1 Kings 21

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Literal

Naboth’s Vineyard

¹Some time after these events, Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard in Jezreel next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

¹And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard that was in Jezreel next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

²So Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to use as a vegetable garden, since it is next to my palace. I will give you a better vineyard in its place—or if you prefer, I will give you its value in silver.”

²And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give to me your vineyard, and it will be to me for a garden of green herbs, because it is nearby my house. And I will give to you in its place a better vineyard than it. Or if it is good in your eyes, I will give to you silver of the price of this one.”

³But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”

³And Naboth said to Ahab, “Far be it from me, by YHWH, to give the inheritance of my fathers to you.”

⁴So Ahab went to his palace, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had told him, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He lay down on his bed, turned his face away, and refused to eat.

⁴And Ahab went into his house sullen and angry because of the word that Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him. For he had said, “I will not give to you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed, and he turned away his face and would not eat food.

⁵Soon his wife Jezebel came in and asked, “Why are you so sullen that you refuse to eat?”

⁵And Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “Why is this that your spirit is so sullen, and you eat no food?”

⁶Ahab answered, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and told him, ‘Give me your vineyard for silver, or if you wish, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ And he replied, ‘I will not give you my vineyard!’”

⁶And he said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give to me your vineyard for silver; or if it pleases you, I will give to you a vineyard for it.’ And He answered, ‘I will not give to you my vineyard.’”

⁷But his wife Jezebel said to him, “Do you not reign over Israel? Get up, eat some food, and be cheerful, for I will get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

⁷And Jezebel his wife said to him, “You now exercise authority over Israel! Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be cheerful. I will give to you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

Jezebel’s Plot

⁸Then Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived with Naboth in his city.

⁸And she wrote letters in the name of Ahab and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth.

⁹In the letters she wrote:

“Proclaim a fast and give Naboth a seat of honor among the people.

⁹And she wrote in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth with high honor among the people.

¹⁰But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, ‘You have cursed both God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”

¹⁰And seat two men, sons of worthlessness, before him to bear witness against him, saying, ‘You have cursed God and the king.’ And take him out and stone him, that he may die.”

¹¹So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel had instructed in the letters she had written to them.

¹¹And the men of his city, the elders and nobles who were dwellers of his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, as it was written in the letters that she had sent to them.

¹²They proclaimed a fast and gave Naboth a seat of honor among the people.

¹²They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth with high honor among the people.

¹³And the two scoundrels came in and sat opposite Naboth, and these men testified against him before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king!”

So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.

¹³And two men, the sons of worthlessness, came in and sat before him. And the men of worthlessness witnessed against him, against Naboth, before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed God and the king.” And they took him outside of the city and stoned him with stones, so that he died.

¹⁴Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”

¹⁴And they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned, and he is dead.”

¹⁵When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, who refused to give it to you for silver. For Naboth is no longer alive, but dead.”

¹⁵And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to give to you for silver. For Naboth is not alive, but he has died.”

¹⁶And when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

¹⁶And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab got up and went down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to possess it.

Elijah Denounces Ahab and Jezebel

¹⁷Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

¹⁷And the word of YHWH came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

¹⁸“Get up and go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria. See, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession of it.

¹⁸“Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to possess it.

¹⁹Tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Have you not murdered a man and seized his land?’

Then tell him that this is also what the LORD says: ‘In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, there also the dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’”^a

¹⁹And you shall speak to him, saying, thus says YHWH: ‘Have you murdered, and also taken possession?’ And you shall speak to him, saying, thus says YHWH: ‘In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs will lick your blood—even you.’”

²⁰When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So you have found me out, my enemy.”

He replied, “I have found you out because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD.

²⁰And Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?” And he answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of YHWH:

²¹This is what the LORD says:^a

‘I will bring calamity on you

and consume your descendants;

I will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel,

both slave and free.

²¹‘Behold, I will bring on you calamity and I will take away your posterity, and will cut off from Ahab those who urinate against the wall, and the restrained and the free in Israel.

²²I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat

and like that of Baasha son of Ahijah,

because you have provoked My anger

and caused Israel to sin.’

²²And I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and caused Israel to sin.’

²³And the LORD also speaks concerning Jezebel:

‘The dogs will devour Jezebel

by the wall of Jezreel.’^a

²³And also concerning Jezebel YHWH has spoken, saying, ‘The dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’

²⁴Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city

will be eaten by dogs,

and anyone who dies in the field

will be eaten by the birds of the air.”

²⁴Whoever dies of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat, and whoever dies in the field the birds of the heavens shall eat.”

Ahab’s Repentance

²⁵(Surely there was never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, incited by his wife Jezebel.

²⁵(Surely there has not been one like Ahab, who sold himself to do wickedness in the eyes of YHWH, because Jezebel his wife incited Him.

²⁶He committed the most detestable acts by going after idols, just like the Amorites whom the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.)

²⁶And he acted very abominably in following after the idols, according to all that the Amorite had done, whom YHWH had cast out before the sons of Israel.)

²⁷When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth and walked around meekly.

²⁷And it came to pass when Ahab heard these words that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body, and he fasted and lay in the sackcloth, and he walked softly.

²⁸Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying:

²⁸And the word of YHWH came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

²⁹“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity during his days, but I will bring it upon his house in the days of his son.”

²⁹“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because that he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days; in the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house.”