1 Passado tudo isso, aconteceu o seguinte: Nabot de Jezrael possuía uma vinha nessa cidade, ao lado do palácio de Acab, rei de Samaria.2 Acab disse a Nabot: Cede-me tua vinha, para que eu a transforme numa horta, porque está junto de minha casa. Dar-te-ei em troca uma vinha melhor, ou se o preferires, pagar-te-ei em dinheiro o seu valor.3 Nabot, porém, respondeu a Acab: Deus me livre de ceder-te a herança de meus pais!4 Acab voltou para a sua casa sombrio e irritado, por ter Nabot de Jezrael recusado ceder-lhe a herança de seus pais. Estendeu-se na cama com o rosto voltado para a parede, e não quis comer.5 Jezabel, sua mulher, veio ter com ele e disse-lhe: Por que estás de mau humor e não queres comer?6 Ele respondeu: Falei a Nabot de Jezrael, propondo-lhe que me vendesse a sua vinha, ou, se o preferisse, que a trocasse comigo por outra melhor; mas ele respondeu-me: Não te cederei a minha vinha.7 Jezabel, sua mulher, disse-lhe: Não és tu, porventura, o rei de Israel? Vamos! Come, não te incomodes. Eu te darei a vinha de Nabot de Jezrael.8 Escreveu ela, então, uma carta em nome do rei, selou-a com o selo real, e mandou-a aos anciãos e aos notáveis da cidade, concidadãos de Nabot.9 Eis o que dizia na carta: Promulgai um jejum, fazei sentar Nabot num lugar de honra,10 e mandai vir diante dele dois homens inescrupulosos que o acusem, dizendo: Este amaldiçoou a Deus e ao rei. - Conduzi-o em seguida para fora da cidade e apedrejai-o até que morra!11 Os homens da cidade, os anciãos e os notáveis, concidadãos de Nabot, fizeram o que ordenava Jezabel, segundo o conteúdo da carta que lhes tinha mandado.12 Promulgaram um jejum e fizeram Nabot sentar-se num lugar de honra.13 Vieram então os dois miseráveis, colocaram-se diante dele e fizeram publicamente a deposição seguinte contra ele: Nabot amaldiçoou a Deus e ao rei. Depois disto, levaram-no para fora da cidade, onde foi apedrejado e morreu.14 E mandaram dizer a Jezabel: Nabot foi apedrejado e morto.15 Quando ela soube que Nabot fora apedrejado e morto, foi dizer a Acab: Vai e toma posse da vinha que Nabot de Jezrael te recusara vender. Ele já não vive; está morto.16 Acab, tendo ouvido dizer que Nabot morrera, levantou-se e dirigiu-se para a sua vinha, para tomar posse dela.17 Então a palavra do Senhor foi dirigida a Elias, o tesbita:18 Vai; desce ao encontro de Acab, rei de Israel, que mora em Samaria, ei-lo que desce a tomar posse da vinha de Nabot.19 Dir-lhe-ás: Isto diz o Senhor: Mataste, e agora usurpas! - E ajuntarás: Eis o que diz o Senhor: No mesmo lugar em que os cães lamberam o sangue de Nabot, lamberão também o teu.20 Acab exclamou: Encontraste-me de novo, ó meu inimigo? Sim!, respondeu Elias. Porque te vendeste para fazer o mal aos olhos do Senhor.21 Farei cair o mal sobre ti, varrer-te-ei, exterminarei da família de Acab em Israel todo varão, seja escravo ou livre.22 Farei de tua casa o que fiz da de Jeroboão, filho de Nabat, e da de Baasa, filho de Aías, porque me provocaste à ira e arrastaste Israel ao pecado.23 E eis agora o que diz o Senhor contra Jezabel: Os cães devorarão Jezabel na terra de Jezrael.24 Todo membro da família de Acab que morrer na cidade será devorado pelos cães, e o que morrer no campo será comido pelas aves do céu.25 Com efeito, não houve ninguém que praticasse tanto o mal aos olhos do Senhor como Acab, excitado como era por sua mulher Jezabel.26 Levou a abominação ao extremo, seguindo os ídolos dos amorreus, que o Senhor tinha expulsado de diante dos israelitas.27 Ouvindo estas palavras, Acab rasgou suas vestes, cobriu-se com um saco e jejuou; dormia, envolto no saco e andava a passos lentos.28 Então a Palavra do Senhor foi dirigida a Elias, o tesbita, nestes termos:29 Viste como Acab se humilhou diante de mim? Pois que ele assim procedeu, não mandarei o castigo durante a sua vida, mas nos dias de seu filho farei vir a catástrofe sobre a sua casa.
