1
And it came to pass after these things, [that] Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which [was] in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
2
And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it [is] near to my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; [or] if it seemeth good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.
3
And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to thee.
4
And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased, because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid himself down upon 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 thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?
6
And he said to her, Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, and said to him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it pleaseth thee, I will give thee [another] vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.
7
And Jezebel his wife said to him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, [and] eat bread, and let thy heart be merry: I will give thee 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 that [were] in his city, dwelling with Naboth.
9
And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:
10
And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And [then] carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.
11
And the men of his city, [even] the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, [and] as it [was] written in the letters which she had sent to them.