1 Kings 21
21
Naboth’s Vineyard
1Some time later King Ahab wanted a certain vineyard. It belonged to Naboth from Jezreel. The vineyard was in Jezreel. It was close to the palace of Ahab, the king of Samaria. 2Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard. It’s close to my palace. I want to use it for a vegetable garden. I’ll trade you a better vineyard for it. Or, if you prefer, I’ll pay you what it’s worth.”
3But Naboth replied, “May the Lord keep me from giving you the land my family handed down to me.”
4So Ahab went home. He was angry. He was in a bad mood because of what Naboth from Jezreel had said. He had told Ahab, “I won’t give you the land my family handed down to me.” So Ahab lay on his bed. He was in a very bad mood. He wouldn’t even eat anything.
5His wife Jezebel came in. She asked him, “Why are you in such a bad mood? Why won’t you eat anything?”
6He answered her, “Because I spoke to Naboth from Jezreel. I said, ‘Sell me your vineyard. Or, if you prefer, I’ll give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I won’t sell you my vineyard.’ ”
7His wife Jezebel said, “Is this how the king of Israel acts? Get up! Eat something! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth from Jezreel.”
8So she wrote some letters in Ahab’s name. She stamped them with his royal seal. Then she sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in the city where Naboth lived. 9In those letters she wrote,
“Announce a day when people are supposed to go without eating. Have Naboth sit in an important place among the people. 10But put two worthless and evil men in seats across from him. Have them bring charges that he has cursed God and the king. Then take him out of the city. Kill him by throwing stones at him.”
11So the elders and nobles who lived in that city did what Jezebel wanted. They did everything she directed in the letters she had written to them. 12They announced a day of fasting. They had Naboth sit in an important place among the people. 13Then two worthless and evil men came and sat across from him. They brought charges against Naboth in front of the people. The two men said, “Naboth has cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city. They killed him by throwing stones at him. 14Then they sent a message to Jezebel. They said, “Naboth is dead. We killed him by throwing stones at him.”
15Jezebel heard that Naboth had been killed. As soon as she heard it, she said to Ahab, “Get up. Take over the vineyard of Naboth from Jezreel. It’s the one he wouldn’t sell to you. He isn’t alive anymore. He’s dead.” 16Ahab heard that Naboth was dead. So Ahab got up and went down to take over Naboth’s vineyard.
17Then a message from the Lord came to Elijah, who was from Tishbe. The Lord said, 18“Go down to see Ahab, the king of Israel. He rules in Samaria. You will find him in Naboth’s vineyard. Ahab has gone there to take it over. 19Tell him, ‘The Lord says, “Haven’t you murdered a man? Haven’t you taken over his property?” ’ Then tell Ahab, ‘The Lord says, “Dogs licked up Naboth’s blood. In that same place dogs will lick up your blood. Yes, I said your blood!” ’ ”
20Ahab said to Elijah, “My enemy! You have found me!”
“I have found you,” he answered. “That’s because you gave yourself over to do evil things. You did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 21So the Lord says, ‘I am going to bring horrible trouble on you. I will destroy your children after you. I will destroy every male in Israel who is related to you. It does not matter whether they are slaves or free. 22I will make your royal house like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. I will make it like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah. You have made me very angry. You have caused Israel to sin.’
23“The Lord also says, ‘Dogs will eat up Jezebel near the wall of Jezreel.’
24“Some of the people who belong to Ahab will die in the city. Dogs will eat them up. Others will die in the country. The birds will eat them.”
25There was never anyone like Ahab. He gave himself over to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord. His wife Jezebel talked him into it. 26He acted in the most evil way. He worshiped statues of gods. He was like the Amorites. The Lord drove them out to make room for Israel.
27When Ahab heard what Elijah had said, he tore his clothes. He put on the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad. He went without eating. He even slept in his clothes. He went around looking sad.
28Then a message from the Lord came to Elijah, who was from Tishbe. The Lord said, 29“Have you seen how Ahab has made himself humble in my sight? Because he has done that, I will not bring trouble on him while he lives. But I will bring it on his royal house when his son is king.”
