right next to the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria.Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard so I can use it as a vegetable garden, since it’s right next to my house. I’ll give you a better vineyard in exchange — or if you prefer, I’ll pay you whatever it’s worth in silver.”But Naboth told Ahab, “Yahweh forbid that I should hand over to you !”So Ahab went back to his house, because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had told him — “I will not give you what my ancestors passed down to me.” He lay down on his bed, turned his face to the wall, and refused to eat.His wife came to him and said, “Why are you so down that you won’t even eat?”He told her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said, ‘Sell me your vineyard,’ or ‘If you prefer, I’ll give you another vineyard in exchange.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”Jezebel his wife said to him, “ Get up, eat something, and cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, , and sent them to the elders and leading citizens who lived in Naboth’s city.In the letters, she wrote: “Announce a and give Naboth a among the people.”“Then seat two across from him and have them testify against him, saying: ‘You .’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”So the men of his city — the elders and leading citizens who lived there — did exactly what Jezebel had instructed them in the letters she sent.They announced a public fast and gave Naboth a seat of honor among the people.Then two worthless men came in and sat across from him. These worthless men testified against Naboth in front of everyone, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king!” So they dragged him outside the city and .Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard that Naboth the Jezreelite refused to sell you — because Naboth is no longer alive. He’s dead.”When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth the Jezreelite’s vineyard.Then came to :“Get up and go meet Ahab, king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He’s there now, in Naboth’s vineyard — he’s gone down to take it over.”“Say to him, ‘: You murdered a man and now you’re stealing his property?’ Then tell him, ‘This is what Yahweh says: In the very spot where Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood too.’”Ahab said to Elijah, “So you’ve found me, my enemy!” Elijah answered, “I have found you — because you have to do what is .”“I am going to . I will sweep away your descendants and in Ahab’s line — whether slave or free in Israel.”“I will make your dynasty like the dynasty of and like the dynasty of Baasha son of Ahijah — because you have provoked me to anger and .”And about Jezebel, Yahweh also says: “Dogs will Jezebel .”“Any of Ahab’s family who dies in the city, dogs will eat. And any who dies in the open country, the .”There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh, with his wife Jezebel .He acted in the most disgusting ways, going after , just like the had done — the people Yahweh had driven out ahead of Israel.When Ahab heard these words, he , put on against his skin, refused to eat, slept in sackcloth, and walked around in grief.Then the word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite:“Have you seen how Ahab has before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster during his lifetime. I will bring it on his dynasty during .”