¹⁴ So in the morning David ^(A)wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. ^15 (B)He had written in the letter ^[a]the following: “^[b]Station Uriah on the front line of the ^[c]fiercest battle and pull back from him, ^(C)so that he may be struck and killed.” ¹⁶ So it was as Joab kept watch on the city, that he ^[d]stationed Uriah at the place where he knew there were valiant men. ¹⁷ And the men of the city went out and fought against Joab, and some of the people among David’s servants fell; and ^(D)Uriah the Hittite also died.

^8 (A)So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to ^(B)the elders and to the nobles who were living with Naboth in his city. ⁹ Now she had written in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people; ¹⁰ and seat two ^(C)worthless men opposite him, and have them testify against him, saying, ‘^(D)You ^[a]cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and ^(E)stone him ^[b]to death.”

Jezebel’s Plot

¹¹ So the men of his city, the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did just as Jezebel had sent word to them, just as it was written in the letters which she had sent them. ¹² They ^(F)proclaimed a fast, and seated Naboth at the head of the people. ¹³ Then the two worthless men came in and sat opposite him; and the worthless men testified against him, against Naboth, before the people, saying, “Naboth ^[c]cursed God and the king.” ^(G)So they took him outside the city and stoned him ^[d]to death with stones. ¹⁴ Then they sent word to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”

¹⁵ And 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 got up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

¹⁹ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says: “^(A)Have you murdered and also taken possession?”’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘The Lord says this: “^(B)In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, the dogs will lick up your blood, yours as well.”’”