The Lord Condemns Ahab

17 jThen the word of the Lord came to kElijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 “Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, lwho lives in Samaria. There he is, in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it. 19 You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Have you murdered and also taken possession?” ’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: m“In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood, even yours.” ’ ”

20 So Ahab said to Elijah, n“Have you found me, O my enemy?”

And he answered, “I have found you, because oyou have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord: 21 ‘Behold, pI will bring calamity on you. I will take away your qposterity, and will cut off from Ahab revery male in Israel, both sbond and free. 22 I will make your house like the house of tJeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of uBaasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and made Israel sin.’ 23 And vconcerning Jezebel the Lord also spoke, saying, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the 2wall of Jezreel.’ 24 The dogs shall eat wwhoever belongs to Ahab and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field.”

25 But xthere was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord, ybecause Jezebel his wife 3stirred him up. 26 And he behaved very abominably in following idols, according to all zthat the Amorites had done, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.

27 So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes and aput sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning.

28 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29 “See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he bhas humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. cIn the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house.”