1After these events, there was a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite, in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria.
2Ahab said to Naboth, 'Give me your vineyard so I can use it as a vegetable garden, because it is close to my house. In exchange, I will give you a better vineyard, or if you prefer, I will pay you its worth in silver.'
3But Naboth said to Ahab, 'The LORD forbid that I should give you my ancestral inheritance!'
4Ahab went home sullen and angry because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said when he told him, 'I will not give you my inheritance.' He lay on his bed, turned his face away, and refused to eat.
5His wife Jezebel came to him and asked, 'Why are you so upset that you won’t eat?'
6He told her, 'When I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said, “Give me your vineyard for money, or if you prefer, I’ll give you another vineyard in exchange,” he replied, “I will not give you my vineyard.”'
7Jezebel, his wife, said to him, 'Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up, eat, and cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.'
8So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city.
9In those letters she wrote, 'Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people.'
10Then seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them accuse him, saying, 'You have cursed God and the king.' Then take him out and stone him to death.
11So the elders and nobles of this city, who lived there, carried out Jezebel’s instructions, just as she had written in the letters she sent them.
12They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people.
13Two worthless men came and sat opposite Naboth. They testified against him before the people, saying, 'Naboth has cursed God and the king.' So they took him outside the city, stoned him to death, and he died.
14Then they sent word to Jezebel, saying, 'Naboth has been stoned and is dead.'