1After these things, Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, right beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
2Ahab said to Naboth, "Give me your vineyard, so that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is close to my house. I will give you a better vineyard in its place. Or, if you prefer, I will pay you what it is worth in money."
3But Naboth said to Ahab, "The LORD forbid that I should give you the land I inherited from my fathers."
4So Ahab came into his house sad and angry because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him. For Naboth had said, "I will not give you the land I inherited from my fathers." Ahab lay down on his bed, turned his face away, and would not eat any food.
5But Jezebel his wife came to him and said, "Why are you so sad? Why do you eat no food?"
6He said to her, "Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite. I said to him, 'Give me your vineyard for money. Or, if you like, I will give you another vineyard in its place.' And he answered, 'I will not give you my vineyard.'"
7Jezebel his wife said to him, "Are you not the ruler of the kingdom of Israel? Get up, eat some food, and let your heart be glad. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."
8So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal. She sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles of his city, who lived near Naboth.
9In the letters she wrote: "Announce a fast, and seat Naboth in a high place among the people."
10"Then put two worthless men in front of him, to speak against him and say, 'You cursed God and the king.' Then take him out and stone him, so that he dies."
11So the men of his city, the elders and the nobles who lived there, did what Jezebel had sent word to do, just as it was written in the letters she had sent to them.
12They announced a fast and seated Naboth in a high place among the people.
13Two worthless men came in and sat in front of him. These men spoke against Naboth in front of the people, saying, "Naboth cursed God and the king." Then they carried him out of the city and stoned him with stones, and he died.
14Then they sent word to Jezebel, saying, "Naboth has been stoned, and he is dead."
15When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, she said to Ahab, "Get up, take the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite as your own, the one he refused to sell you for money. For Naboth is not alive; he is dead."
16When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take it as his own.
17Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite:
18"Get up, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria. Look, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take it as his own."
19"Say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Have you killed a man, and taken his land too?' And say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood, yes, yours.'"
20Ahab said to Elijah, "So you have found me, my enemy." And he answered, "I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD."
21Look, I will bring disaster on you. I will sweep away your descendants. I will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, whether slave or free,
22"and I will make your family like the family of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the family of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because you have stirred me to anger and have made Israel sin."
24"Anyone of Ahab's family who dies in the city, the dogs will eat. Anyone who dies in the open country, the birds of the air will eat."
25There was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do what is wicked in the sight of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife.
26He did very hateful things by following idols, just like the Amorites, whom the LORD had driven out before the children of Israel.
27When Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body. He fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and walked about quietly.
28Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite:
29"Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his own days. I will bring the disaster on his family in the days of his son."