1 And it came to pass after these events, that Naboth the Yizreelite had a vineyard, which was in Yizreel, near the palace of Achab the king of Samaria.2 And Achab spoke unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that it may serve me for a herbgarden, because it is near unto my house; and I will give thee in its stead a vineyard better than it; or, if it seem good in thy eyes, I will give thee the money, the value of the same.3 And Naboth said to Achab, Far be it from me before the Lord, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.4 And Achab came into his house lowspirited and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Yizreelite had spoken to him, when he said, I will not give unto thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid himself down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food.5 But Izebel his wife came to him, and spoke unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad! and why eatest thou no food?6 And he said unto her, Because I spoke unto Naboth the Yizreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee a vineyard in its stead; but he hath said, I will not give unto thee my vineyard.7 Then said unto him Izebel his wife, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, eat bread, and let thy heart be merry: I will myself give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Yizreelite.8 So she wrote letters in Achabs name, and sealed them with his seal; and she sent the letters unto the elders and unto the nobles who were in his city, and who dwelt near Naboth.9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and cause Naboth to sit at the head of the people;10 And seat two men, worthless fellows, opposite to him, and let them bear witness against him, saying, Thou hast blasphemed God and the king; and then lead him forth, and stone him, that he may die.11 And the men of his city, the elders and the nobles, those who dwelt in his city, did as Izebel had sent unto them, as was written in the letters which she had sent unto them.12 They proclaimed a fast, and caused Naboth to sit at the head of the people.13 And there came in two men, worthless fellows, and seated themselves opposite to him; and these worthless men testified against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth hath blasphemed God and the king. Then they led him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.14 And they sent to Izebel, saying, Naboth hath been stoned, and is dead.15 And it came to pass, when Izebel heard that Naboth had been stoned, and was dead, that Izebel said to Achab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Yizreelite, which he refused to give thee for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.16 And it came to pass, when Achab heard that Naboth was dead, that Achab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Yizreelite, to take possession of it.17 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,18 Arise, go down to meet Achab the king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to take possession of it.19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus hath said the Lord, Hast thou murdered, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus hath said the Lord, In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall the dogs lick thy blood, yes, thine also.20 And Achab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O my enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to do what is evil in the eyes of the Lord.21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and I will sweep out after thee, and will cut off from Achab every male, and the guarded and fortified in Israel,22 And I will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Basha the son of Achiyah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and induced Israel to sin.23 And also concerning Izebel hath the Lord spoken, saying, The dogs shall eat Izebel in the valley of Yizreel.24 Him that dieth of Achab in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the heavens eat.25 But indeed there was none like unto Achab, who sold himself to do what is evil in the eyes of the Lord, to which Izebel his wife incited him.26 And he acted very abominably in following the idols, in all things just as had done the Emorites, whom the Lord had driven out from before the children of Israel.27 And it came to pass, when Achab heard these words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and slept in the sackcloth, and walked about barefooted.28 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,29 Hast thou seen how Achab hath humbled himself before me? therefore, because he hath humbled himself before me, will I not bring the evil in his days: in the days of his son will I bring the evil upon his house.