1 KingsChapter 21

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¹Some time after this, there was a man named Naboth from Jezreel. He owned a vineyard in Jezreel. It was next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. ²Ahab said to Naboth, "Give me your vineyard. I want to use it for a vegetable garden, since it's next to my palace. I'll give you a better vineyard for it. Or if you'd like, I'll pay you what it's worth in silver." ³But Naboth answered, "The LORD forbid that I should give you the land my ancestors passed down to me." ⁴So Ahab went home to his palace upset and angry. Naboth from Jezreel had told him, "I will not give you the land my ancestors passed down to me." Ahab lay down on his bed. He turned his face away and would not eat. ⁵Soon his wife Jezebel came in. She asked him, "Why are you so upset? Why won't you eat?" ⁶Ahab answered, "I talked to Naboth from Jezreel. I told him, 'Sell me your vineyard for silver. Or if you'd like, I'll give you another vineyard for it.' But he said, 'I won't give you my vineyard!'" ⁷His wife Jezebel said to him, "Aren't you the king of Israel? Get up and eat something. Cheer up! I'll get you the vineyard of Naboth from Jezreel." ⁸So Jezebel wrote letters and signed Ahab's name. She stamped them with his seal. She sent them to the elders and leaders who lived in Naboth's town with him. ⁹In the letters she wrote, "Call for a day of fasting. Give Naboth a seat of honor among the people. ¹⁰But seat two worthless men across from him. Have them speak against him and say, 'You have cursed God and the king!' Then take Naboth out and throw stones at him until he dies." ¹¹So the elders and leaders who lived in Naboth's town did what Jezebel told them. They followed the orders in the letters she had written to them. ¹²They called for a day of fasting. They gave Naboth a seat of honor among the people. ¹³Then the two worthless men came in and sat across from Naboth. They spoke against him in front of the people. They said, "Naboth has cursed God and the king!" So the people took Naboth outside the town. They threw stones at him until he died. ¹⁴Then they sent a message to Jezebel. It said, "Naboth has been stoned to death." ¹⁵Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death. So she said to Ahab, "Get up and take the vineyard of Naboth from Jezreel. He wouldn't sell it to you for silver. But Naboth isn't alive anymore. He's dead." ¹⁶Ahab heard that Naboth was dead. So he got up and went down to take Naboth's vineyard for himself. ¹⁷Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah from Tishbe. He said, ¹⁸"Get up and go down to meet Ahab king of Israel. He rules in Samaria. Look, he is in Naboth's vineyard. He has gone there to take it for himself. ¹⁹Tell him this is what the LORD says: 'Haven't you murdered a man and taken his land?' Then tell him this is also what the LORD says: 'Dogs licked up Naboth's blood. In that same place dogs will lick up your blood. Yes, yours!'" ²⁰When Elijah got there, Ahab said to him, "So you've found me, my enemy!" Elijah answered, "Yes, I've found you. You have sold yourself to do evil in the LORD's eyes. ²¹This is what the LORD says: 'I will bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your family line. I will cut off every male in Israel who belongs to Ahab, both slave and free. ²²I will make your family like the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat. I will make it like the family of Baasha son of Ahijah. That is because you have made me angry. And you have made Israel sin.' ²³The LORD also speaks about Jezebel. He says, 'Dogs will eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.' ²⁴Dogs will eat anyone from Ahab's family who dies in the city. Birds will eat anyone who dies in the open country." ²⁵(There was truly no one like Ahab. He sold himself to do evil in the LORD's eyes. His wife Jezebel urged him on. ²⁶He did the most disgusting things by following idols. He was just like the Amorites. The LORD had driven them out ahead of the Israelites.) ²⁷Ahab heard these words. He tore his clothes and put on sackcloth. He fasted. He lay down in sackcloth. He walked around quietly and humbly. ²⁸Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah from Tishbe. He said, ²⁹"Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? He has humbled himself before me. So I will not bring the disaster while he is alive. I will bring it on his family when his son is king."