1 Kings 21

Naboth’s Vineyard & Ahab’s Downfall

1 After all that went down, there was a vineyard in Jezreel that belonged to Naboth the Jezreelite. It was right next to the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria.

2 Ahab hit up Naboth, saying, “Listen, give me your vineyard so I can turn it into a veggie garden, because it is right next to my crib. I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or if you prefer, I will pay you cash for it.”

3 But Naboth told Ahab, “Nah, man. The Lord forbid that I give you the inheritance of my ancestors!”

4 So Ahab went home, moody and vexed, because of what Naboth the Jezreelite told him, saying, “I am not giving you the inheritance of my ancestors.” He laid on his bed, turned his face to the wall, and would not eat any food.

5 Then Jezebel his wife came to him and asked, “What is up? Why are you moody and refusing to eat?”

6 He told her, “I was talking to Naboth the Jezreelite, and I told him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money, or if you want, I will give you another vineyard instead.’ But he said, ‘I am not giving you my vineyard!’”

7 Jezebel his wife told him, “You seriously king over Israel right now, Get up, eat some food, and cheer up. I am going to get you Naboth the Jezreelite’s vineyard.”

8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his royal ring, and sent the letters to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city.

9 In the letters, she wrote: “Call for a fast, and seat Naboth in a high position among the people.”

10 “Then get two worthless dudes to sit opposite him and accuse him, saying, ‘You cursed God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”

11 So the men of his city, the elders and nobles who lived in his city, did just what Jezebel sent them, as it was written in the letters she sent to them.

12 They called for a fast and seated Naboth in a high position among the people.

13 Then two worthless dudes came in and sat opposite him. And the worthless dudes accused Naboth in front of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king!” So they took him outside 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, Jezebel told Ahab, “Get up, go take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to sell you for cash. Because Naboth is not alive anymore; he is dead.”

16 As soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab got up 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 “Get up, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria. Look, he is in Naboth’s vineyard, where he went to take possession of it.”

19 “Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “You killed, and now you are going to take possession,” And then tell him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the spot where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs are going to lick up your blood, yours too!’”’”

20 Ahab told Elijah, “So you found me, my enemy, huh,” He answered, “Yeah, I found you, because you sold yourself out to do what is whack in the eyes of the Lord.”

21 “Look, I am going to bring disaster on you. I am going to sweep you away and cut off every male from Ahab’s family, whether slave or free, in Israel.”

22 “I am going to make your family like the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the family of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you provoked Me to anger and caused Israel to sin.”

23 “And about Jezebel, the Lord also says: ‘Dogs are going to eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’”

24 “Anyone from Ahab’s family who dies in the city, dogs are going to eat them. And anyone who dies in the field, birds of the sky is going to feast on them.”

25 (There was never anyone like Ahab who sold himself out to do what was whack in the eyes of the Lord, pushed by his wife Jezebel.

26 He did some super disgusting things, following idols, just like the Amorites, whom the Lord kicked out from in front of the Israelites.)

27 When Ahab heard these words, he ripped his clothes, put sackcloth on his body, and went on a fast. He even slept in sackcloth and walked around all humble.

28 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

29 “You see how Ahab humbled himself before Me, Because he humbled himself before Me, I am not going to bring the disaster in his lifetime. I am going to bring the disaster on his family in his son’s time.”