First Reading1 Kings 21:1-16
From the First Book of Kings
1After these things,Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel,next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.2Ahab spoke to Naboth,saying, “Give me your vineyard,that I may have it for a garden of herbs,because it is near my house;and I will give you for it a better vineyard than it.Or, if it seems good to you,I will give you its worth in money.”
3Naboth said to Ahab,“May the Lord forbid me,that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!”
4Ahab came into his house sullenand angry because of the wordwhich Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him,for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.”He laid himself down on his bed,and turned away his face,and would eat no bread.5But Jezebel his wife came to him,and said to him, “Why is your spirit so sadthat you eat no bread?”
6He said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite,and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money;or else, if it pleases you,I will give you another vineyard for it.’He answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”
7Jezebel his wife said to him,“Do you now govern the kingdom of Israel?Arise, and eat bread, and let your heart be merry.I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”8So she wrote letters in Ahab’s nameand sealed them with his seal,and sent the letters to the eldersand to the nobles who were in his city,who lived with Naboth.9She wrote in the letters,saying, “Proclaim a fast,and set Naboth on high among the people.10Set two men, wicked fellows,before him, and let them testify against him,saying, ‘You cursed God and the king!’Then carry him out, and stone him to death.”
11The men of his city,even the elders and the nobles who lived in his city,did as Jezebel had instructed them in the letterswhich she had written and sent to them.12They proclaimed a fast,and set Naboth on high among the people.13The two men, the wicked fellows,came in and sat before him.The wicked fellows testified against him,even against Naboth,in the presence of the people,saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king!”Then they carried him out of the cityand stoned him to death with stones.14Then they sent to Jezebel,saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”
15When Jezebel heardthat 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.”
16When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead,Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite,to take possession of it.