1 Kings 21:1–22:53
21 Some time passed after these events. Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard; it was in Jezreelf next to the palace of King Ahab of Samaria.g 2 So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyardh so I can have it for a vegetable garden, since it is right next to my palace. I will give you a better vineyard in its place, or if you prefer, I will give you its value in silver.”
3 But Naboth said to Ahab, “As the Lord is my witness, I will never give my ancestors’ inheritancei to you.”
4 So Ahab went to his palace resentful and angryj because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had told him. He had said, “I will not give you my ancestors’ inheritance.” He lay down on his bed, turned his face away,k and didn’t eat any food.l
5 Then his wife Jezebel came to him and said to him, “Why are you so upset that you refuse to eat?”
6 “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite,” he replied. “I told him, ‘Give me your vineyard for silver, or if you wish, I will give you a vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I won’t give you my vineyard!’ ”
7 Then his wife Jezebel said to him, “Now, exercise your royal power over Israel. Get up, eat some food, and be happy. For I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”m 8 So she wrote lettersn in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal.o She sent the letters to the eldersp and nobles who lived with Naboth in his city. 9 In the letters, she wrote:
Proclaim a fastq and seat Naboth at the head of the people. 10 Then seat two wicked menr opposite him and have them testify against him, saying, “You have cursed God and the king!”s Then take him out and stone him to death.t
11 The men of his city, the elders and nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them, just as it was written in the letters she had sent them. 12 They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the people. 13 The two wicked men came in and sat opposite him. Then the wicked men testified against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones. 14 Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”u
15 When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite who refused to give it to you for silver,v since Naboth isn’t alive, but dead.” 16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to take possession of it.
17 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite:w 18 “Get up and go to meet King Ahab of Israel,x who is in Samaria.y He’s in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. 19 Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you murderedz and also taken possession?’aa Then tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: In the place where the dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, the dogs will also lick up your blood!’ ”ab
20 Ahab said to Elijah, “So, my enemy, you’ve found me, have you?”ac
He replied, “I have found you because you devotedad yourself to do what is evil in the Lord’s sight. 21 This is what the Lord says:B ‘I am about to bring disaster on you and will eradicate your descendants:
I will wipe out all of Ahab’s males,A
both slave and free,B in Israel;a
22 I will make your house like the house of Jeroboamb son of Nebat and like the house of Baashac son of Ahijah, because you have angered me and caused Israel to sin.’d 23 The Lord also speaks of Jezebel: ‘The dogs will eat Jezebel in the plot of land* at Jezreel:e
24 Anyone who belongs to Ahab and dies in the city, the dogs will eat,
and anyone who dies in the field, the birdsD will eat.’ ”f
25 Still, there was no one like Ahab, who devoted himself to do what was evil in the Lord’s sight, because his wife Jezebel incited him.g 26 He committed the most detestable acts by following idolsh as the Amoritesi had, whom the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites.
27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put sackcloth over his body, and fasted. He lay down in sackclothj and walked around subdued. 28 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 29 “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? I will not bring the disaster during his lifetime,k because he has humbled himself before me. I will bring the disaster on his house during his son’s lifetime.”l
JEHOSHAPHAT’S ALLIANCE WITH AHAB
22 There wasm a lull of three yearsn without war between Aram and Israel. 2 However, in the third year, King Jehoshaphato of Judah went to visit the king of Israel.p 3 The king of Israel had said to his servants, “Don’t you know that Ramoth-gileadq is ours, but we’re doing nothing to take it from the king of Aram?” 4 Sor he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight Ramoth-gilead?”s
Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”t 5 But Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “First, please ask what the Lord’s will is.”u
6 So the king of Israel gathered the prophets, about four hundred men,v and asked them, “Should I go against Ramoth-gilead for war or should I refrain?”
They replied, “March up, and the Lord will hand it over to the king.”w
7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord here anymore?x Let’s ask him.”
8 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man who can inquire of the Lord, but I hate himy because he never prophesies good about me,z but only disaster. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”
“The king shouldn’t say that!” Jehoshaphat replied.
9 So the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Hurry and get Micaiah son of Imlah!”
10 Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah,aa clothed in royal attire, were each sitting on his own throne. They were on the threshing floorab at the entrance to the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying in front of them. 11 Then Zedekiahac son of Chenaanah made iron hornsad and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You will gore the Arameans with these until they are finished off.’ ” 12 And all the prophets were prophesying the same: “March up to Ramoth-gileadae and succeed, for the Lord will hand it over to the king.”
13 The messengeraf who went to call Micaiah instructed him, “Look, the words of the prophets are unanimously favorable for the king. So let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably.”
14 But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives,ag I will say whatever the Lord says to me.”ah
15 So he went to the king, and the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth-gilead for war, or should we refrain?”
Micaiah told him, “March up and succeed. The Lord will hand it over to the king.”
16 But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
I saw all Israel scattered on the hills
like sheep without a shepherd.ai
And the Lord said,
“They have no master;
let everyone return home in peace.”aj
18 So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster?”
19 Then Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne,a and the whole heavenly armyb was standing by him at his right hand and at his left hand. 20 And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’c So one was saying this and another was saying that.
21 “Then a spirit came forward, stood in the Lord’s presence, and said, ‘I will entice him.’
22 “The Lord asked him, ‘How?’
“He said, ‘I will go and become a lying spiritd in the mouth of all his prophets.’
“Then he said, ‘You will certainly entice him and prevail.e Go and do that.’
23 “You see, the Lord has put a lying spirit into the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the Lord has pronounced disaster against you.”
24 Then Zedekiahf son of Chenaanah came up, hit Micaiah on the cheek, and demanded, “DidA the Spirit of the Lord leave me to speak to you?”g
25 Micaiah replied, “You will soon see when you go to hide in an inner chamber on that day.”h
26 Then the king of Israel ordered, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king’s son,i 27 and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this guy in prisonj and feed him only a little bread and waterB until I come back safely.’ ”
28 But Micaiah said, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.”k Then he said, “Listen, all you people!”C,l
29 Thenm the king of Israel and Judah’s King Jehoshaphat went up to Ramoth-gilead.n 30 But the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguiseo myself and go into battle, but you wear your royal attire.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.p
31 Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders,q “Do not fight with anyone at allD except the king of Israel.”r
32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they shouted, “He must be the king of Israel!” So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out. 33 When the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
34 But a man drew his bows without taking special aim and struck the king of Israel through the joints of his armor. So he said to his charioteer, “Turn around and take me out of the battle,E for I am badly wounded!”t 35 The battle raged throughout that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. He died that evening,u and blood from his wound flowed into the bottom of the chariot. 36 Then the cry rang out in the army as the sun set, declaring:
Each man to his own city,
and each man to his own land!v
37 So the king died and was brought to Samaria. They buried the king in Samaria.w 38 Then someone washed the chariot at the pool of Samaria. The dogs licked up