1 Kings 21

1 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.

Sometime later this happened: There was a man named Naboth from Jezreel, who owned a vineyard in Jezreel close to King Ahab's palace in Samaria.

2 Ahab, therefore, spake unto Naboth, saying—Come! give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, for, the same, is near by my house, and let me give thee, instead thereof, a vineyard better than it, —if it be good in thine eyes, I will give thee silver to the value of this.

Ahab went to Naboth and said, “Give me your vineyard so I can turn it into a vegetable garden, because it's close to my palace. In return I'll give you a better vineyard, or if you want I'll pay you for it in cash.”

3 And Naboth said unto Ahab, —Far be it from me, of Yahweh! that I should give up the inheritance of my fathers, unto thee!

But Naboth replied, “The Lord curse me if I should give you my forefathers' inheritance.”

4 So Ahab came into his house, sullen and disturbed, because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken unto him, that he should have said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. So he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and did eat no food.

Ahab went home sulking and infuriated because Naboth from Jezreel had said, “I will not give you my forefathers' inheritance.” He went to bed, wouldn't look at anyone, and refused to eat.

5 Then came unto him Jezebel his wife, —and said unto him—Why is it, that thy spirit is sullen, that thou art, not eating food?

His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so upset about? That you don't want to eat?”

6 And he said unto her—Because I spake unto Naboth, the Jezreelite, and said unto him—Come! give me thy vineyard for silver, or, if thou wouldst prefer, I will give thee a vineyard, in its stead; and he said—I will not give thee my vineyard.

Ahab replied, “It's because I talked with Naboth from Jezreel and I asked him, ‘Give me your vineyard for cash, or if you want, I'll give you another vineyard instead.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”

7 Then Jezebel his wife said unto him: Art, thou, still, going to carry on the kingdom over Israel? Rise! eat food, and let thy heart be merry, I, will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite!

“Aren't you the king of Israel?” his wife Jezebel replied. “Get up, have something to eat, and cheer up. I'll get you the vineyard of Naboth from Jezreel.”

8 So she wrote letters, in the name of Ahab, and sealed them with his signet-ring, —and sent the letters unto the elders, and unto the nobles who were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.

So she wrote some letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal. She sent the letters to the elders and leaders in the town where Naboth lived.

9 Now she wrote in the letters, saying, —Proclaim ye a fast, and cause Naboth to sit at the head of the people;

In the letters she wrote to tell them, “Announce a religious fast, and give Naboth a seat of honor.

10 then let two reckless men take their seats before him, that they may bear witness against him, saying, Thou hast reviled God and king! then shall ye carry him forth and stone him, that he die.

But seat two bad men opposite him and have them accuse him, saying, ‘You have cursed God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”

11 So the men of his city, the elders and the nobles who dwelt in his city, did just as Jezebel had sent unto them, —as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them:

So the elders and leaders who lived in Naboth's town did as Jezebel had said in the letters she had written and sent to them.

12 they proclaimed a fast, —and caused Naboth to sit at the head of the people.

They announced a religious fast, and gave Naboth a seat of honor.

13 Then came in the two reckless men, and sat before him, and the men bare witness against him, even against Naboth, before the people, saying, Naboth hath reviled God and king! So they carried him forth, outside the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.

Two bad men came and sat opposite him, and accused him in front of the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the town and stoned him to death.

14 Then sent they unto Jezebel, saying, —Naboth is stoned and is dead.

Then they sent a message to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned. He's dead.”

15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said unto Ahab—Rise! take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for silver, for Naboth is not alive, but dead!

As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and he was dead, Jezebel told Ahab, “Get up, go and claim ownership of the vineyard of Naboth from Jezreel, which he refused to sell you, for Naboth is no longer alive, but dead.”

16 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab arose, to go down unto the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession thereof.

When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went to claim ownership of Naboth's vineyard.

17 Then came the word of Yahweh unto Elijah the Tishbite, saying:

Then the Lord sent a message to Elijah the Tishbite:

18 Arise! go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria, —lo! he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he hath gone down, to take possession thereof.

“Go and meet Ahab, king of Israel, in Samaria. He is right now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to claim ownership of it.

19 Then shalt thou speak unto him, saying—Thus, saith Yahweh, Hast thou committed murder, and also taken possession? Then shalt thou speak unto him, saying: Thus, saith Yahweh, In the place where the dogs have lapped up the blood of Naboth, shall the dogs lap up thy blood, even thine.

Tell him: This is what the Lord says: Have you murdered a man and robbed him? Then tell him: This is what the Lord says: In the very spot where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your own blood.”

20 Then said Ahab unto Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he said: I have found [thee]! Because thou hast sold thyself to do the thing that is wicked in the eyes of Yahweh,

“So have you come to find me, my enemy?” Ahab asked Elijah. “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the Lord sight,” Elijah replied.

21 Behold me! [saith he] bringing in upon thee, calamity, and I will consume after thee, —and cut off of Ahab, even the meanest, whether shut up or left at large in Israel;

He says, “Watch out! I'm going to bring disaster on you and destroy your descendants. I will kill from every male of Ahab's line, both slave and free, in the whole of Israel.

22 and will deliver up thy house—Like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah, —for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked, and caused, Israel, to sin.

I will make your house like that of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, and like that of Baasha, son of Ahijah, because you have angered me and made Israel sin.

23 Moreover also, concerning Jezebel, hath Yahweh spoken, saying, —The dogs, shall eat Jezebel, in the town-land of Jezreel:

And as far as Jezebel is concerned, the Lord says, ‘Dogs will eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’

24 Him that dieth, of Ahab, in the city, shall, the dogs, eat, —and, him that dieth in the field, shall, the birds of heaven, eat.

Those of Ahab's family who die in the town will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the countryside will be eaten by birds.”

25 But indeed, there was none like Ahab, who sold himself to do the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, —whom Jezebel his wife goaded on;

(No one else was so bad as Ahab, who sold himself to do what is evil in the Lord's sight, because his wife Jezebel encouraged him.

26 so that he did very abominably, in going after the manufactured gods, —according to all which the Amorites had done, whom Yahweh dispossessed from before the sons of Israel.

He did the most despicable things, worshiping idols like the Amorites the Lord had driven out before Israel.)

27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard these words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, —and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

As soon as Ahab heard this message, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He even went to bed in sackcloth, and walked around repentantly.

28 Then came the word of Yahweh unto Elijah the Tishbite, saying:

Then the Lord sent a message to Elijah the Tishbite:

29 Hast thou seen that Ahab hath humbled himself, before me? Because he hath humbled himself before me, I will not bring in the calamity in his days, In the days of his son, will I bring in the calamity upon his house.

“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster during his lifetime, but I will bring down disaster on his family in the lifetime of his son.”