1 Kings 21
New English Translation
Ahab Murders Naboth
21 After this the following episode took place.[a] Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard in Jezreel adjacent to the palace of King Ahab of Samaria.[b] 2 Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard so I can make a vegetable garden out of it, for it is adjacent to my palace. I will give you an even better vineyard in its place, or if you prefer,[c] I will pay you silver for it.”[d] 3 But Naboth replied to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should sell you my ancestral inheritance.”[e]
4 So Ahab went into his palace, bitter and angry that Naboth the Jezreelite had said,[f] “I will not sell to you my ancestral inheritance.”[g] He lay down on his bed, pouted,[h] and would not eat. 5 Then his wife Jezebel came in and said to him, “Why do you have a bitter attitude and refuse to eat?” 6 He answered her, “While I was talking to Naboth the Jezreelite, I said to him, ‘Sell me your vineyard for silver, or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not sell you my vineyard.’”[i] 7 His wife Jezebel said to him, “You are the king of Israel![j] Get up, eat some food, and have a good time.[k] I will get the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.”
8 She wrote out orders,[l] signed Ahab’s name to them,[m] and sealed them with his seal. She then sent the orders[n] to the leaders[o] and to the nobles who lived in Naboth’s city.[p] 9 This is what she wrote:[q] “Observe a time of fasting and seat Naboth in front of the people. 10 Also seat two villains opposite him and have them testify, ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
11 The men of the[r] city, the leaders,[s] and the nobles who lived there[t] followed the written orders Jezebel had sent them.[u] 12 They observed a time of fasting and put Naboth in front of the people. 13 The two villains arrived and sat opposite him. Then the villains testified against Naboth right before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they dragged him[v] outside the city and stoned him to death.[w] 14 Then they reported to Jezebel, “Naboth has been stoned to death.”[x]
15 When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she[y] said to Ahab, “Get up, take possession of the vineyard Naboth the Jezreelite refused to sell you for silver, for Naboth is no longer alive; he’s dead.” 16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead,[z] he got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
17 The Lord’s message came to Elijah the Tishbite: 18 “Get up, go down and meet King Ahab of Israel who lives in Samaria. He is at the vineyard of Naboth; he has gone down there to take possession of it. 19 Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord has said: “Haven’t you committed murder and taken possession of the property of the deceased?”’[aa] Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord has said: “In the spot where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood they will also lick up your blood—yes, yours!”’”
20 When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him,[ab] “So, you have found me, my enemy!” Elijah[ac] replied, “I have found you, because you are committed[ad] to doing evil in the sight of[ae] the Lord. 21 The Lord says,[af] ‘Look, I am ready to bring disaster[ag] on you. I will destroy you[ah] and cut off every last male belonging to Ahab in Israel, including even the weak and incapacitated.[ai] 22 I will make your dynasty[aj] like those of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah because you angered me and made Israel sin.’[ak] 23 The Lord says this about Jezebel, ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the outer wall[al] of Jezreel.’ 24 As for Ahab’s family, dogs will eat the ones[am] who die in the city, and the birds of the sky will eat the ones who die in the country.” 25 (There had never been anyone like Ahab, who was firmly committed[an] to doing evil in the sight of[ao] the Lord, urged on by his wife Jezebel.[ap] 26 He was so wicked he worshiped the disgusting idols,[aq] just as the Amorites[ar] whom the Lord had driven out from before the Israelites.)
27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He slept in sackcloth and walked around dejected. 28 The Lord’s message came to Elijah the Tishbite, 29 “Have you noticed how Ahab shows remorse[as] before me? Because he shows remorse before me, I will not bring disaster on his dynasty during his lifetime, but during the reign of his son.”[at]
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 21:1 tn Heb “after these things.” The words “the following episode took place” are added for stylistic reasons.
- 1 Kings 21:1 sn King Ahab of Samaria. Samaria, as the capital of the northern kingdom, here stands for the nation of Israel.
- 1 Kings 21:2 tn Heb “if it is good in your eyes.”
- 1 Kings 21:2 tc The Old Greek translation includes the following words: “And it will be mine as a garden of herbs.”
