Naboth's Vineyard: Ahab and Jezebel's Crime and Punishment
1 Kings 21:1-29
1After these things there was a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite in Jezreel beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.2Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, "Give me your vineyard so that it may become a garden of herbs for me, because it is near my house; and I will give you a better vineyard in its place. If it is good in your eyes, I will give you its price in silver."3Naboth said to Ahab, "Far be it from me before the LORD that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers."4Ahab went to his house stubborn and vexed because of the word that Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him. He said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." Then he lay down on his bed, turned his face, and would not eat food.5Jezebel his wife came to him and said, "Why is your spirit stubborn that you are not eating food?"6He spoke to her, "Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, 'Give me your vineyard for silver,' or, if you are willing, I will give you a vineyard in its place; and he said, 'I will not give you my vineyard.'"7Jezebel his wife said to him, "Now you exercise kingship over Israel. Rise, eat food, and let your heart be merry; I myself will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."8She wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were in his city dwelling with Naboth.9She wrote in the letters, saying, "Call a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people."10Seat two men, sons of worthlessness, before him, and let them testify against him, saying, 'You have blessed God and the king,' then bring him out and stone him so that he dies.11The men of his city, the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in his city, did just as Jezebel had sent to them, just as it was written in the letters that she had sent to them.12They called a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the people.13The two men, sons of worthlessness, came and sat before him; the men of worthlessness testified against Naboth before the people, saying, "Naboth has blessed God and the king." Then they brought him out of the city and stoned him with stones, and he died.14They sent word to Jezebel, "Naboth has been stoned and is dead."15When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and had died, Jezebel said to Ahab, "Rise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite which he refused to give you for silver, for Naboth is not alive, for he is dead."16When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab rose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to take possession of it.17The word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,18"Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria. He is now in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession."19Speak to him, saying, "Thus says the LORD: 'Have you murdered and also taken possession?'" And speak to him, saying, "Thus says the LORD: 'In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, the dogs will lick your blood, even yours.'"20Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, my enemy?" He said, "I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is bad in the eyes of the LORD."21"Look, I am bringing distress upon you and will burn after you, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, both bond and free, in Israel."22I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah, because of the vexation with which you have provoked me and have caused Israel to sin.23The LORD also spoke concerning Jezebel, saying, "The dogs will eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel."24The 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 heavens will eat.25There was none like Ahab who sold himself to do what was bad in the eyes of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife incited him.26He made himself very abominable by walking after the idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the LORD had dispossessed before the sons of Israel.27When Ahab heard these words, he tore his garments, put sackcloth on his flesh, fasted, lay down in the sackcloth, and walked about softly.28The word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,29"Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; in the days of his son I will bring the disaster upon his house."