1 Kings 21:1–16

AHAB AND NABOTH’S VINEYARD

21Some time passed after these events. Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard; it was in Jezreel^f next to the palace of King Ahab of Samaria.^{g 2}So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard^h 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.”

³But Naboth said to Ahab, “As the Lord is my witness, I will never give my ancestors’ inheritanceⁱ to you.”

⁴So Ahab went to his palace resentful and angry^j 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

⁵Then 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!’ ”

⁷Then 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 elders^p and nobles who lived with Naboth in his city. ⁹In the letters, she wrote:

Proclaim a fast^q and seat Naboth at the head of the people. ¹⁰Then seat two wicked men^r 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

¹¹The 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. ¹²They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the people. ¹³The 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. ¹⁴Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”^u

¹⁵When 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.” ¹⁶When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to take possession of it.