1 Kings Chapter 21

Naboth’s Vineyard

¹ After this, Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel beside King Ahab’s palace. ² Ahab spoke to him about it, “Give me your vineyard so I can use it for a vegetable garden; it’s close to my palace. I’ll trade you a better vineyard for it.”

³ But Naboth said, “Yahveh forbid me from giving you my ancestors’ inheritance.”

⁴ Ahab went home sullen and resentful. He lay down on his bed and turned away and wouldn’t eat.

⁵ His wife Jezebel came in, “Why are you so sullen you won’t eat?”

⁶ “I asked Naboth to let me buy his vineyard or trade him for another one, but he wouldn’t do it.’”           1 Kg 21:1-6

⁷ Jezebel said, “Do you rule Israel? Get up, eat something, and be happy. I’ll get you his vineyard.” ⁸ She wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and nobles in Naboth’s town, ⁹ “Declare a fast and seat Naboth in a prominent place. ¹⁰ Put two worthless fellows with him and have them accuse him of cursing God and the king. Then take him out and stone him.”

¹¹ The elders and nobles ¹² declared a fast and put Naboth in a prominent place. ¹³ The two worthless fellows came in and sat down with him, and started accusing him of cursing God and the king. They took him outside the city and stoned him, ¹⁴ and sent word to Jezebel. ¹⁵ She told Ahab, “Go take Naboth’s vineyard; he’s dead.” ¹⁶ He got up to go down and take it.              1 Kg 21:7-16

¹⁷ Then a message from Yahveh came to Elijah,

¹⁸ “Meet Ahab in Naboth’s vineyard. He’s gone down to confiscate it. ¹⁹ Tell him I’ve said, ‘Have you murdered and confiscated? Where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, they’ll lick up yours.’”

²⁰ Ahab said, “Have you found me, my enemy?”

 “I’ve found you because you’ve sold yourself to doing evil in Yahveh’s presence. ²¹ ‘I’ll bring evil on you and completely sweep you away. I’ll remove from you every male in Israel, bond or free, ²² and make your dynasty like Jeroboam’s and Baasha’s; you’ve made me angry and got Israel to sin.’ ²³ Yahveh has also said dogs will eat Jezebel in the district of Jezreel. ²⁴ Dogs will eat any relative that dies in the city; birds will eat any that die in the field.”

²⁵ Nobody had sold himself to doing evil like Ahab did, influenced by his wife. ²⁶ He acted horribly in following idols like the Amorites had done that Yahveh originally drove out.

²⁷ When Ahab heard that, he tore his clothes, put on burlap, and fasted. He lay down in burlap and walked around in mourning. ²⁸ Then a message came to Elijah, ²⁹ “See how Ahab has humbled himself? Since he’s done that, I won’t do what I’d promised during his lifetime. I’ll bring it on his family during his son’s life.” 1 Kg 21:17-29