21 Behold, I am bringing disaster upon you, and I (A)will utterly sweep you away, and will eliminate from Ahab every male, both [a]bond and free in Israel; 22 and (B)I will make your house (C)like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and because you (D)have misled Israel into sin. 23 The Lord has also spoken of Jezebel, saying, ‘(E)The dogs will eat Jezebel in the [b]territory of Jezreel.’ 24 (F)The one belonging to Ahab, who dies in the city, the dogs will eat; and the one who dies in the field, the birds of the sky will eat.”

25 (G)There certainly was no one like Ahab who gave himself over to do evil in the sight of the Lord, [c]because Jezebel his wife incited him. 26 (H)He also acted very despicably in following idols, (I)conforming to everything that the Amorites had done, whom the Lord drove out from the sons of Israel.

27 Yet it came about, when Ahab heard these words, that (J)he tore his clothes and put [d]on sackcloth and fasted, and he lay in sackcloth and went about despondently. 28 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29 “Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; I will bring the disaster upon his house (K)in his son’s days.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 21:21 Or child and adult
  2. 1 Kings 21:23 As in some mss and ancient versions; MT rampart
  3. 1 Kings 21:25 Or whom Jezebel his wife
  4. 1 Kings 21:27 Lit sackcloth on his flesh

21 He says, ‘I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male(A) in Israel—slave or free.[a](B) 22 I will make your house(C) like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have aroused my anger and have caused Israel to sin.’(D)

23 “And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: ‘Dogs(E) will devour Jezebel by the wall of[b] Jezreel.’

24 “Dogs(F) will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds(G) will feed on those who die in the country.”

25 (There was never(H) anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. 26 He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites(I) the Lord drove out before Israel.)

27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth(J) and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.(K)

28 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 29 “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled(L) himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day,(M) but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”(N)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 21:21 Or Israel—every ruler or leader
  2. 1 Kings 21:23 Most Hebrew manuscripts; a few Hebrew manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 9:26) the plot of ground at