1 And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.2 And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house; and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or, if it is good in your eyes, I will give you its price in money.3 But Naboth said to Ahab, Jehovah forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!4 So Ahab went 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. And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food.5 And Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, Why is your spirit so sullen that you are not eating food?6 And 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. And he answered, I will not give you my vineyard.7 And Jezebel his wife said to him, Do you now rule over Israel? Arise, eat food, and let your heart be joyful. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.8 And she wrote letters in Ahabs name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth.9 She wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth at the head of the people;10 and seat two men, sons of worthlessness, before him to bear witness against him, saying, You have blasphemed God and the king. Then take him out, and stone him, that he may die.11 So the men of his city, the elders and nobles who were inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them.12 They proclaimed a fast, and seated Naboth at the head of the people.13 And two men, sons of worthlessness, came in and sat before him; and the men of worthlessness testified against him, against Naboth, before the people, saying, Naboth has blasphemed God and the king! Then they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones, so that he died.14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth has been stoned and is dead.15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, that 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 has died.16 So it was, when Ahab heard that Naboth had died, that Ahab got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.17 And the Word of Jehovah came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who lives in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it.19 And you shall speak to him, saying, Thus says Jehovah: Have you murdered and also taken possession? And you shall speak to him, saying, Thus says Jehovah: In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood, even yours.20 So Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, O my enemy? And he answered, I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of Jehovah:21 Behold, I shall bring evil upon you. I shall take away your posterity, and shall cut off from Ahab in Israel everyone who urinates against a wall, both bond and free.22 I have delivered up your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and made Israel sin.23 And concerning Jezebel Jehovah also spoke, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.24 The dogs shall eat whoever of Ahab dies in the city, and the birds of the heavens shall eat whoever dies in the field.25 Surely there had not been one like Ahab who had sold himself to do wickedness in the eyes of Jehovah, which his wife Jezebel had instigated.26 And he did exceedingly abominably to follow after the idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom Jehovah had cast out before the children of Israel.27 So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and walked about softly.28 And the Word of Jehovah came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,29 Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring about the evil in his days; but in the days of his son I will bring about the evil upon his house.
1 Forsothe after these wordis, in that tyme, the vyner of Naboth of Jezrael, `that was in Jezrael, was bisidis the paleis of Achab, kyng of Samarye.2 Therfor Achab spak to Naboth, and seide, Yyue thou to me the vyner, that Y make to me a gardyn of wortis, for it is nyy, and nyy myn hows; and Y schal yyue to thee a betere vyner for it; ethir if thou gessist it more profitable to thee, Y schall yyue the prijs of siluer, as myche as it is worth.3 To whom Naboth answeride, The Lord be merciful to me, that Y yyue not to thee the eritage of my fadris.4 Therfor Acab cam in to his hows, hauynge indignacioun, and gnastyng on the word which Naboth of Jezrael hadde spoke to him, and seide, Y schal not yyue to thee the eritage of my fadirs. And Achab castide doun him silf in to his bed, and turnede awei his face to the wal, and ete not breed.5 Forsothe Jezabel, his wijf, entride to hym, and seide to hym, What is this thing, wherof thi soule is maad sory? and whi etist thou not breed?6 Which answeride to hir, Y spak to Naboth of Jezrael, and Y seide to hym, Yyue thi vyner to me for money takun, ethir if it plesith thee, Y schal yyue to thee a betere vyner for it. And he seide, Y schal not yyue to thee my vyner.7 Therfor Jezabel, his wijf, seide to hym, Thou art of greet auctorite, and thou gouernest wel Israel; rise thou, and ete breed, and be thou `pacient, ethir coumfortid; Y schal yyue to thee the vyner of Naboth of Jezrael.8 Therfor sche wroot lettris in the name of Achab, and seelide tho with the ryng of hym; and sche sente to the grettere men in birthe, and to the beste men, that weren in the citee of hym, and dwelliden with Naboth.9 Sotheli this was the sentence of the lettre; Preche ye fastyng, and make ye Naboth to sitte among the firste men of the puple;10 and sende ye priueli twei men, the sones of Belial, ayens hym, and sey thei fals witnessyng, Naboth blesside God and the kyng; and lede ye out hym, and stoon ye him, and die he so.11 Therfor hise citeseyns, the grettere men in birthe, and the beste men that dwelliden with hym in the citee, diden as Jezabel hadde comaundid, and as it was writun in the lettris, whiche sche hadde sent to hem.12 Thei prechiden fastyng, and maden Naboth to sitte among the firste men of the puple;13 and whanne twey men, sones of the deuel, weren brouyt, thei maden hem to sitte ayens hym, and thei, that is, as men of the deuel, seiden witnessyng ayens him bifor al the multitude, Naboth blesside God and the kyng; for which thing thei ledden hym with out the citee, and killiden him with stoonys.14 And thei senten to Jezabel, and seiden, Naboth is stoonyd, and is deed.15 Forsothe it was doon, whanne Jezabel hadde herd Naboth stonyd and deed, sche spak to Achab, Rise thou, take thou in possessioun the vyner of Naboth of Jezrael, which nolde assente to thee, and yyue it for money takun; for Naboth lyueth not, but is deed.16 And whanne Achab hadde herd this, that is, Naboth deed, he roos, and yede doun in to the vyner of Naboth of Jezrael, to haue it in possessioun.17 Therfor the word of the Lord was maad to Elie of Thesbi,18 and seide, Rise thou, go doun in to the comyng of Achab, kyng of Israel, which is in Samarie; lo! he goith doun to the vyner of Naboth, that he haue it in possessioun.19 And thou schalt speke to hym, and `thou schalt seie, The Lord God seith these thingis, Thou hast slayn, ferthermore and thou hast take in possessioun; and aftir these thingis thou schalt adde, In this place, wherynne doggis lickiden the blood of Naboth, thei schulen licke also thi blood.20 And Achab seyde to Elie, Whether thou hast founde me thin enemy? Which Elie seide, Y haue founde, for thou art seeld that thou schuldist do yuel in the siyt of the Lord.21 Therfor the Lord seith these thingis, Lo! Y schal brynge yn on thee yuel, and Y schal kitte awey thin hyndrere thingis, and Y schal sle of Achab a pissere to the wal, and prisoned, and the laste in Israel;22 and Y schal yyue thin hows as the hows of Jeroboam, sone of Naboth, and as the hows of Baasa, sone of Ahia; for thou didist to excite me to wrathfulnesse, and madist Israel to do synne.23 But also the Lord spak of Jezabel, and seide, Doggis schulen ete Jezabel in the feeld of Jesrael;24 if Achab schal die in the citee, doggis schulen ete hym; sotheli if he schal die in the feeld, briddis of the eyr schulen ete hym.25 Therfor noon other was sich as Achab, that was seeld to do yuel in the siyt of the Lord; for Jezabel his wijf excitide hym;26 and he was maad abhomynable, in so myche that he suede the ydols that Ammorreis maden, which Ammorreis the Lord wastide fro the face of the sones of Israel.27 Therfor whanne Achab hadde herd these wordis, he to-rente his cloth, and hilide his fleisch with an hayre, and he fastide, and slepte in a sak, and yede with the heed cast doun.28 The word of the Lord was maad to Elie of Thesbi, and seide, Whethir thou hast not seyn Achab maad low bifor me? Therfor for he is maad low for the cause of me, Y schal not brynge yn yuel in hise daies, but in the daies of his sone Y schal bryng yn yuel to his hows.