(KJV) 1 Kings 21¹

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⥃Naboth’s Vineyard

[1] And it came to pass after² these things, [that] Naboth the Jezreel³ite had a vineyard, which [was] in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.⁴ [2] And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me⁵ thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs⁶, because it [is] near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; [or], if it seem good to thee⁷, I will give thee the worth of it in money. [3] And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord⁸ forbid it me, that I should give⁹ the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. [4] And Ahab came into his house heavy¹⁰ and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not¹¹ give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him¹² down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.

[5] But Jezebel¹³ his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit¹⁴ so sad, that thou eatest no bread? [6] And he said unto her, Because¹⁵ I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee [another] vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give¹⁶ thee my vineyard. [7] And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now¹⁷ govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, [and] eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee¹⁸ the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

⥃Jezebel’s Plot

[8] So she wrote¹⁹ letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed [them] with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders²⁰ and to the nobles²¹ that [were] in his city, dwelling with Naboth. [9] And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast²², and set Naboth on high among²³ the people: [10] And set two men²⁴, sons of Belial²⁵, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme²⁶ God and the king. And [then] carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. [11] And the men of his city, [even] the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel²⁷ had sent unto them, [and] as it [was] written in the letters which she had sent unto them. [12] They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.²⁸ [13] And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial²⁹ witnessed against him, [even] against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God³⁰ and the king³¹. Then they carried him³² forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. [14] Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned³³, and is dead.

[15] [¶]And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise³⁴, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead. [16] And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up³⁵ to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

⥃Elijah Denounces Ahab and Jezebel

[17] And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,³⁶ [18] Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which [is] in Samaria³⁷: behold, [he is] in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. [19] And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed³⁸, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place³⁹ where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. [20] And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me⁴⁰, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found [thee]: because thou hast sold⁴¹ thyself to work⁴² evil in the sight of the Lord. [21] Behold⁴³, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth⁴⁴ against the wall, and him that is shut up⁴⁵ and left in Israel, [22] And will make thine⁴⁶ house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked [me] to anger, and made Israel to sin⁴⁷. [23] And of Jezebel⁴⁸ also spake the Lord, saying, The dogs⁴⁹ shall eat Jezebel by the wall⁵⁰ of Jezreel. [24] Him that dieth⁵¹ of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.

⥃Ahab’s Repentance

[25] [¶]But there⁵² was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself⁵³ to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel⁵⁴ his wife stirred up⁵⁵. [26] And he did very abominably⁵⁶ in following idols, according to⁵⁷ all [things] as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel. [27] And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent⁵⁸ his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth⁵⁹, and went softly⁶⁰. [28] And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, [29] Seest thou⁶¹ how Ahab⁶² humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not⁶³ bring the evil in⁶⁴ his days: [but] in his son’s days⁶⁵ will I bring the evil upon his house.

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