1 Kings 21 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Ahab Takes Possession of Naboth’s Vineyard

1 Now it happened ^H1961 after ^H310 these ^H428 things ^H1697 that Naboth ^H5022 the Jezreelite ^H3158 had ^H1961 a vineyard ^H3754 which ^H834 was in Jezreel ^H3157 beside ^H681 the palace ^H1964 of Ahab ^H256 king ^H4428 of Samaria ^H8111.

2 And Ahab ^H256 spoke ^H1696 to Naboth ^H5022, saying ^H559, “Give ^H5414 me your vineyard ^H3754, that I may have ^H1961 it for a vegetable ^H3419 garden ^H1588 because ^H3588 it is close ^H7138 beside ^H681 my house ^H1004, and I will give ^H5414 you a better ^H2896 vineyard ^H3754 than ^H4480 it in ^H8478 its place ^H8478; if ^H518 it is good ^H2896 in your sight ^H5869, I will give ^H5414 you the price ^H4242 of [fn]it in money ^H3701.” 3 But Naboth ^H5022 said ^H559 to Ahab ^H256, “Yahweh ^H3068 forbid ^H2486 me that I should give ^H5414 you the inheritance ^H5159 of my fathers ^H1.” 4 So Ahab ^H256 came ^H935 into his house ^H1004 sullen ^H5620 and enraged ^H2198 because ^H5921 of the word ^H1697 which ^H834 Naboth ^H5022 the Jezreelite ^H3158 had spoken ^H1696 to him; for he said ^H559, “I will not give ^H5414 you the inheritance ^H5159 of my fathers ^H1.” And he lay ^H7901 down ^H7901 on his bed ^H4296 and turned ^H5437 away ^H5437 his face ^H6440 and ate ^H398 no ^H3808 [fn]food ^H3899.

5 But Jezebel ^H348 his wife ^H802 came ^H935 to him and said ^H1696 to him, “How ^H4100 is it that your spirit ^H7307 is so sullen ^H5620 that you are not eating ^H398 [fn]food ^H3899?” 6 So he said ^H1696 to her, “Because ^H3588 I spoke ^H1696 to Naboth ^H5022 the Jezreelite ^H3158 and said ^H559 to him, ‘Give ^H5414 me your vineyard ^H3754 for money ^H3701; or ^H176 else, if ^H518 it pleases ^H2655 you, I will give ^H5414 you a vineyard ^H3754 in ^H8478 its place ^H8478.’ But he said ^H559, ‘I will not give ^H5414 you my vineyard ^H3754.’” 7 And Jezebel ^H348 his wife ^H802 said ^H559 to him, “Do you now ^H6258 exercise ^H6213 kingship ^H4410 over ^H5921 Israel ^H3478? Arise ^H6965, eat ^H398 bread ^H3899, and let your heart ^H3820 be ^H3190 merry ^H3190; I will give ^H5414 you the vineyard ^H3754 of Naboth ^H5022 the Jezreelite ^H3158.”

8 So she wrote ^H3789 letters ^H5612 in Ahab’s ^H256 name ^H8034 and sealed ^H2856 them with his seal ^H2368, and sent ^H7971 letters ^H5612 to the elders ^H2205 and to the nobles ^H2715 who ^H834 were living ^H3427 with Naboth ^H5022 in his city ^H5892. 9 And she wrote ^H3789 in the letters ^H5612, saying ^H559, “Call ^H7121 for a fast ^H6685 and seat ^H3427 Naboth ^H5022 at the head ^H7218 of the people ^H5971; 10 and seat ^H3427 two ^H8147 vile ^H1100 men ^H376 before ^H5048 him, and let them testify ^H5749 against him, saying ^H559, ‘You [fn]cursed ^H1288 God ^H430 and the king ^H4428.’ Then take ^H3318 him out ^H3318 and stone ^H5619 him so that he will die ^H4191.”

11 So the men ^H376 of his city ^H5892, the elders ^H2205 and the nobles ^H2715 who ^H834 lived ^H3427 in his city ^H5892, did ^H6213 as Jezebel ^H348 had sent ^H7971 word to them, just ^H834 as it was written ^H3789 in the letters ^H5612 which ^H834 she had sent ^H7971 them. 12 They called ^H7121 for a fast ^H6685 and seated ^H3427 Naboth ^H5022 at the head ^H7218 of the people ^H5971. 13 Then the two ^H8147 vile ^H1100 men ^H376 came ^H935 in ^H935 and sat ^H3427 before ^H5048 him; and the vile ^H1100 men ^H376 testified ^H5749 against him, against Naboth ^H5022, before ^H5048 the people ^H5971, saying ^H559, “Naboth ^H5022 cursed ^H1288 God ^H430 and the king ^H4428.” So they took ^H3318 him outside ^H4480 H2351 the city ^H5892 and stoned ^H5619 him with stones ^H68 and he died ^H4191. 14 Then they sent ^H7971 word to Jezebel ^H348, saying ^H559, “Naboth ^H5022 has been stoned ^H5619 and is dead ^H4191.”

