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21 Post verba autem haec, tempore illo vinea erat Naboth Jezrahelitae, quae erat in Jezrahel, juxta palatium Achab regis Samariae.

Locutus est ergo Achab ad Naboth, dicens: Da mihi vineam tuam, ut faciam mihi hortum olerum, quia vicina est, et prope domum meam: daboque tibi pro ea vineam meliorem, aut si commodius tibi putas, argenti pretium, quanto digna est.

Cui respondit Naboth: Propitius sit mihi Dominus, ne dem haereditatem patrum meorum tibi.

Venit ergo Achab in domum suam indignans, et frendens super verbo quod locutus fuerat ad eum Naboth Jezrahelites, dicens: Non dabo tibi haereditatem patrum meorum. Et projiciens se in lectulum suum, avertit faciem suam ad parietem, et non comedit panem.

Ingressa est autem ad eum Jezabel uxor sua, dixitque ei: Quid est hoc, unde anima tua contristata est? et quare non comedis panem?

Qui respondit ei: Locutus sum Naboth Jezrahelitae, et dixi ei: Da mihi vineam tuam, accepta pecunia: aut, si tibi placet, dabo tibi vineam meliorem pro ea. Et ille ait: Non dabo tibi vineam meam.

Dixit ergo ad eum Jezabel uxor ejus: Grandis auctoritatis es, et bene regis regnum Israel. Surge, et comede panem, et aequo animo esto: ego dabo tibi vineam Naboth Jezrahelitae.

Scripsit itaque litteras ex nomine Achab, et signavit eas annulo ejus, et misit ad majores natu, et optimates, qui erant in civitate ejus, et habitabant cum Naboth.

Litterarum autem haec erat sententia: Praedicate jejunium, et sedere facite Naboth inter primos populi:

10 et submittite duos viros filios Belial contra eum, et falsum testimonium dicant: Benedixit Deum et regem: et educite eum, et lapidate, sicque moriatur.

11 Fecerunt ergo cives ejus majores natu et optimates, qui habitabant cum eo in urbe, sicut praeceperat eis Jezabel, et sicut scriptum erat in litteris quas miserat ad eos:

12 praedicaverunt jejunium, et sedere fecerunt Naboth inter primos populi.

13 Et adductis duobus viris filiis diaboli, fecerunt eos sedere contra eum: at illi, scilicet ut viri diabolici, dixerunt contra eum testimonium coram multitudine: Benedixit Naboth Deum et regem: quam ob rem eduxerunt eum extra civitatem, et lapidibus interfecerunt.

14 Miseruntque ad Jezabel, dicentes: Lapidatus est Naboth, et mortuus est.

15 Factum est autem, cum audisset Jezabel lapidatum Naboth et mortuum, locuta est ad Achab: Surge, et posside vineam Naboth Jezrahelitae, qui noluit tibi acquiescere, et dare eam accepta pecunia: non enim vivit Naboth, sed mortuus est.

16 Quod cum audisset Achab, mortuum videlicet Naboth, surrexit, et descendebat in vineam Naboth Jezrahelitae, ut possideret eam.

17 Factus est igitur sermo Domini ad Eliam Thesbiten, dicens:

18 Surge, et descende in occursum Achab regis Israel, qui est in Samaria: ecce ad vineam Naboth descendit, ut possideat eam.

19 Et loqueris ad eum, dicens: Haec dicit Dominus: Occidisti, insuper et possedisti. Et post haec addes: Haec dicit Dominus: In loco hoc, in quo linxerunt canes sanguinem Naboth, lambent quoque sanguinem tuum.

20 Et ait Achab ad Eliam: Num invenisti me inimicum tibi? Qui dixit: Inveni, eo quod venundatus sis, ut faceres malum in conspectu Domini.

21 Ecce ego inducam super te malum, et demetam posteriora tua, et interficiam de Achab mingentem ad parietem, et clausum et ultimum in Israel.

22 Et dabo domum tuam sicut domum Jeroboam filii Nabat, et sicut domum Baasa filii Ahia: quia egisti ut me ad iracundiam provocares, et peccare fecisti Israel.

23 Sed et de Jezabel locutus est Dominus, dicens: Canes comedent Jezabel in agro Jezrahel.

24 Si mortuus fuerit Achab in civitate, comedent eum canes: si autem mortuus fuerit in agro, comedent eum volucres caeli.

25 Igitur non fuit alter talis sicut Achab, qui venundatus est ut faceret malum in conspectu Domini: concitavit enim eum Jezabel uxor sua,

26 et abominabilis factus est, in tantum ut sequeretur idola quae fecerant Amorrhaei, quos consumpsit Dominus a facie filiorum Israel.

27 Itaque cum audisset Achab sermones istos, scidit vestimenta sua, et operuit cilicio carnem suam, jejunavitque et dormivit in sacco, et ambulavit demisso capite.

28 Et factus est sermo Domini ad Eliam Thesbiten, dicens:

29 Nonne vidisti humiliatum Achab coram me? quia igitur humiliatus est mei causa, non inducam malum in diebus ejus, sed in diebus filii sui inferam malum domui ejus.

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. 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.”

But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance(C) of my ancestors.”

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.

His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat?”

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.’”

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.”

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. 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)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 21:21 Or Israel—every ruler or leader
  2. 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