Naboth Killed for His Vineyard
3 Kingdoms 20, verse 1. Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, next to the threshing floor of Ahab king of Samaria. 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 2. So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, and it will be my garden for herbs; for it is near my house. In return, I will give you a better vineyard. Or if you prefer, I will give you money for it, and it will be my herb garden.” 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 3. But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you.” 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 4. So Ahab's spirit was disturbed; and he lay down on his bed and covered his face. He would not eat any food. 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 5. But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “Why is your spirit disturbed, and you are not eating any food?” 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 6. He said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money. Otherwise, if you like, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ And he answered, ‘I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.’” 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 7. Then Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you not now exercise authority over Israel? Arise, eat some food, and be yourself. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 8. So she wrote a letter in Ahab's name, sealed it with his seal, and sent the letter to the elders and the nobles dwelling in the city with Naboth. 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 9. She wrote in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth with high honor among the people; 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 10. and seat two men before him, scoundrels, to bear witness against him, saying, ‘He cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him, that he dies.” 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 11. Thus the men of his city, the elders and nobles, inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel requested them, as it was written in the letters she sent to them. 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 12. They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth with high honor among the people. 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 13. Two men, scoundrels, also came in and sat before him. The scoundrels witnessed against him, against Naboth, and in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones, that he might die. 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 14. Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.” 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 15. When Jezebel heard it, she said to Ahab, “Arise and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he did not give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.” 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 16. When Ahab heard that Naboth the Jezreelite was dead, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth. After that, Ahab arose and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
The Evil Deeds of Ahab
3 Kingdoms 20, verse 17. Then the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 18. “Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who lives in Samaria. He is there in the vineyard of Naboth, for he went there to take possession of it. 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 19. You shall speak this to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “As you were involved in murder, and took possession,” therefore, Thus says the Lord: “In every place where the swine and dogs licked the blood of Naboth, in the same place shall the dogs lick your blood; and in your blood the prostitutes shall bathe themselves.”’” 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 20. So Ahab said to Elijah, “My enemy, you have surely found me.” Elijah replied, “I have found you because you sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 21. Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I shall bring evils upon you, and before you, fires kindle. I will utterly destroy the males of Ahab, and him who is shut up and left in Israel. 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 22. I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the way you provoked Me to anger and made Israel sin.’ 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 23. The Lord spoke of Jezebel, saying, ‘The dogs shall devour her by the outer wall of Jezreel.’ 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 24. The dogs shall devour the one of Ahab who dies in the city, and the one of Ahab who dies in the field, the birds of the sky shall devour.” 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 25. Nevertheless, Ahab sold himself to vainly do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, because his wife Jezebel led him astray. 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 26. He behaved abominably in following after idols, just as all the Amorites had done, whom the Lord utterly cast out before the sons of Israel. 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 27. But as a result of the word, Ahab became deeply troubled before the Lord. He fasted, he ripped his shirt, and put sackcloth on his body. He also put on sackcloth the day he killed Naboth the Jezreelite. 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 28. Concerning Ahab, the word of the Lord came by the hand of His servant Elijah the Tishbite. The Lord said, 3 Kingdoms 20, verse 29. “Did you see how Ahab humbled himself before Me? I will not bring the evil in his days. But in the days of his son, I will bring evil upon his house.”