1 Now it came about after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which [was] in Jezreel beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
2 Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, |Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden because it is close beside my house, and I will give you a better vineyard than it in its place; if you like, I will give you the price of it in money.|
3 But Naboth said to Ahab, |The LORD forbid me that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.|
4 So Ahab came into his house sullen and vexed because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he said, |I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.| And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and ate no food.
5 But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, |How is it that your spirit is so sullen that you are not eating food?|
6 So he said to her, |Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, 'Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you a vineyard in its place.' But he said, 'I will not give you my vineyard.'|
7 Jezebel his wife said to him, |Do you now reign over Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.|
8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and sent letters to the elders and to the nobles who were living with Naboth in his city.
9 Now she wrote in the letters, saying, |Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people;
10 and seat two worthless men before him, and let them testify against him, saying, You 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 lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent [word] to them, just as it was written in the letters which she had sent them.
12 They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the people.
13 Then the two worthless men came in and sat before him; and the worthless men testified against him, even against Naboth, before the people, saying, |Naboth cursed God and the king.| So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones.