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Melaḵim Aleph (1 Kings) 21
21
1And it came to be, after these events, that Naḇoth the Yizre‛ĕlite had a vineyard which was in Yizre‛ĕl, near the palace of Aḥaḇ the sovereign of Shomeron.
2And Aḥaḇ spoke to Naḇoth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, and it shall be a vegetable garden for me, since it adjoins my house. And let me give you a better vineyard for it. If it is good in your eyes, let me give you its worth in silver.”
3And Naḇoth said to Aḥaḇ, “Far be it from me, by יהוה, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!”
4And Aḥaḇ went into his house embittered and displeased because of the word which Naḇoth the Yizre‛ĕlite had spoken to him when he said, “I do not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and did not eat food.
5And Izeḇel his wife came to him, and said to him, “Why is your spirit so embittered that you are not eating food?”
6And he said to her, “Because I spoke to Naḇoth the Yizre‛ĕlite, and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for silver, or if you prefer, I give you another vineyard for it.’ But he answered, ‘I do not give you my vineyard.’ ”
7So Izeḇel his wife said to him, “Do you now rule over Yisra’ĕl? Rise up, eat food, and let your heart be glad. Let me give you the vineyard of Naḇoth the Yizre‛ĕlite!”
8Then she wrote letters in Aḥaḇ’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naḇoth.
9And she wrote in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast, and seat Naḇoth at the head of the people,
10and seat two men, sons of Beliya‛al before him to bear witness against him, saying, ‘You have blasphemed Elohim and the sovereign.’ Then you shall take him out, and stone him to death.”
11And the men of his city, the elders and nobles who were inhabitants of his city, did as Izeḇel had sent to them, as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them.
12They proclaimed a fast, and seated Naḇoth at the head of the people.
13And the men, sons of Beliya‛al, came in and sat before him. And the men of Beliya‛al witnessed against him, against Naḇoth, in the presence of the people, saying, “Naḇoth has blasphemed Elohim and the sovereign!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones, and he died.
14And they sent to Izeḇel, saying, “Naḇoth has been stoned and is dead.”
15And it came to be, when Izeḇel heard that Naḇoth had been stoned and was dead, that Izeḇel said to Aḥaḇ, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naḇoth the Yizre‛ĕlite, which he refused to give you for silver, for Naḇoth is not alive but dead.”
16And it came to be, when Aḥaḇ heard that Naḇoth was dead, that Aḥaḇ rose to go down to take possession of the vineyard of Naḇoth the Yizre‛ĕlite.
17And the word of יהוה came to Ěliyahu the Tishbite, saying,
18“Rise up, go down to meet Aḥaḇ sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, who lives in Shomeron. See, he is in the vineyard of Naḇoth, where he has gone down to take possession of it.
19“And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus said יהוה, “Have you murdered and also taken possession?” ’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus said יהוה, “In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naḇoth, the dogs are going to lick your blood, even yours.” ’ ”
20And Aḥaḇ said to Ěliyahu, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” And he answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of יהוה:
21See, I am bringing evil on you, and shall consume your descendants, and cut off from Aḥaḇ every male in Yisra’ĕl, both those shut up and those left at large,
22and make your house like the house of Yaroḇ‛am son of Neḇat, and like the house of Ba‛asha son of Aḥiyah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me, and made Yisra’ĕl sin.’
23“And also of Izeḇel יהוה has spoken, saying, ‘The dogs are going to eat Izeḇel by the wall of Yizre‛ĕl.’
24“The dogs are going to eat whoever belongs to Aḥaḇ and dies in the city, and the birds of the heavens are going to eat whoever dies in the field.”
25Indeed, there never was anyone like Aḥaḇ who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of יהוה, because Izeḇel his wife stirred him up.
26And he acted very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom יהוה dispossessed from before the children of Yisra’ĕl.
27And it came to be, when Aḥaḇ heard those words, that he tore his garments and put sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
28And the word of יהוה came to Ěliyahu the Tishbite, saying,
29“See how Aḥaḇ has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I do not bring the evil in his days, but in the days of his son I bring the evil on his house.”
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