Ahab Covets Naboth’s Vineyard

21 Now it came about after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in ^(A)Jezreel beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. ² Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “^(B)Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden because it is close beside my house, and I will give you a better vineyard than it in its place; if ^[a]you like, I will give you the price of ^[b]it in money.” ³ But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid me ^(C)that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.” ^4 (D)So Ahab came into his house sullen and vexed because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and ate no ^[c]food.

⁵ But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “How is it that your spirit is so sullen that you are not eating ^[d]food?” ⁶ So 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 a vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” ⁷ Jezebel his wife said to him, “^(E)Do you now ^[e]reign over Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

¹⁵ 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 arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

¹⁷ Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ¹⁸ “Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, ^(A)who is in Samaria; behold, 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, “^(B)Have you murdered and also taken possession?”’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “^(C)In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth the dogs will lick up your blood, even yours.”’”

²⁶ ‘Surely ^(A)I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons,’ says the Lord, ‘and ^(B)I will repay you in this ^[a]property,’ says the Lord. Now then, take and cast him into the ^[b]property, according to the word of the Lord.”