1 Kings

And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

1Some time later, a man named Naboth owned a vineyard. A vineyard is a field where grapes grow. It was in Jezreel, right beside the palace of Ahab, the king.

2And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.

2Ahab said to Naboth, "Give me your vineyard. I want it for a vegetable garden. It is close to my house. I will give you a better vineyard instead. Or I will pay you silver for it, if you like."

3And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.

3Naboth said, "No. May the LORD keep me from doing that. This land came to me from my family. I will not give it to you."

4And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.

4Ahab went home angry and gloomy. He kept thinking about what Naboth said. Naboth had told him, "I will not give you my family's land." Ahab lay down on his bed. He turned his face to the wall. He would not eat.

5But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?

5His wife Jezebel came in and asked him a question. "Why are you so gloomy? Why will you not eat?"

6And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.

6He said, "I talked to Naboth the Jezreelite. I said I would buy his vineyard with silver. I said I would trade him another vineyard instead. But he said, 'I will not give you my vineyard.'"

7And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

7Jezebel said, "Are you not the king of Israel? Get up. Eat some food. Cheer up. I will get you Naboth's vineyard."

8So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.

8So Jezebel wrote letters and signed Ahab's name. She stamped them with his seal to show they came from the king. She sent them to the leaders and important men in Naboth's town.

9And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:

9This is what she wrote in the letters. "Tell everyone to hold a fast, a day when people go without food. Give Naboth a special seat where all can see him."

10And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.

10"Then put two bad men in front of him. Have them say, 'You cursed God and the king.' Then take Naboth out of town and throw stones at him until he dies."

NoteThe old English says "sons of Belial." It does not mean they had a father named Belial. It is an old way of saying "worthless men" or "troublemakers."

11And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them.

11The leaders and important men of Naboth's town did what Jezebel said. They followed the orders in her letters.

12They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.

12They told everyone to hold a fast. They gave Naboth a special seat where all could see him.

13And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.

13Two bad men came in and sat across from Naboth. In front of everyone, they said, "Naboth cursed God and the king." So the people took Naboth outside the town. They threw stones at him until he died.

14Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.

14Then they sent word to Jezebel. They said, "Naboth has been stoned. He is dead."

15And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead.

15When Jezebel heard the news, she spoke to Ahab. "Get up. Go and take Naboth's vineyard. He would not sell it to you. But he is not alive now. He is dead."

16And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

16When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up. He went down to Naboth's vineyard to take it for himself.

17And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

17Then the LORD spoke to Elijah, a prophet from Tishbe. A prophet is someone who tells people what God says.

18Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.

18God said, "Get up and go meet Ahab, the king of Israel. He lives in Samaria. Right now he is in Naboth's vineyard. He went there to take it."

19And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.

19"Tell him this is what the LORD says. 'You killed a man and took his land.' Then tell him this too. 'Dogs licked up Naboth's blood in that place. In that same place, dogs will lick up your blood.'"

20And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.

20Ahab said to Elijah, "So you have found me, my enemy." Elijah answered, "I have found you. You have given yourself over to doing evil in the LORD's sight."

21Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,

21"The LORD says, 'I will bring trouble on you. I will end your family line. Every male in Ahab's family will be cut off from Israel, rich or poor.'"

NoteThe old English here uses a rude phrase about men. It simply means every male in the family, whether he was free or a servant.

22And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.

22"'I will do to your family what I did to two other families. I did this to the family of Jeroboam and the family of Baasha. You made me angry, and you led Israel to sin.'"

23And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.

23The LORD also spoke about Jezebel. He said, "Dogs will eat Jezebel beside the wall of Jezreel."

24Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.

24"Anyone in Ahab's family who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs. Anyone who dies out in the fields will be eaten by birds."

25But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.

25No king was ever like Ahab. He gave himself over to doing evil in the LORD's sight. His wife Jezebel pushed him to do it.

26And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

26He did very shameful things. He worshiped idols, which are statues people pray to. He acted just like the Amorites. The LORD had driven them out before the people of Israel.

27And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

27When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes to show his sorrow. He put on rough cloth called sackcloth. He went without food. He slept in the sackcloth. He walked around quietly and sadly.

NoteSackcloth was scratchy cloth made from goat hair. People wore it when they were very sad or very sorry. Going without food showed the same thing.

28And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

28Then the LORD spoke to Elijah the Tishbite again.

29Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.

29God said, "Do you see how Ahab has made himself low before me? Because he has done that, I will wait. I will not send the trouble while he is alive. I will send it on his family when his son is king."