1 Kings 21:17–29

THE LORD’S JUDGMENT ON AHAB

¹⁷Then 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. ¹⁹Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you murdered^z 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

²⁰Ahab said to Elijah, “So, my enemy, you’ve found me, have you?”^ac

He replied, “I have found you because you devoted^ad yourself to do what is evil in the Lord’s sight. ²¹This is what the Lord says:^A ‘I am about to bring disaster on you and will eradicate your descendants:

I will wipe out all of Ahab’s males,^B

both slave and free,^C in Israel;^a

²²I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam^b son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha^c 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

²⁴Anyone who belongs to Ahab and dies in the city, the dogs will eat,

and anyone who dies in the field, the birds^E will eat.’ ”^f

²⁵Still, 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 idols^h as the Amoritesⁱ had, whom the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites.

²⁷When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put sackcloth over his body, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth^j and walked around subdued. ²⁸Then 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