1 Some time after this, the following took place. Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
2 Ahab spoke to Naboth: "Let me have your vineyard to use as a vegetable garden, since it lies right next to my house. I will give you a better vineyard in its place, or if it suits you better, I will give you its value in silver."
3 Naboth answered Ahab, "The LORD forbid that I should give you what I have inherited from my fathers!"
4 Ahab went home sullen and angry over what Naboth the Jezreelite had told him, "I will not give you what I inherited from my fathers." He lay on his bed with his face turned away and refused to eat.
5 His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, "Why are you in such low spirits that you are not eating?"
6 He told her, "Because I spoke with Naboth the Jezreelite and said, 'Sell me your vineyard for silver, or if you would like, I will give you a vineyard in its place,' and he said, 'I will not give you my vineyard.'"
7 His wife Jezebel said to him, "Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up, eat something and cheer up. I myself will give you Naboth the Jezreelite's vineyard."
8 She wrote letters in Ahab's name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and nobles of Naboth's town who lived there with him.
9 In the letters she wrote: "Call a fast and give Naboth a seat at the head of the people.
10 Seat two men, sons of Belial, across from him, and have them testify against him: 'You cursed God and the king.' Then take him out and stone him until he dies."
11 The men of his town, the elders and nobles living in his town, did as Jezebel had instructed them in the letters she sent them.
12 They called a fast and gave Naboth a seat at the head of the people.
13 Then the two men, sons of Belial, came in and sat across from him, and these worthless men testified against Naboth before the people: "Naboth cursed God and the king." So they took him outside the town and stoned him with stones until he died.
14 Then they sent word to Jezebel: "Naboth was stoned and is dead."
15 The moment Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she told Ahab, "Get up and take over the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he would not sell you for silver. Naboth is no longer alive; he is dead."
16 The moment Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up to go down to Naboth the Jezreelite's vineyard and take it over.
17 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite:
18 "Get up and go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria. He is now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone down to take it over.
19 Tell him, 'This is what the LORD says: Have you murdered and taken over as well?' Then tell him, 'This is what the LORD says: In the place where the dogs licked up Naboth's blood, the dogs will lick up your blood, yes, yours.'"
20 Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, my enemy?" "I have found you," he answered, "because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the LORD.
21 I am going to bring evil on you. I will burn you up and cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, bond and free alike.
22 I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah, because of how you have provoked me and caused Israel to sin.
23 About Jezebel too the LORD has spoken: 'The dogs will eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel.'
24 Those of Ahab's family who die in the town, the dogs will eat; and those who die in the countryside, the birds of the sky will eat."
25 (There was truly no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the LORD, urged on by his wife Jezebel.
26 He acted in the most abominable way by following idols, just as the Amorites had done, whom the LORD drove out before the children of Israel.)
27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his body and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and walked about subdued.
28 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite:
29 "Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Since he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his lifetime; I will bring the evil on his house in his son's lifetime."