1 Kings 21:7–19

⁷And Jezebel his wife said to him, “^aDo you now exercise kingship over Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be merry; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

^8aSo she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and sent letters to ^bthe elders and to the nobles who were living with Naboth in his city.

⁹And she wrote in the letters, saying, “Call for a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people;

¹⁰and seat two ^avile men before him, and let them testify against him, saying, ‘^bYou ¹cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and ^cstone him so that he will die.”

¹¹So the men of his city, the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them, just as it was written in the letters which she had sent them.

¹²They ^acalled for a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the people.

¹³Then the two vile men came in and sat before him; and the vile men testified against him, against Naboth, before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” ^aSo they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones and he died.

¹⁴Then they sent word to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”

¹⁵Now it happened that when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.”

¹⁶Now it happened that when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

Yahweh Speaks Against Ahab

¹⁷Then the word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

¹⁸“Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, ^awho is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth where he has gone down to take possession of it.

¹⁹“And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “^aHave you murdered and also taken possession?” ’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “^bIn the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth the dogs will lick up your blood, even yours.” ’ ”