1 Kings 21:1–22:53
1 Now it came about after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in aJezreel beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
2 Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “aGive me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden because it is close beside my house, and I will give you a better vineyard than it in its place; if 1you like, I will give you the price of 2it in money.”
3 But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid me athat I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”
4 aSo Ahab came into his house sullen and vexed because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and ate no 1food.
5 But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “How is it that your spirit is so sullen that you are not eating 1food?”
6 So he said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you a vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’ ”
7 Jezebel his wife said to him, “aDo you now 1reign over Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
8 aSo 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.
9 Now she wrote in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people;
10 and seat two aworthless men before him, and let them testify against him, saying, ‘bYou cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and cstone him 1to death.”
11 So 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.
12 They aproclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the people.
13 Then the two worthless men came in and sat before him; and the worthless men testified against him, even against Naboth, before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” aSo they took him outside the city and stoned him 1to death with stones.
14 Then they sent word to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”
15 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.”
16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose 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, 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 “You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “aHave you murdered and also taken possession?” ’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “bIn the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth the dogs will lick up your blood, even yours.” ’ ”
20 Ahab said to Elijah, “aHave you found me, O my enemy?” And he 1answered, “I have found you, bbecause you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord.
21 “Behold, I will bring evil upon you, and awill utterly sweep you away, and will cut off from Ahab every male, both bond and free in Israel;
22 and aI will make your house blike the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and because you chave made Israel sin.
23 “Of Jezebel also has the Lord spoken, saying, ‘aThe dogs will eat Jezebel in the 1district of Jezreel.’
24 “aThe one belonging to Ahab, who dies in the city, the dogs will eat, and the one who dies in the field the birds of heaven will eat.”
25 aSurely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the Lord, 1because Jezebel his wife incited him.
26 aHe acted very abominably in following idols, baccording to all that the Amorites had done, whom the Lord cast out before the sons of Israel.
27 It came about when Ahab heard these words, that ahe tore his clothes and put 1on sackcloth and fasted, and he lay in sackcloth and went about 2despondently.
28 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
29 “Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days, but I will bring the evil upon his house ain his son’s days.”
Ahab’s Third Campaign against Aram
1 Three 1years passed without war between Aram and Israel.
2 aIn the third year bJehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.
3 Now the king of Israel said to his servants, “Do you know that aRamoth-gilead belongs to us, and we 1are still doing nothing to take it out of the hand of the king of Aram?”
4 And he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?” And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “aI am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”
5 Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire 1first for the word of the Lord.”
6 Then athe king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”
7 But aJehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the Lord here that we may inquire of him?”
8 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.”
9 Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, “1Bring quickly Micaiah son of Imlah.”
10 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and aall the prophets were prophesying before them.
11 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made ahorns of iron for himself and said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘bWith these you will gore the Arameans until they are consumed.’ ”
12 All the prophets were prophesying thus, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”
13 Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold now, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.”
14 But Micaiah said, “aAs the Lord lives, what bthe Lord says to me, that I shall speak.”
15 When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?” And he 1answered him, “aGo up and succeed, and the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”
16 Then the king said to him, “How many times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
“I saw all Israel
Scattered on the mountains,
aLike sheep which have no shepherd.
And the Lord said, ‘These have no master.
Let each of them return to his house in peace.’ ”
18 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “aDid I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”
19 1Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. aI saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and ball the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left.
20 “The Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this while another said that.
21 “Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’
22 “The Lord said to him, ‘How?’ And he said, ‘I will go out and abe a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You are to entice him and also prevail. Go and do so.’
23 “Now therefore, behold, athe Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and the Lord has proclaimed disaster against you.”
24 Then aZedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “bHow did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?”
25 Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day when you aenter an inner room to hide yourself.”
26 Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son;
27 and say, ‘Thus says the king, “aPut this man in prison and feed him 1sparingly with bread and water until I return safely.” ’ ”
28 Micaiah said, “aIf you indeed return safely the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “bListen, all you people.”
29 So athe king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead.
30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “aI will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle.
31 Now athe king of Aram had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, “Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone.”
32 So when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “Surely it is the king of Israel,” and they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out.
33 When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
34 Now a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel 1in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn 2around and take me out of the 3fight; afor I am severely wounded.”
35 The battle 1raged that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot in front of the Arameans, and died at evening, and the blood from the wound ran into the bottom of the …