1 Naboth the Jezreelite had a garden in Jezreel, near the house of Ahab, king of Samaria.
2 Ahab said to Naboth: »Give me your garden so that I may have it for a garden of sweet plants. Since it is near my house let me give you a better vine-garden in exchange. If it seems good to you, let me give you its value in money.«
3 But Naboth said to Ahab, »God forbid that I give you the heritage of my fathers.«
4 Ahab returned to his house bitter and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite said to him: »I will not give you the heritage of my fathers.« Stretching himself on the bed with his face turned away, he would not eat.
5 Jezebel his wife came to him and asked: »Why is your spirit so bitter that you have no desire for food?«
6 He replied: »I was talking to Naboth the Jezreelite. I said to him: Let me have your garden for money, or, if it pleases you, I will give you another garden for it. But he said: »I will not give you my garden.« «
7 Then his wife Jezebel said: »Are you now the ruler of Israel? Get up, eat and be happy. I will give you the garden of Naboth the Jezreelite.«
8 So she sent a letter in Ahab's name, stamped with his stamp, to the elders and nobles who were in authority with Naboth.
9 The letter she wrote is as follows: »Let a time of public sorrow be fixed, and put Naboth at the head of the people.
10 »Get two good-for-nothing persons to come before him and give witness that he has been cursing God and the king. Then take him out and have him stoned to death.«
11 So the elders and nobles in authority in his town did as Jezebel said in the letter she sent them.
12 They gave orders for a day of public sorrow and put Naboth at the head of the people.
13 The two good-for-nothing persons came in and took their seats before him and gave witness against Naboth, in front of the people. They said: »Naboth has been cursing God and the king.« Then they took him outside the town and had him stoned to death.
14 Then they sent word to Jezebel, saying: »Naboth has been stoned and is dead.«
15 Jezebel, hearing that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, said to Ahab: »Get up and take as your heritage the garden of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he would not give you for money. Naboth is dead.«
16 When he heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab went down to the garden of Naboth the Jezreelite to take it as his heritage.
17 And the word of Jehovah came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying:
18 »Go to Ahab, king of Israel, in Samaria. He is in the garden of Naboth the Jezreelite. He went there to take it as his heritage.«
19 »Say to him: Jehovah says: »Have you put a man to death and taken his heritage?« « »Then say: Jehovah says: »Your blood will become the drink of dogs! You will go to the same place where the dogs drink the blood of Naboth.« «
20 Ahab said to Elijah: »Have you come face to face with me, O my enemy?« Elijah said: »I have come to you because you have given yourself up to do evil in the eyes of Jehovah.«
21 Jehovah says to you: »I will bring disaster on you. I will do away with you and get rid of every male in your family, young and old alike.
22 »Your family will become like the family of King Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the family of King Baasha son of Ahijah. This is because you have stirred up my anger by leading Israel into sin.
23 »Concerning Jezebel, Jehovah says: Dogs will eat her body in the city of Jezreel.
24 »Dogs will eat your relatives dying in the city. Vultures will eat your dead relatives in the country.«
25 No one else devoted himself so completely to doing wrong in Jehovahs sight as Ahab all at the urging of his wife Jezebel.
26 He committed the most shameful sins by worshiping idols the way the Amorites had done. Jehovah drove the Amorites from the land as the people of Israel advanced.
27 Elijah finished speaking. Ahab tore his clothes and took them off. He dressed in sackcloth. He refused food fasted and slept in the sackcloth. He was gloomy and depressed.
28 Jehovah said to the prophet Elijah:
29 »Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Since he has done this, I will not bring disaster on him during his lifetime. It will be during his son's lifetime that I will bring disaster on Ahab's family.«