6
Ahab answered, "I talked to Naboth, the man from Jezreel. I said, 'Sell me your vineyard, or, if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard for it.' But Naboth refused."
7
Jezebel answered, "Is this how you rule as king over Israel? Get up, eat something, and cheer up. I will get Naboth's vineyard for you."
8
So Jezebel wrote some letters, signed Ahab's name to them, and used his own seal to seal them. Then she sent them to the older leaders and important men who lived in Naboth's town.
9
The letter she wrote said: "Declare a day during which the people are to give up eating. Call the people together, and give Naboth a place of honor among them.
10
Seat two troublemakers across from him, and have them say they heard Naboth speak against God and the king. Then take Naboth out of the city and kill him with stones."
11
The older leaders and important men of Jezreel obeyed Jezebel's command, just as she wrote in the letters.
12
They declared a special day on which the people were to give up eating. And they put Naboth in a place of honor before the people.
13
Two troublemakers sat across from Naboth and said in front of everybody that they had heard him speak against God and the king. So the people carried Naboth out of the city and killed him with stones.
14
Then the leaders sent a message to Jezebel, saying, "Naboth has been killed."
15
When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been killed, she told Ahab, "Naboth of Jezreel is dead. Now you may go and take for yourself the vineyard he would not sell to you."
16
When Ahab heard that Naboth of Jezreel was dead, he got up and went to the vineyard to take it for his own.