1 After these things, Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, "Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near my house; and I will give you for it a better vineyard than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money."
3 Naboth said to Ahab, "May the LORD forbid me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!"
4 Ahab came into his house sullen and angry because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." He laid himself down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. 5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, "Why is your spirit so sad, that you eat no bread?"
6 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 another vineyard for it.’ He answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’"
7 Jezebel his wife said to him, "Do you now govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and let your heart be merry. 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 the letters to the elders and to the nobles who were in his city, who lived with Naboth. 9 She wrote in the letters, saying, "Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 10 Set two men, wicked fellows, before him, and let them testify against him, saying, ‘You cursed God and the king!’ Then carry him out, and stone him to death."
11 The men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had instructed them in the letters which she had written and sent to them. 12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 13 The two men, the wicked fellows, came in and sat before him. The wicked fellows testified against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, "Naboth cursed God and the king!" Then they carried him out of the city and stoned him to death with stones. 14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, "Naboth has been stoned, and is dead."
15 When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned, and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, "Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead."
16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
17 The LORD’s word came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 "Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who dwells in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it. 19 You shall speak to him, saying, ‘The LORD says, "Have you killed and also taken possession?"’ You shall speak to him, saying, ‘The LORD says, "In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs will lick your blood, even yours."’"
20 Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, my enemy?"
He answered, "I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do that which is evil in the LORD’s sight. 21 Behold, I will bring evil on you, and will utterly sweep you away and will cut off from Ahab everyone who urinates against a wall, and him who is shut up and him who is left at large in Israel. 22 I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah for the provocation with which you have provoked me to anger, and have made Israel to sin." 23 The LORD also spoke of Jezebel, saying, "The dogs will eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel. 24 The dogs will eat he who dies of Ahab in the city; and the birds of the sky will eat he who dies in the field."
25 But there was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. 26 He did very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites did, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. 27 When Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
28 The LORD’s word came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29 "See how Ahab humbles himself before me? Because he humbles himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days; but I will bring the evil on his house in his son’s day."
1 Nabote, um indivíduo de Jezreel, tinha uma vinha nos subúrbios da cidade, perto do palácio do rei Acabe. Um dia o rei propôs-lhe comprar-lhe aquele pedaço de terra. Quero fazer um jardim dessa terra, explicou-lhe, porque está junto ao palácio. Oferecia-lhe pagar em dinheiro ou por troca com outra vinha melhor.
3 Mas Nabote respondeu: Não, eu nunca poderia vender essa terra porque se trata de uma herança dos meus antepassados, já de há muitas gerações. Deus não mo permite.
4 Acabe foi para casa abatido e indignado. Não queria comer e meteu-se na cama, com a cara virada para a parede.
5 Que desgosto tão grande é esse?, perguntou-lhe a mulher, Jezabel. Por que é que nem sequer queres comer?
6 Pedi a Nabote que me vendesse a vinha, ou que ma trocasse, e recusou!, disse-lhe Acabe.
7 Mas afinal, és tu ou não o rei de Israel? Trata mas é de te levantares, e de andares normalmente, porque eu me ocuparei desse assunto - eu hei-de obter essa vinha de Nabote!
8 Jezabel pôs-se então a escrever uma série de cartas, em nome de Acabe, com o selo real, e endereçou-as aos líderes da cidade de Jezreel, onde vivia Nabote. Nelas dava a seguinte ordem: Façam uma proclamação por toda a cidade, para que a população jejue e ore . Convoquem Nabote, e arranjem dois marginais que o acusem de ter amaldiçoado Deus e o rei. Levem-no depois e executem-no.
11 Os chefes municipais obedeceram àquelas instruções. Convocaram uma reunião, acarearam Nabote com dois meliantes, os quais, sendo gente sem consciência, o acusaram de ter amaldiçoado Deus e o rei. Nabote foi arrastado para fora da cidade e apedrejado até morrer. Depois, os líderes da cidade participaram a Jezabel que Nabote já estava morto.
15 Quando a rainha tomou conhecimento disso, falou a Acabe: Lembras-te da vinha que Nabote não te queria ceder? Pois bem, já poderás tê-la. O homem morreu!
16 Então Acabe desceu para ir tomar posse da terra.
17 No entanto o Senhor disse a Elias:
18 Vai até Samaria para falares a Acabe. Ele há-de estar na vinha de Nabote, tomando posse dela. Dá-lhe esta mensagem da minha parte: 'Não terá sido bastante que tenhas morto Nabote? Irás ainda roubá-lo? Visto que fizeste tamanha maldade, o teu sangue virá a ser lambido por cães, fora da cidade, tal como lamberam o sangue de Nabote!'
20 Acabas sempre por me encontrar, meu inimigo!, exclamou Acabe para Elias.Sim, é verdade, respondeu Elias. Vim aqui para te dar a conhecer a maldição que Deus põe sobre ti, porque te vendeste para fazeres o que é mau perante o Senhor.
21 O Senhor trará grande mal sobre ti e te varrerá para longe; não deixará que um só dos teus descendentes masculinos sobreviva! Deus destruirá a tua família, como o fez com a de Jeroboão e a do rei Basha, porque acendeste a sua ira muitíssimo, e levaste todo o Israel a pecar. O Senhor também me disse que os cães de Jezreel despedeçarão o corpo da tua mulher Jezabel. Os membros da tua família que morrerem na cidade serão comidos pelos cães e os que morrerem no campo serão devorados pelos abutres.
25 Não houve ninguém que se tivesse vendido como Acabe, para fazer o que era mau aos olhos do Senhor, instigado por Jezabel, sua mulher. A sua culpa era especialmente agravada porque prestava culto aos ídolos, tal como os amorreus - o povo que Deus tinha lançado fora da terra para dar lugar ao seu povo de Israel.
27 Quando Acabe ouviu estas profecias, rasgou a roupa que trazia vestida, cobriu-se com um saco com que até dormia, jejuou, e andava profundamente humilhado.
28 Mais tarde veio ainda outra mensagem a Elias:
29 Estás a ver como Acabe anda humilhado perante mim? Visto que tomou essa atitude, não farei o que lhe prometi durante o tempo da sua vida; isso dar-se-á com os seus filhos; destruirei os seus descendentes.