Ahab's Wars with Syria

1And Nabuthai the Jezraelite had a vineyard, near the threshingfloor of Achaab king of Samaria. 2And Achaab spoke to Nabuthai, saying, Give me thy vineyard, and I will have it for a garden of herbs, for it is near my house: and I will give thee another vineyard better than it; or if it please thee, I will give thee money, the price of this thy vineyard, and I will have it for a garden of herbs. 3And Nabuthai said to Achaab, My God forbid me that I should give thee the inheritance of my fathers. 4And the spirit of Achaab was troubled, and he lay down upon his bed, and covered his face, and ate no bread. 5And Jezabel his wife went in to him, and spoke to him, saying, Why is thy spirit troubled, and why dost thou eat no bread? 6And he said to her, Because I spoke to Nabuthai the Jezraelite, saying, Give me thy vineyard for money; or if thou wilt, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers.

7And Jezabel his wife said to him, Dost thou now thus act the king over Israel? arise, and eat bread, and be thine own master, and I will give thee the vineyard of Nabuthai the Jezraelite. 8And she wrote a letter in the name of Achaab, and sealed it with his seal, and sent the letter to the elders, and to the freemen who dwelt with Nabuthai. 9And it was written in the letters, saying, Keep a fast, and set Naboth in a chief place among the people. 10And set two men, sons of transgressors, before him, and let them testify against him, saying, He blessed God and the king: and let them lead him forth, and stone him, and let them die. 11And the men of his city, the elders, and the nobles who dwelt in his city, did as Jezabel sent to them, and as it had been written in the letters which she sent to them. 12And they proclaimed a fast, and set Nebuthai in a chief place among the people.

Ahab Defeats Ben-Hadad

13And two men, sons of transgressors, came in, and sat opposite him, and bore witness against him, saying, Thou hast blessed God and the king. And they led him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, and he died. 14And they sent to Jezabel, saying, Nabuthai is stoned, and is dead. 15And it came to pass, when Jezabel heard it, that she said to Achaab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Nabuthai the Jezraelite, who would not sell it to thee: for Nebuthai is not alive, for he is dead.

16And it came to pass, when Achaab heard that Nabuthai the Jezraelite was dead, that he rent his garments, and put on sackcloth. And it came to pass afterward, that Achaab arose and went down to the vineyard of Nabuthai the Jezraelite, to take possession of it. 17And the Lord spoke to Eliu the Thesbite, saying, 18Arise, and go down to meet Achaab king of Israel, who is in Samaria, for he is in the vineyard of Nabuthai, for he has gone down thither to take possession of it.

19And thou shalt speak to him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast slain and taken possession, therefore thus saith the Lord, In every place where the swine and the dogs have licked the blood of Nabuthai, there shall the dogs lick thy blood; and the harlots shall wash themselves in thy blood. 20And Achaab said to Eliu, Hast thou found me, mine enemy? and he said, I have found thee: because thou hast wickedly sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger; 21behold, I bring evil upon thee: and I will kindle a fire after thee, and I will utterly destroy every male of Achaab, and him that is shut up and him that is left in Israel.

22And I will make thy house as the house of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, and as the house of Baasa son of Achia, because of the provocations wherewith thou hast provoked me, and caused Israel to sin.

23And the Lord spoke of Jezabel, saying, The dogs shall devour her within the fortification of Jezrael. 24Him that is dead of Achaab in the city shall the dogs eat, and him that is dead of him in the field shall the birds of the sky eat. 25But Achaab did wickedly, in that he sold himself to do that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his wife Jezabel led him astray.

Another War with Ben-Hadad

26And he did very abominably in following after the abominations, according to all that the Amorite did, whom the Lord utterly destroyed from before the children of Israel. 27And because of the word, Achaab was pierced with sorrow before the Lord, and he both went weeping, and rent his garment, and girt sackcloth upon his body, and fasted; he put on sackcloth also in the day that he smote Nabuthai the Jezraelite, and went his way. 28And the word of the Lord came by the hand of his servant Eliu concerning Achaab, and the Lord said, 29Hast thou seen how Achaab has been pricked to the heart before me? I will not bring on the evil in his days, but in his son's days will I bring on the evil. 30And the son of Ader gathered all his forces, and went up and besieged Samaria, he and thirty-two kings with him, and all his horse and chariots: and they went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it.

Ahab Spares Ben-Hadad

31And he sent into the city to Achaab king of Israel, and said to him, Thus says the son of Ader, 32Thy silver and thy gold are mine, and thy wives and thy children are mine. 33And the king of Israel answered and said, As thou hast said, my lord, O king, I am thine, and all mine also. 34And the messengers came again, and said, Thus says the son of Ader, I sent to thee, saying, Thou shalt give me thy silver and thy gold, and thy wives and thy children.

A Prophet Reproves Ahab

35For at this time to-morrow I will send my servants to thee, and they shall search thy house, and the houses of thy servants, and it shall be that all the desirable objects of their eyes on which they shall lay their hands, they shall even take them. 36And the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Take notice now and consider, that this man seeks mischief: for he has sent to me concerning my wives, and concerning my sons, an concerning my daughters: I have not kept back from him my silver and my gold. 37And the elders and all the people said to him, Hearken not, and consent not. 38And he said to the messengers of the son of Ader, Say to your master, All things that thou hast sent to thy servant about at first I will do; but this thing I shall not be able to do. And the men departed, and carried back the answer to him. 39And the son of Ader sent to him, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for foxes to all the people, even my infantry. 40And the king of Israel answered and said, Let it be sufficient; let not the humpbacked boast as he that is upright. 41And it came to pass when he returned him this answer, he and all the kings with him were drinking in tents: and he said to his servants, Form a trench. And they made a trench against the city. 42And, behold, a prophet came to Achaab king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou seen this great multitude? behold, I give it this day into thine hands; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. 43And Achaab said, Whereby? And he said, Thus saith the Lord, by the young men of the heads of the districts. And Achaab said, Who shall begin the battle? and he said, Thou.