- 1 Kings 21:3 tn Heb “Far be it from me, by the Lord, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you.”
- 1 Kings 21:4 tn Heb “on account of the word that Naboth the Jezreelite spoke to him and he said.”
- 1 Kings 21:4 tn Heb “I will not give to you the inheritance of my fathers.”
- 1 Kings 21:4 tn Heb “turned away his face.”
- 1 Kings 21:6 tn Heb “While I was talking…, I said…, he said….” Ahab’s explanation is one lengthy sentence in the Hebrew text, which is divided in the English translation for stylistic reasons.
- 1 Kings 21:7 tn Heb “You, now, you are exercising kingship over Israel.”
- 1 Kings 21:7 tn Heb “so your heart [i.e., disposition] might be well.”
- 1 Kings 21:8 tn Heb “scrolls.”
- 1 Kings 21:8 tn Heb “in the name of Ahab.”
- 1 Kings 21:8 tn Heb “scrolls.”
- 1 Kings 21:8 tn Heb “elders.”
- 1 Kings 21:8 tn Heb “to the nobles who were in his city, the ones who lived with Naboth.”
- 1 Kings 21:9 tn Heb “she wrote on the scrolls, saying.”
- 1 Kings 21:11 tn Heb “his.”
- 1 Kings 21:11 tn Heb “elders.”
- 1 Kings 21:11 tn Heb “and the nobles who were living in his city.”
- 1 Kings 21:11 tn Heb “did as Jezebel sent to them, just as was written in the scrolls which she sent to them.”
- 1 Kings 21:13 tn Heb “led him.”
- 1 Kings 21:13 tn Heb “and they stoned him with stones and he died.”
- 1 Kings 21:14 tn Heb “Naboth was stoned and he died.” So also in v. 15.
- 1 Kings 21:15 tn Heb “Jezebel”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“she”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- 1 Kings 21:16 tc The Old Greek translation includes the following words here: “he tore his garments and put on sackcloth. After these things.”
- 1 Kings 21:19 tn The words “of the property of the deceased” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- 1 Kings 21:20 tn Heb “and Ahab said to Elijah.” The narrative is elliptical and streamlined. The words “when Elijah arrived” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- 1 Kings 21:20 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elijah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 1 Kings 21:20 tn Heb “you have sold yourself.”
- 1 Kings 21:20 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
- 1 Kings 21:21 tn The introductory formula “the Lord says” is omitted in the Hebrew text, but supplied in the translation for clarification.
- 1 Kings 21:21 sn Disaster. There is a wordplay in the Hebrew text. The word translated “disaster” (רָעָה, raʿah) is similar to the word translated “evil” (v. 20, הָרַע, haraʿ). Ahab’s sins would receive an appropriate punishment.
- 1 Kings 21:21 tn Heb “I will burn after you.” Some take the verb בָּעַר (baʿar) to mean here “sweep away.” See the discussion of this verb in the notes at 14:10 and 16:3.
- 1 Kings 21:21 tn Heb “and I will cut off from Ahab those who urinate against a wall, [including both those who are] restrained and let free [or “abandoned”] in Israel.” The precise meaning of the idiomatic phrase עָצוּר וְעָזוּב (ʿatsur veʿazuv, translated here “weak and incapacitated”) is uncertain. For various options see HALOT 871 s.v. עצר and M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 107. The two terms are usually taken as polar opposites (“slaves and freemen” or “minors and adults”), but Cogan and Tadmor, on the basis of contextual considerations (note the usage with אֶפֶס (ʾefes), “nothing but”) in Deut 32:36 and 2 Kgs 14:26, argue convincingly that the terms are synonyms, meaning “restrained and abandoned,” and refer to incapable or incapacitated individuals.
- 1 Kings 21:22 tn Heb “house.”
- 1 Kings 21:22 tn Heb “because of the provocation by which you angered [me], and you caused Israel to sin.”
