5
His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat?”
6
He answered her, “Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’ ”
7
Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
8
So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him.
9
In those letters she wrote: “Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people.
10
But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.”
11
So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them.
12
They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people.
13
Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.
14
Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”
15
As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead.”
16
When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard.