Font Size
1 Kings 21-22
21st Century King James Version
1 Kings 21-22
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.
17 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
18 “Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he has 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 urinates 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 sin.’
23 And of Jezebel also spoke the Lord, saying, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’
24 Him of Ahab that dieth in the city the dogs shall eat, andhim that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.”
25 But there was none like unto Ahab, who sold 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 about dispiritedly.
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.”
22 And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.
2 And it came to pass in the third year that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.
3 And the king of Israel said unto his servants, “Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we are still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?”
4 And he said unto Jehoshaphat, “Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramothgilead?” And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.”
5 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, “Inquire, I pray thee, for the word of the Lord today.”
6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, “Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” And they said, “Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.”
7 And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might inquire of him?”
8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the Lord; but I hate him, for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.”
9 Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah.”
10 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a vacant place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made himself horns of iron; and he said, “Thus saith the Lord: ‘With these shalt thou push the Syrians until thou have consumed them.’”
12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramothgilead and prosper, for the Lord shall deliver it into the king’s hand.”
13 And the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke unto him, saying, “Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth. Let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good.”
14 And Micaiah said, “As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak.”
15 So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, “Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear?” And he answered him, “Go, and prosper, for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.”
16 And the king said unto him, “How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the Lord?”
17 And he said, “I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master. Let them return every man to his house in peace.’”
18 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?”
19 And Micaiah said, “Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His left.
20 And the Lord said, ‘Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead?’ And one said in this manner, and another said in that manner.
21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will persuade him.’
22 And the Lord said unto him, ‘Wherewith?’ And he said, ‘Iwill go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And He said, ‘Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also. Go forth, and do so.’
23 Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.
24 But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek and said, “Which way went the spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee?”
25 And Micaiah said, “Behold, thou shalt see in that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.”
26 And the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son;
27 and say, ‘Thus saith the king: Put this fellow in theprison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction until I come in peace.’”
28 And Micaiah said, “If thou return at all in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me.” And he said, “Hearken, O people, every one of you!”
29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead.
30 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, “I willing disguise myself and enter into the battle, but put thou on thy robes.” And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle.
31 But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains who had rule over his chariots, saying, “Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.”
32 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, “Surely it is the king of Israel.” And they turned aside to fight against him; and Jehoshaphat cried out.
33 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.
34 And a certain man drew a bow at random, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the armor. Therefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, “Turn thine hand and carry me out of the host, for I am wounded.”
35 And the battle increased that day. And the king was propped up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at evening; and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.
36 And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, “Every man to his city, and every man to his own country!”
37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.
38 And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armor, according unto the word of the Lord which He spoke.
39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
40 So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.
41 And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.
42 Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And hismother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
43 And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father. He turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord. Nevertheless the high places were not taken away, for the people offered and burned incense yet in the high places.
44 And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.
45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
46 And the remnant of the sodomites, who remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land.
47 There was then no king in Edom; a deputy was king.
48 Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold; but they went not, for the ships were broken at Eziongeber.
49 Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat would not.
50 And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.
51 Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel.
52 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin;
53 for he served Baal and worshiped him, and provoked to anger the Lord God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.
1 Kings 21-22
New International Version
1 Kings 21-22
New International Version
Naboth’s Vineyard
21 Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth(A) the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel,(B) close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.”
3 But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance(C) of my ancestors.”
4 So Ahab went home, sullen and angry(D) because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” He lay on his bed sulking and refused(E) to eat.
5 His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat?”
6 He answered her, “Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”
7 Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard(F) of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
8 So she wrote letters(G) in Ahab’s name, placed his seal(H) on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him. 9 In those letters she wrote:
“Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 10 But seat two scoundrels(I) opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed(J) both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.”
11 So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them. 12 They proclaimed a fast(K) and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 13 Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.(L) 14 Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”
15 As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard(M) of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead.” 16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard.
17 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 18 “Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. 19 Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’(N) Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood,(O) dogs(P) will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’”
20 Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!”(Q)
“I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold(R) yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. 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(S) in Israel—slave or free.[a](T) 22 I will make your house(U) 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.’(V)
23 “And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: ‘Dogs(W) will devour Jezebel by the wall of[b] Jezreel.’
24 “Dogs(X) will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds(Y) will feed on those who die in the country.”
25 (There was never(Z) 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(AA) the Lord drove out before Israel.)
27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth(AB) and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.(AC)
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(AD) himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day,(AE) but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”(AF)
Micaiah Prophesies Against Ahab(AG)
22 For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel. 2 But in the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to see the king of Israel. 3 The king of Israel had said to his officials, “Don’t you know that Ramoth Gilead(AH) belongs to us and yet we are doing nothing to retake it from the king of Aram?”
4 So he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight(AI) against Ramoth Gilead?”
Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” 5 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel(AJ) of the Lord.”
6 So the king of Israel brought together the prophets—about four hundred men—and asked them, “Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?”
“Go,”(AK) they answered, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”(AL)
7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no longer a prophet(AM) of the Lord here whom we can inquire(AN) of?”
8 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate(AO) him because he never prophesies anything good(AP) about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”
“The king should not say such a thing,” Jehoshaphat replied.
9 So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”
10 Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor(AQ) by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. 11 Now Zedekiah(AR) son of Kenaanah had made iron horns(AS) and he declared, “This is what the Lord says: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’”
12 All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. “Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious,” they said, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”
13 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”(AT)
14 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.”(AU)
15 When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or not?”
“Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”
16 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
17 Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered(AV) on the hills like sheep without a shepherd,(AW) and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’”
18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?”
19 Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne(AX) with all the multitudes(AY) of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. 20 And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’
“One suggested this, and another that. 21 Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’
22 “‘By what means?’ the Lord asked.
“‘I will go out and be a deceiving(AZ) spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said.
“‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’
23 “So now the Lord has put a deceiving(BA) spirit in the mouths of all these prophets(BB) of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster(BC) for you.”
24 Then Zedekiah(BD) son of Kenaanah went up and slapped(BE) Micaiah in the face. “Which way did the spirit from[c] the Lord go when he went from me to speak(BF) to you?” he asked.
25 Micaiah replied, “You will find out on the day you go to hide(BG) in an inner room.”
26 The king of Israel then ordered, “Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son 27 and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison(BH) and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.’”
28 Micaiah declared, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken(BI) through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!”
Ahab Killed at Ramoth Gilead(BJ)
29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. 30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will enter the battle in disguise,(BK) but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
31 Now the king of Aram(BL) had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king(BM) of Israel.” 32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, “Surely this is the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him, but when Jehoshaphat cried out, 33 the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel and stopped pursuing him.
34 But someone drew his bow(BN) at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor. The king told his chariot driver, “Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I’ve been wounded.” 35 All day long the battle raged, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died. 36 As the sun was setting, a cry spread through the army: “Every man to his town. Every man to his land!”(BO)
37 So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried him there. 38 They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed),[d] and the dogs(BP) licked up his blood, as the word of the Lord had declared.
39 As for the other events of Ahab’s reign, including all he did, the palace he built and adorned with ivory,(BQ) and the cities he fortified, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 40 Ahab rested with his ancestors. And Ahaziah his son succeeded him as king.
Jehoshaphat King of Judah(BR)
41 Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. 43 In everything he followed the ways of his father Asa(BS) and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. The high places,(BT) however, were not removed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.[e] 44 Jehoshaphat was also at peace with the king of Israel.
45 As for the other events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, the things he achieved and his military exploits, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 46 He rid the land of the rest of the male shrine prostitutes(BU) who remained there even after the reign of his father Asa. 47 There was then no king(BV) in Edom; a provincial governor ruled.
48 Now Jehoshaphat built a fleet of trading ships[f](BW) to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail—they were wrecked at Ezion Geber.(BX) 49 At that time Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my men sail with yours,” but Jehoshaphat refused.
50 Then Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of David his father. And Jehoram his son succeeded him as king.
Ahaziah King of Israel
51 Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 52 He did evil(BY) in the eyes of the Lord, because he followed the ways of his father and mother and of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. 53 He served and worshiped Baal(BZ) and aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, just as his father(CA) had done.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 21:21 Or Israel—every ruler or leader
- 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
- 1 Kings 22:24 Or Spirit of
- 1 Kings 22:38 Or Samaria and cleaned the weapons
- 1 Kings 22:43 In Hebrew texts this sentence (22:43b) is numbered 22:44, and 22:44-53 is numbered 22:45-54.
- 1 Kings 22:48 Hebrew of ships of Tarshish
21st Century King James Version (KJ21)
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.