CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0; maximum-scale=1.0; user-scalable=0;"/><title>1 Kings 21 ISV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/1_kings/21.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/1_kings/21-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">ISV</a> > 1 Kings 21</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../1_kings/20.htm" title="1 Kings 20">◄</a> 1 Kings 21 <a href="../1_kings/22.htm" title="1 Kings 22">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">International Standard Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/isv/esv/1_kings/21.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="heading">The Naboth Vineyard Incident</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Meanwhile, there was a man named Naboth from Jezreel who owned a vineyard that was located contiguous to King Ahab’s palace in Samaria. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>Ahab addressed Naboth and asked him, “I would like to plant a vegetable garden near my house. Please exchange your vineyard with a better one from me, or if you’d rather have cash, I’ll buy it for its full value.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>But Naboth replied to Ahab, “No way! The LORD prohibits the sale to you of the inheritance of my ancestors!”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>Ahab went back to his palace, sullen and in a foul mood, because Naboth the Jezreelite had turned down Ahab’s offer by saying “I will not transfer my ancestors’ inheritance to you!” He laid down on his bed, curled up with his face to the wall, and refused to eat.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>But his wife Jezebel went to him and asked him, “How is it that you’re so sullen and refusing to eat?”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>“I asked Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard for cash, or if you want, I’ll give you a better one in its place.’ But he refused. He told me, ‘I won’t give you my vineyard!’”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>“Aren’t you the reigning king of Israel,” his wife Jezebel replied. “Get up, have a meal, and get ready to be happy. I’ll go get you the vineyard that Naboth the Jezreelite owns.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>So she wrote some memos in Ahab’s name, set his personal seal to them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived with Naboth in his city. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>In the memos, she wrote the following directives: “Proclaim a public fast and seat Naboth in the front row. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>Seat two wicked men in front of him, and make them testify against him. Tell them to claim ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>So the leading men of the city, along with the elders and nobles who lived there, did precisely what Jezebel had directed them to do. They followed the instructions that she had set forth in the memos: <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>They proclaimed a public fast and seated Naboth in the front row. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>Two wicked men came in, sat down in front of them, and testified against Naboth in public, “Naboth cursed God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="21:13 Lit. death with stones">a</a></span> </p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>Afterwards, they sent a message<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="21:14 The Heb. lacks a message">b</a></span> to Jezebel that said, “Naboth has been stoned. He’s dead.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she told Ahab, “Get up and confiscate Naboth’s vineyard that he refused to sell you for cash. Naboth the Jezreelite isn’t alive anymore. He’s dead!” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>So once he heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab got up, went down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, and confiscated it.</p> <p class="heading">Elijah Rebukes Ahab</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>That’s when this message from the LORD came to Elijah the foreigner:<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="21:17 Lit. Tishbite; or sojourner">c</a></span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>“Get up and go down to meet King Ahab of Israel. He’s in Samaria. Look! He’s in Naboth’s vineyard, where he’s gone to confiscate it. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>Ask the king, ‘Did you commit murder? And now you’re going to steal as well?’ Also tell him, ‘This is what the LORD says: “Where the dogs were licking up Naboth’s blood, dogs will also lick up your blood—that’s right—yours!”’”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>Later on, Ahab asked Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?”</p> <p class="reg">But Elijah answered, “I’ve found you because you sold yourself to do what the LORD considers to be evil! <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>Now pay attention! I’m going to send evil in your direction! I will completely sweep you away and eliminate from Ahab every male, whether indentured servant or free, throughout Israel. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>I will make your household resemble that of Nebat’s son Jeroboam, or like the household of Ahijah’s son Baasha, because of how you’ve provoked me to anger and made Israel to sin. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>The LORD also has this to say about Jezebel: ‘Dogs will eat Jezebel within the outer ramparts of Jezreel. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>Dogs will eat whoever belongs to Ahab and who dies in the city. The birds of the sky will eat whoever dies in the fields.’”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>It can be truly said that no one else sold himself to practice what the LORD considered to be evil quite like the way Ahab did, because his wife Jezebel incited him. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>His behavior in pursuing idolatry was detestable, just like the Amorites had done whom the LORD had expelled in front of the army of Israel. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>Nevertheless, as soon as Ahab heard this message, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He even slept in sackcloth and wandered around meekly.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>Later, this message from the LORD came to Elijah the foreigner:<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="21:28 Lit. Tishbite; or sojourner">d</a></span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/21-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>“Have you noticed that Ahab has humbled himself in my presence? Because he has humbled himself in my presence, I will not bring his evil to harvest<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="21:29 The Heb. lacks to harvest">e</a></span> during his lifetime, but I will bring evil to his household during his son’s lifetime.”</p><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><A name="ftn"></a><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="fn1"><span class="fnb">a</span> 21:13 Lit. <i>death with stones</i><br /><span class="fnb">b</span> 21:14 The Heb. lacks <i>a message</i><br /><span class="fnb">c</span> 21:17 Lit. <i>Tishbite</i>; or <i>sojourner</i><br /><span class="fnb">d</span> 21:28 Lit. <i>Tishbite</i>; or <i>sojourner</i><br /><span class="fnb">e</span> 21:29 The Heb. lacks <i>to harvest</i><br /></span><br><br><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><div align="center"><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1<br />Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation<br />ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a></div></div></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="../1_kings/20.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="1 Kings 20"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="1 Kings 20" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../1_kings/22.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="1 Kings 22"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="1 Kings 22" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="rightbox"><div class="padright"><div id="pic"><iframe width="100%" height="860" scrolling="no" src="//biblescan.com/mpc/1_kings/21-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></div></div><div id="rightbox4"><div class="padright2"><div id="spons1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td class="sp1"><iframe width="122" height="860" scrolling="no" src="../sidemenu.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="bot"><div align="center" style="background-color:#F2FAFF"><br /><br /><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>  <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="6710025936" data-ad-format="auto"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script></td></tr></table><br /><br /><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>  <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="6710025936" data-ad-format="auto"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script></td></tr></table></div><br /><br /> </div><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="//biblehu.com/botmenubhnm2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe><div align="center"><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span></div></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>