1 Kings 21
English Standard Version
Naboth's Vineyard
21 Now Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in (A)Jezreel, beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 And after this Ahab said to Naboth, (B)“Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house, and I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money.” 3 But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid (C)that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.” 4 And Ahab (D)went into his house vexed and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said 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 But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “Why is your spirit so vexed that you eat no 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 please 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 govern Israel? Arise and eat bread and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
8 (E)So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to (F)the elders and the leaders who lived with Naboth in his city. 9 And she wrote in the letters, “Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people. 10 And set two (G)worthless men opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, (H)‘You have cursed[a] God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.” 11 And the men of his city, (I)the elders and the leaders who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them. As it was written in the letters that she had sent to them, 12 (J)they proclaimed a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people. 13 And the two worthless men came in and sat opposite him. And the worthless men brought a charge against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones. 14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned; he is dead.”
15 As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, 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 dead.” 16 And as soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
The Lord Condemns Ahab
17 (K)Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 “Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in (L)Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession. 19 And you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Have you killed and also taken possession?”’ And you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: (M)“In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood.”’”
20 Ahab said to Elijah, (N)“Have you found me, O my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you, because (O)you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord. 21 Behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up, and (P)will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. 22 And I will make your house like (Q)the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like (R)the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the anger to which you have provoked me, and because you (S)have made Israel to sin. 23 And of Jezebel the Lord also said, (T)‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel within (U)the walls of Jezreel.’ 24 (V)Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat.”
Ahab's Repentance
25 ((W)There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited. 26 He acted very abominably in going after (X)idols, as (Y)the Amorites had done, whom the Lord cast out before the people of Israel.)
27 And when Ahab heard those words, he (Z)tore his clothes and (AA)put sackcloth on his flesh and (AB)fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. 28 And the word of the Lord 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 the disaster in his days; (AC)but in his son's days I will bring the disaster upon his house.”
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 21:10 Hebrew blessed; also verse 13
1 Kings 21
King James Version
21 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 spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem 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 unto 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 him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.
5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?
6 And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please 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 unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine 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 unto 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 unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them.
12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.
13 And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.
14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.
15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead.
16 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
17 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.
19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.
20 And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord.
21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,
22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.
23 And of Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.
24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.
25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.
27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
28 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.
1 Re 21
La Nuova Diodati
21 Dopo queste cose avvenne che Naboth di Jezreel aveva in Jezreel una vigna vicina al palazzo di Achab re di Samaria.
2 Cosí Achab parlò a Naboth e gli disse: «Dammi la tua vigna per farne un orto, perché si trova vicina alla mia casa. In cambio ti darò una vigna migliore o, se preferisci, ti darò l'equivalente in denaro».
3 Ma Naboth rispose ad Achab: «Mi guardi l'Eterno dal cederti l'eredità dei miei padri"!».
4 Perciò Achab tornò a casa sua triste e adirato per la risposta che Naboth di Jezreel gli aveva dato: «Non ti cederò l'eredità dei miei padri!». Si gettò sul suo letto, volse la faccia da un lato e non volle prendere cibo.
5 Allora Jezebel, sua moglie, venne da lui e gli disse: «Perché hai lo spirito cosí contristato e non mangi?».
6 Egli le rispose: «Perché ho parlato a Naboth di Jezreel e gli ho detto: "Cedimi la tua vigna per denaro o, se preferisci, ti darò un'altra vigna in cambio". Ma egli mi ha risposto: "Non ti cederò la mia vigna!"».
7 Allora sua moglie Jezebel gli disse: «Non sei tu che regni ora sopra Israele? Alzati, prendi cibo e il tuo cuore si rallegri; la vigna di Naboth di Jezreel te la farò avere io».
8 Cosí ella scrisse alcune lettere a nome di Achab, le sigillò col suo sigillo e le mandò agli anziani ed ai notabili che abitavano nella stessa città con Naboth.
9 Nelle lettere scrisse cosí: «Bandite un digiuno e fate sedere Naboth in prima fila davanti al popolo;
10 ponetegli di fronte due scellerati che depongano contro di lui, dicendo: "Tu hai bestemmiato DIO e il re"; poi conducetelo fuori, lapidatelo e così muoia».
11 La gente della città di Naboth, gli anziani e i notabili che abitavano nella sua città fecero come Jezebel aveva mandato loro a dire, come era scritto nelle lettere che ella aveva loro inviato.
12 Bandirono il digiuno e fecero sedere Naboth davanti al popolo.
13 Poi vennero due scellerati che si sedettero di fronte a lui; e questi scellerati deposero contro Naboth davanti al popolo dicendo: «Naboth ha maledetto DIO e il re». Quindi lo condussero fuori della città e lo lapidarono con pietre; cosí egli morì.
14 Poi mandarono a dire a Jezebel: «Naboth è stato lapidato ed è morto».
15 Quando Jezebel venne a sapere che Naboth era stato lapidato ed era morto, disse ad Achab: «Lèvati e prendi possesso della vigna di Naboth di Jezreel, che egli rifiutò di darti per denaro, perché Naboth non vive piú ma è morto».
16 Come Achab udí che Naboth era morto, si levò e scese a prendere possesso della vigna di Naboth di Jezreel.
17 Allora la parola dell'Eterno fu rivolta ad Elia, il Tishbita, in questi termini, dicendo:
18 «Lèvati e scendi incontro ad Achab, re d'Israele, che sta in Samaria; ecco, egli è nella vigna di Naboth, dove è sceso a prenderne possesso.
19 Gli parlerai in questo modo: Cosí dice l'Eterno: "Prima hai ucciso un uomo e poi ne hai usurpato la proprietà". Quindi gli dirai: Cosí dice l'Eterno: "Nel medesimo luogo dove i cani hanno leccato il sangue di Naboth, i cani leccheranno" anche il tuo stesso sangue"».
20 Achab disse ad Elia: «Mi hai dunque trovato, o mio nemico?». Elia rispose: «Sí, ti ho trovato, perché ti sei venduto per fare ciò che è male agli occhi dell'Eterno.
21 Ecco, io farò venire su di te la sventura, spazzerò via i tuoi discendenti e sterminerò della casa di Achab ogni maschio, schiavo o libero in Israele.
22 Renderò la tua casa come la casa di Geroboamo, figlio di Nebat, e come la casa di Baasha, figlio d'Ahijah, perché tu mi hai provocato ad ira e hai fatto peccare Israele.
23 Anche riguardo a Jezebel l'Eterno parla e dice: "I cani divoreranno Jezebel sotto le mura di Jezreel".
24 Quelli di Achab che moriranno in città saranno divorati dai cani, quelli invece che moriranno nei campi saranno divorati dagli uccelli del cielo».
25 In verità non ci fu mai alcuno che si vendette a fare ciò che è male agli occhi dell'Eterno come Achab, perché era sospinto da sua moglie Jezebel.
26 Egli si comportò in modo abominevole, andando dietro agli idoli, come avevano fatto gli Amorei che l'Eterno aveva scacciato davanti ai figli d'Israele.
27 Quando Achab udí queste parole, si stracciò le vesti, si coperse il corpo con un sacco e digiunò; si coricava avvolto nel sacco e camminava dimesso.
28 Allora la parola dell'Eterno fu rivolta ad Elia, il Tishbita, dicendo:
29 «Hai visto come Achab si è umiliato davanti a me? Poiché si è umiliato davanti a me, io non farò venire la sciagura mentre egli è in vita; ma manderò la sciagura sulla sua casa, durante la vita di suo figlio».
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