1 Kings 21:1-13 ▼

1 After these actes it fortuned, that Naboth the Iesraelite had a vyniarde at Iesreel besyde the palace of Achab kynge of Samaria.

2 And Achab spake to Naboth, and sayde: Geue me thy vynyarde, I wyll make me an herbgarden therof, because it is so nye my house: I wyl geue the a better vynyarde for it: or yf it please the, I wyll geue the syluer for it, as moch as it is worth.

3 But Naboth sayde vnto Achab: The LORDE let that be farre fro me, that I shulde geue ye my fathers heretage.

4 Then came Achab home, beinge moued and full of indignacion, because of the worde that Naboth the Iesraelite had spoken vnto him, & sayde: I wyl not geue the my fathers inheritaunce. And he laied him downe vpon his bed, and turned his face asyde, and ate no bred.

5 Then Iesabel his wyfe came in to him and sayde vnto him: What is ye matter, that thy sprete is so cobred, and that thou eatest no bred?

6 He sayde vnto her: I haue spoke vnto Naboth the Iesraelite, and sayde: Geue me thy vynyarde for money: or yf it please ye, I wyl geue the another for it. But he sayde: I wyll not geue the my vynyarde.

7 Then sayde Iesabel his wyfe vnto him: What kingdome were in Israel, yf thou diddest it? Stonde vp, and eate bred, I wyl get the the vynyarde of Naboth the Iesraelite.

8 And she wrote a letter vnder Achabs name, and sealed it with his signet, and sent it vnto ye Elders and rulers in his cite, which dwelt aboute Naboth,

9 and wrote thus in ye letter: Proclame a fast, and set Naboth aboue in the people,

10 and set two men of Belial before him, to testifye and saye: Thou hast blasphemed God and the kynge. And brynge him forth, and stone him to death.

11 And the Elders and rulers of his cyte, which dwelt in his cite, dyd as Iesabel had commaunded them, acordynge as she had wrytten in the letter that she sent vnto them

12 and they proclamed a fast, and caused Naboth to syt aboue amonge the people.

13 Then came the two men of Belial, and stode before him, and testyfyed agaynst Naboth in ye presence of the people, and sayde: Naboth hath blasphemed God and the kynge. Then broughte they him out of the cite, and stoned him to death.