1 Kings 21:1-15 ▼

1 After these thinges, it chaunced, that Naboth the Iezraelite had a vineyard in Iezrahel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

2 And Ahab spake vnto Naboth, saying: Geue me thy vineyarde, that I may make me a garde of hearbes thereof, because it lyeth so nye my house, and I wil geue thee for it a better vineyarde then it is: or rather if it please thee, I will geue thee the worth of it in money.

3 And Naboth sayd to Ahab: The Lord forbid that from me, that I should geue the inheritauce of my fathers vnto thee.

4 And Ahab came into the house heauy and euyll apayde because of the worde whiche Naboth the Iesraelite had spoken to him, for he had sayde: I will not geue thee the inheritaunce of my fathers. And he layde him downe vpon his bed, and turned away his face, and woulde eate no bread.

5 But Iezabel his wyfe came to him, and sayde vnto him: Why is thy spirite so wayward that thou eatest no bread?

6 And he sayd vnto her: For I spake vnto Naboth the Iezraelite, and said vnto him, Geue me thy vineyarde for money: Or els if it please thee, I will geue thee another vineyarde for it. And he aunswered: I will not geue thee my vineyarde.

7 And Iezabel his wyfe sayde vnto him: Doest thou nowe gouerne the kingdome of Israel? vp, and eate bread, and set thyne heart at rest: I wil geue thee ye vineyarde of Naboth the Iezraelite.

8 And so she wrote a letter in Ahabs name, and sealed it with his seale, and sent the letter vnto the elders, and to the nobles that were in his citie dwelling with Naboth.

9 And she wrote in the letter, saying: Proclayme a fast, and set Naboth on hye among the people:

10 And set two vnthriftes before him, to beare witnesse against him, saying, Thou dyddest blaspheme God and the king: And then carie him out, and stone him to death.

11 And the men of his citie, euen the elders and gouernours whiche dwelt in his citie, dyd as Iezabel had sent vnto them, and as it was written in the letter whiche she had sent vnto them.

12 They proclaymed a fast, and set Naboth among the chiefe of the people.

13 And there came in two men the children of Belial, and sate before him: And the two vnthriftie persons witnessed against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying: Naboth dyd blaspheme God and the king. And they caried him out of the citie, & stoned him with stones, that he died.

14 And then they sent to Iezabel, saying: Naboth is stoned to death.

15 And it fortuned, when Iezabel hearde that Naboth was stoned to death, she sayde to Ahab: Up, and take possession of the vineyarde of Naboth the Iezraelite, whiche he denied to geue for money: for Naboth is not alyue, but dead.