Naboth’s Vineyard 1 ULT And it happened after these things{ that} a vineyard was to Naboth the Jezreelite that was in Jezreel, beside the palace of Ahab, the king of Samaria. BSB BSB: Some time after these events, Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard in Jezreel next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
2 ULT And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying,“Give your vineyard to me, and it will be to me for a garden of vegetables, for it is near beside my house. And let me give to you in its place a better vineyard than it. If it is good in your eyes, let me give to you silver of the price of this.” BSB BSB: So Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to use as a vegetable garden, since it is next to my palace. I will give you a better vineyard in its place—or if you prefer, I will give you its value in silver.”
3 ULT And Naboth said to Ahab,“Profane to me from Yahweh, from my giving the inheritance of my fathers to you!” BSB BSB: But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”
4 ULT And Ahab entered into his house sullen and angry because of the word that Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him, for he had said,“I will not give to you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed, and he turned his face away, and he did not eat bread. BSB BSB: So Ahab went to his palace, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had told him, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He lay down on his bed, turned his face away, and refused to eat.
5 ULT And Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him,“What is this? Your spirit{ is} sullen, and you are not eating bread!” BSB BSB: Soon his wife Jezebel came in and asked, “Why are you so sullen that you refuse to eat?”
6 ULT And he said to her,“Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, and I said to him,‘Give your vineyard to me for silver or, if you are desiring, let me give a vineyard to you in its place.’ But he said,‘I will not give my vineyard to you.’” BSB BSB: Ahab answered, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and told him, ‘Give me your vineyard for silver, or if you wish, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ And he replied, ‘I will not give you my vineyard!’”
7 ULT And Jezebel his wife said to him,“Now you, you do the kingship over Israel. Get up, eat bread, and let your heart be good! I, I will give to you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” BSB BSB: But his wife Jezebel said to him, “Do you not reign over Israel? Get up, eat some food, and be cheerful, for I will get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
Jezebel’s Plot 8 ULT And she wrote letters in the name of Ahab, and she sealed{ them} with his seal. And she sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles who{ were} in his city, the dwellers with Naboth. BSB BSB: Then Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived with Naboth in his city.
9 ULT And she wrote in the letters, saying,“Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth at the head of the people. BSB BSB: In the letters she wrote: “Proclaim a fast and give Naboth a seat of honor among the people.
10 ULT And seat two men, sons of wickedness, in front of him, and let them witness against him, saying,‘You blessed God and the king.’ And take him out and stone him, and may he die.” BSB BSB: But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, ‘You have cursed both God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
11 ULT And the men of his city, the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in his city, did just as Jezebel sent to them, just as was written in the letters that she sent to them. BSB BSB: So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel had instructed in the letters she had written to them.
12 ULT They proclaimed a fast, and they seated Naboth at the head of the people. BSB BSB: They proclaimed a fast and gave Naboth a seat of honor among the people.
13 ULT And the two men came, the sons of wickedness, and they sat in front of him, and the men of wickedness witnessed against Naboth in front of the people, saying,“Naboth blessed God and the king.” And they brought him to the outside of the city, and they stoned him with stones, and he died. BSB BSB: And the two scoundrels came in and sat opposite Naboth, and these men testified against him before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.
14 ULT And they sent to Jezebel, saying,“Naboth has been stoned, and he has died.” BSB BSB: Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”
15 ULT And it happened, when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and had died, that Jezebel said to Ahab,“Arise! Possess the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to give to you for silver, for Naboth{ is} not alive, but he is dead!” BSB BSB: When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, who refused to give it to you for silver. For Naboth is no longer alive, but dead.”
16 ULT And it happened, when Ahab heard that Naboth had died, that Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to possess it. BSB BSB: And when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
Elijah Denounces Ahab and Jezebel 17 ULT And the word of Yahweh was to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, BSB BSB: Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
18 ULT “Arise! Go down to meet Ahab, the king of Israel, who{ is} in Samaria. Behold,{ he is} in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down there to possess it. BSB BSB: “Get up and go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria. See, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession of it.
19 ULT And you shall speak to him, saying,‘Thus says Yahweh,“Have you murdered and also taken possession?”’ And you shall speak to him, saying,‘Thus says Yahweh,“In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, the dogs will lick your blood, even you.”’” BSB BSB: Tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Have you not murdered a man and seized his land?’ Then tell him that this is also what the LORD says: ‘In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, there also the dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’”
20 ULT And Ahab said to Elijah,“Have you found me, my enemy?” And he said,“I have found{ you} because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of Yahweh. BSB BSB: When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So you have found me out, my enemy.” He replied, “I have found you out because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD.
21 ULT ‘Behold me, bringing harm on you, and I will burn after you, and I will cut off from Ahab one pissing against a wall, both one restrained and one set free in Israel. BSB BSB: This is what the LORD says: ‘I will bring calamity on you and consume your descendants; I will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both slave and free.
22 ULT And 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 provocation{ by} which you have provoked{ me}, and you have caused Israel to sin.’ BSB BSB: I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked My anger and caused Israel to sin.’
23 ULT And also about Jezebel Yahweh has spoken, saying,‘Dogs will eat Jezebel at the rampart of Jezreel.’ BSB BSB: And the LORD also speaks concerning Jezebel: ‘The dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’
24 ULT The one to Ahab dying in the city, dogs will eat, and the one dying in the field, the birds of the sky will eat.” BSB BSB: Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone who dies in the field will be eaten by the birds of the air.”
Ahab’s Repentance 25 ULT Surely one was not like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of Yahweh, he whom Jezebel his wife incited. BSB BSB: (Surely there was never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, incited by his wife Jezebel.
26 ULT And he acted very abominably by walking after idols, like all that the Amorite had done, whom Yahweh had dispossessed from the face of the sons of Israel. BSB BSB: He committed the most detestable acts by going after idols, just like the Amorites whom the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.)
27 ULT And it happened, when Ahab heard these words, that he tore his garments and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and he fasted. And he lay down in sackcloth, and he walked softly. BSB BSB: When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth and walked around meekly.
28 ULT And the word of Yahweh was to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, BSB BSB: Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying:
29 ULT “Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself from to my face? Because he has humbled himself from my face, I will not bring harm in his days. In the days of his son, I will bring harm on his house.” BSB BSB: “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity during his days, but I will bring it upon his house in the days of his son.”
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