15 Now it happened that when Jezebel ^H348 heard ^H8085 that Naboth ^H5022 had been stoned ^H5619 and was dead ^H4191, Jezebel ^H348 said ^H559 to Ahab ^H256, “Arise ^H6965, take ^H3423 possession ^H3423 of the vineyard ^H3754 of Naboth ^H5022 the Jezreelite ^H3158, which ^H834 he refused ^H3985 to give ^H5414 you for money ^H3701; for Naboth ^H5022 is not alive ^H2416, but dead ^H4191.” 16 Now it happened that when Ahab ^H256 heard ^H8085 that Naboth ^H5022 was dead ^H4191, Ahab ^H256 arose ^H6965 to go ^H3381 down ^H3381 to the vineyard ^H3754 of Naboth ^H5022 the Jezreelite ^H3158, to take ^H3423 possession ^H3423 of it.

Yahweh Speaks Against Ahab

17 Then the word ^H1697 of Yahweh ^H3068 came ^H1961 to Elijah ^H452 the Tishbite ^H8664, saying ^H559,

18 “Arise ^H6965, go ^H3381 down ^H3381 to meet ^H7122 Ahab ^H256 king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478, who ^H834 is in Samaria ^H8111; behold ^H2009, he is in the vineyard ^H3754 of Naboth ^H5022 where ^H834 H8033 he has gone ^H3381 down ^H3381 to take ^H3423 possession ^H3423 of it. 19 And you shall speak ^H1696 to him, saying ^H559, ‘Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068, “Have you murdered ^H7523 and also ^H1571 taken ^H3423 possession ^H3423?”’ And you shall speak ^H1696 to him, saying ^H559, ‘Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068, “In the place ^H4725 where ^H834 the dogs ^H3611 licked ^H3952 up ^H3952 the blood ^H1818 of Naboth ^H5022 the dogs ^H3611 will lick ^H3952 up ^H3952 your blood ^H1818, even ^H1571 yours ^H859.”’”

20 And Ahab ^H256 said ^H559 to Elijah ^H452, “Have you found ^H4672 me, O my enemy ^H340?” And he [fn]answered ^H559, “I have found ^H4672 you, because ^H3282 you have sold ^H4376 yourself to do ^H6213 what ^H7451 is evil ^H7451 in the sight ^H5869 of Yahweh ^H3068. 21 Behold ^H2009, I will bring ^H935 evil ^H7451 upon you, and will utterly ^H1197 sweep ^H1197 you away ^H1197, and will cut ^H3772 off ^H3772 from Ahab ^H256 every ^H8366 [fn]male ^H8366 H7023, both bond ^H6113 and free ^H5800 in Israel ^H3478; 22 and I will make ^H5414 your house ^H1004 like the house ^H1004 of Jeroboam ^H3379 the son ^H1121 of Nebat ^H5028, and like the house ^H1004 of Baasha ^H1201 the son ^H1121 of Ahijah ^H281, because ^H413 of the provocation ^H3708 with which ^H834 you have provoked ^H3707 Me to ^H3707 anger ^H3707, and because you have made ^H2398 Israel ^H3478 sin ^H2398. 23 Of Jezebel ^H348 also ^H1571 has Yahweh ^H3068 spoken ^H1696, saying ^H559, ‘The dogs ^H3611 will eat ^H398 Jezebel ^H348 in the [fn]district ^H2426 of Jezreel ^H3157.’ 24 The one belonging to Ahab ^H256, who dies ^H4191 in the city ^H5892, the dogs ^H3611 will eat ^H398, and the one who dies ^H4191 in the field ^H7704 the birds ^H5775 of the sky ^H8064 will eat ^H398.”

Ahab Humbles Himself

25 Surely ^H7534 there was no ^H3808 one who ^H834 sold ^H4376 himself to do ^H6213 what ^H7451 is evil ^H7451 in the sight ^H5869 of Yahweh ^H3068 like Ahab ^H256, whom ^H834 Jezebel ^H348 his wife ^H802 incited ^H5496.

26 And he acted ^H8581 very ^H3966 abominably ^H8581 in following ^H1980 H310 idols ^H1544, according to all ^H3605 that the Amorites ^H567 had done ^H6213, whom ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 dispossessed ^H3423 before ^H4480 H6440 the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478.

27 Now it happened ^H1961 when Ahab ^H256 heard ^H8085 these ^H428 words ^H1697, that he tore ^H7167 his clothes ^H899 and put ^H7760 [fn]on sackcloth ^H8242 and fasted ^H6684, and he lay ^H7901 in sackcloth ^H8242 and went ^H1980 about ^H1980 [fn]despondently ^H328. 28 Then the word ^H1697 of Yahweh ^H3068 came ^H1961 to Elijah ^H452 the Tishbite ^H8664, saying ^H559, 29 “Do you see ^H7200 how ^H3588 Ahab ^H256 has humbled ^H3665 himself before ^H4480 H6440 Me? Because ^H3282 H3588 he has humbled ^H3665 himself before ^H4480 H6440 Me, I will not bring ^H935 the evil ^H7451 in his days ^H3117, but I will bring ^H935 the evil ^H7451 upon his house ^H1004 in his son’s ^H1121 days ^H3117.”