- 1 Kings 21:23 tc A few Hebrew mss and some ancient versions agree with 2 Kgs 9:10, 36, which reads, “the plot [of ground] at Jezreel.” The Hebrew words translated “outer wall” (חֵל, khel, defectively written here!) and “plot [of ground]” (חֵלֶק, kheleq) are spelled similarly.
- 1 Kings 21:24 tn “Dogs will eat the ones who belonging to Ahab who die in the city.”
- 1 Kings 21:25 tn Heb “who sold himself.”
- 1 Kings 21:25 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
- 1 Kings 21:25 tn Heb “like Ahab…whom his wife Jezebel incited.”
- 1 Kings 21:26 tn The Hebrew word used here, גִלּוּלִים (gillulim) is always used as a disdainful reference to idols. It is generally thought to have originally referred to “dung pellets” (cf. KBL 183 s.v. גִלּוּלִים). It is only one of several terms used in this way, such as אֱלִילִים (ʾelilim, “worthless things”) and הֲבָלִים (havalim, “vanities” or “empty winds”).
- 1 Kings 21:26 tn Heb “He acted very abominably by walking after the disgusting idols, according to all which the Amorites had done.”
- 1 Kings 21:29 tn Or “humbles himself.” The expression occurs a second time later in this verse.
- 1 Kings 21:29 tn Heb “I will not bring the disaster during his days, [but] in the days of his son I will bring the disaster on his house.”
列王纪上 21
Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified)
亚哈贪谋拿伯之葡萄园
21 这事以后，又有一事。耶斯列人拿伯在耶斯列有一个葡萄园，靠近撒马利亚王亚哈的宫。 2 亚哈对拿伯说：“你将你的葡萄园给我做菜园，因为是靠近我的宫。我就把更好的葡萄园换给你，或是你要银子，我就按着价值给你。” 3 拿伯对亚哈说：“我敬畏耶和华，万不敢将我先人留下的产业给你。” 4 亚哈因耶斯列人拿伯说‘我不敢将我先人留下的产业给你’，就闷闷不乐地回宫，躺在床上，转脸向内，也不吃饭。
耶洗别计夺葡萄园
5 王后耶洗别来问他说：“你为什么心里这样忧闷，不吃饭呢？” 6 他回答说：“因我向耶斯列人拿伯说：‘你将你的葡萄园给我，我给你价银，或是你愿意，我就把别的葡萄园换给你’，他却说：‘我不将我的葡萄园给你。’” 7 王后耶洗别对亚哈说：“你现在是治理以色列国不是？只管起来，心里畅畅快快地吃饭，我必将耶斯列人拿伯的葡萄园给你。” 8 于是托亚哈的名写信，用王的印印上，送给那些与拿伯同城居住的长老贵胄。 9 信上写着说：“你们当宣告禁食，叫拿伯坐在民间的高位上， 10 又叫两个匪徒坐在拿伯对面，作见证告他说‘你谤讟神和王了’。随后就把他拉出去，用石头打死。”
拿伯被害
11 那些与拿伯同城居住的长老贵胄得了耶洗别的信，就照信而行， 12 宣告禁食，叫拿伯坐在民间的高位上。 13 有两个匪徒来，坐在拿伯的对面，当着众民作见证告他说：“拿伯谤讟神和王了。”众人就把他拉到城外，用石头打死。 14 于是打发人去见耶洗别，说：“拿伯被石头打死了。”
亚哈往据葡萄园
15 耶洗别听见拿伯被石头打死，就对亚哈说：“你起来得耶斯列人拿伯不肯为价银给你的葡萄园吧，现在他已经死了。” 16 亚哈听见拿伯死了，就起来，下去要得耶斯列人拿伯的葡萄园。
以利亚责亚哈之恶
17 耶和华的话临到提斯比人以利亚说： 18 “你起来，去见住撒马利亚的以色列王亚哈，他下去要得拿伯的葡萄园，现今正在那园里。 19 你要对他说，耶和华如此说：‘你杀了人，又得他的产业吗？’又要对他说，耶和华如此说：‘狗在何处舔拿伯的血，也必在何处舔你的血。’” 20 亚哈对以利亚说：“我仇敌啊，你找到我吗？”他回答说：“我找到你了，因为你卖了自己，行耶和华眼中看为恶的事。 21 耶和华说：‘我必使灾祸临到你，将你除尽。凡属你的男丁，无论困住的、自由的，都从以色列中剪除。 22 我必使你的家像尼八的儿子耶罗波安的家，又像亚希雅的儿子巴沙的家。因为你惹我发怒，又使以色列人陷在罪里。’ 23 论到耶洗别，耶和华也说：‘狗在耶斯列的外郭必吃耶洗别的肉。’ 24 凡属亚哈的人，死在城中的必被狗吃，死在田野的必被空中的鸟吃。” 25 （从来没有像亚哈的，因他自卖，行耶和华眼中看为恶的事，受了王后耶洗别的耸动， 26 就照耶和华在以色列人面前所赶出的亚摩利人，行了最可憎恶的事，信从偶像。）
27 亚哈听见这话，就撕裂衣服，禁食，身穿麻布，睡卧也穿着麻布，并且缓缓而行。 28 耶和华的话临到提斯比人以利亚说： 29 “亚哈在我面前这样自卑，你看见了吗？因他在我面前自卑，他还在世的时候，我不降这祸。到他儿子的时候，我必降这祸于他的家。”
1 Kings 21
New King James Version
Naboth Is Murdered for His Vineyard
21 And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in (A)Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your (B)vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house; and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.”
3 But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid (C)that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!”
4 So Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food. 5 But (D)Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, “Why is your spirit so sullen that you eat no food?”
6 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 another vineyard for it.’ And he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’ ”
7 Then Jezebel his wife said to him, “You now exercise authority over Israel! Arise, eat food, and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
8 And she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth. 9 She wrote in the letters, saying,
Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth [a]with high honor among the people; 10 and seat two men, scoundrels, before him to bear witness against him, saying, “You have (E)blasphemed God and the king.” Then take him out, and (F)stone him, that he may die.
11 So the men of his city, the elders and nobles who were inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them. 12 (G)They proclaimed a fast, and seated Naboth with high honor among the people. 13 And two men, scoundrels, came in and sat before him; and the scoundrels (H)witnessed against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth has blasphemed God and the king!” (I)Then they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones, so that he died. 14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”
