1 Kings 21:1-16
Modern English Version
Naboth’s Vineyard
21 Now Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel right by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 And after this Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, so that I can have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near to my house, and I will give you a better vineyard for it, or if you prefer, I will give you its worth in money.”
3 Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”
4 Ahab returned home angry and depressed because of the answer Naboth the Jezreelite had given him, for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He lay down on his bed and sulked and would not eat any bread.
5 But Jezebel his wife came to him and said, “Why is your spirit so sad that you refuse to eat bread?”
6 And he said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ And he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’ ”
7 Jezebel his wife said to him, “Are you not the governor of the kingdom of Israel? Get up and eat bread, and let your heart be happy, for I will get the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.”
8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles that were in the city where Naboth lived. 9 In the letters she wrote,
“Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people, 10 and set two men, sons of Belial,[a] before him, to bear witness against him, saying, ‘You blasphemed God and the king.’ And then carry him out and stone him, so that he will die.”
11 The men of his city, the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them, as it was written in the letters that she had sent to them. 12 They proclaimed a fast and set Naboth on high among the people. 13 Two men, children of Belial, came in and sat in front of him, and the men of Belial witnessed against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth blasphemed God and the king.” Then they carried him out of the city and stoned him to death. 14 Then they sent word to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”
15 When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, she said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to sell to you for money, for Naboth is not alive, but dead.” 16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Kings 21:10 Or, evil men.
1 Kings 21:1-16
21st Century 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 spoke 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 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 lay 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 spoke 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 who 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 blasphemed God and the king.” Then they carried him forth out of 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 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.
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