15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, that 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 So it was, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
The Lord Condemns Ahab
17 (J)Then the word of the Lord came to (K)Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 “Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, (L)who lives in Samaria. There 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: “Have you murdered and also taken possession?” ’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: (M)“In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood, even yours.” ’ ”
20 So Ahab said to Elijah, (N)“Have you found me, O my enemy?”
And he answered, “I have found you, because (O)you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord: 21 ‘Behold, (P)I will bring calamity on you. I will take away your (Q)posterity, and will cut off from Ahab (R)every male in Israel, both (S)bond and free. 22 I will make your house like the house of (T)Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of (U)Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and made Israel sin.’ 23 And (V)concerning Jezebel the Lord also spoke, saying, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the [b]wall of Jezreel.’ 24 The dogs shall eat (W)whoever belongs to Ahab and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field.”
25 But (X)there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord, (Y)because Jezebel his wife [c]stirred him up. 26 And he behaved very abominably in following idols, according to all (Z)that the Amorites had done, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.
27 So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes and (AA)put sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning.
28 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29 “See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he (AB)has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. (AC)In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house.”
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 21:9 Lit. at the head
- 1 Kings 21:23 So with MT, LXX; some Heb. mss., Syr., Tg., Vg. plot of ground instead of wall (cf. 2 Kin. 9:36)
- 1 Kings 21:25 incited him
1 Kings 21
King James Version
21 And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, 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 thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.
3 And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.
4 And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.
5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?
6 And he said unto her, Because 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 give thee my vineyard.
7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.
9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:
10 And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme 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 Jezebel 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.
13 And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.
14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.
15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, 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 up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
17 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: 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 killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.
20 And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord.
21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,
22 And will make thine 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 sin.
23 And of Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.
24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.
25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to 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 rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
28 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 by Global Bible Initiative
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
