21

Naboth’s Vineyard

¹Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. ²Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.”
³But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors.”
⁴So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.
⁵His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat?”
⁶He answered her, “Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’ ”
⁷Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
⁸So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him. ⁹In those letters she wrote:
“Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. ¹⁰But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.”
¹¹So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them. ¹²They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. ¹³Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. ¹⁴Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”
¹⁵As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead.” ¹⁶When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard.
¹⁷Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: ¹⁸“Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. ¹⁹Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’ ”
²⁰Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!”
“I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. ²¹He says, ‘I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free.⚓ ²²I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have aroused my anger and have caused Israel to sin.’
²³“And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of⚓ Jezreel.’
²⁴“Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country.”
²⁵(There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. ²⁶He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.)
²⁷When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.
²⁸Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: ²⁹“Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”

21

Ahaj hab Nanpau lub vaaj txwv maab

¹Lug rua tom qaab nuav Nanpau kws yog tuabneeg Yile‑ee muaj ib lub vaaj txwv maab nyob huv lub moos Yile‑ee npuas vaajntxwv Ahaj kws kaav Xamali lub tsev. ²Mas Ahaj has rua Nanpau tas, “Muab koj lub vaaj txwv maab rua kuv, kuv txhad tau ua vaaj zaub vem yog nyob ze kuv lub tsev. Kuv yuav muab dua ib lub vaaj txwv maab kws zoo dua pauv koj lub vaaj nuav, lossws yog koj pum zoo kuv yuav muab nyaj yuav kuas txaus lub vaaj nuav tug nqe.” ³Tassws Nanpau has rua Ahaj tas, “Thov Yawmsaub taav kuv tsw xob muab kuv tej laug qub txeeg qub teg rua koj.” ⁴Ahaj txhad rov lug tsev nyuaj sab hab chim ua ntsej muag tsaus nti rua tej lug kws Nanpau kws yog tuabneeg Yile‑ee has rua nwg, vem Nanpau tau has tas, “Kuv yuav tsw muab kuv tej laug qub txeeg qub teg rua koj.” Tes nwg txawm pw rua sau txaaj fee plhu hlo tsw yeem noj mov le. ⁵Mas nwg tug quaspuj Yexenpee lug nug nwg tas, “Ua caag koj yuav nyuaj sab ua luaj tsw kaam noj mov le?” ⁶Ahaj teb nwg tas, “Vem yog kuv has rua Nanpau kws yog tuabneeg Yile‑ee tas, ‘Muab koj lub vaaj txwv maab muag rua kuv, lossws yog koj pum zoo kuv yuav muab dua ib lub vaaj txwv maab pauv rua koj.’ Tassws nwg teb tas, ‘Kuv yuav tsw muab kuv lub vaaj txwv maab rua koj le.’ ” ⁷Tes nwg tug quaspuj Yexenpee has rua nwg tas, “Koj yog tug kws kaav cov Yixayee los sas. Ca le sawv tseeg lug noj mov hab ua lub sab xyiv faab hlo. Kuv yuav muab Nanpau kws yog tuabneeg Yile‑ee lub vaaj txwv maab rua koj.”
⁸Nwg txawm sau tsaab ntawv ua Ahaj lub npe txaam Ahaj lub txwm xaa moog rua cov kev txwj quas laug hab cov kws ua hlub kws nrug Nanpau nyob tuab lub moos. ⁹Yexenpee sau huv ntawv has tas, “Ca le tshaaj tawm kuas yoo mov hab tsaa Nanpau nyob sau lub rooj sab huv plawv cov pejxeem, ¹⁰hab kuas ob tug tuabneeg phem lug nyob ncaaj ntawm nwg xubndag, hab kuas ob tug kom nwg has tas nwg tau tshev foom Vaajtswv hab vaajntxwv. Tes muab nwg coj tawm moog hab xuas pob zeb muab nwg ntaus kuas tuag.” ¹¹Tes cov tuabneeg huv lub moos kws Nanpau nyob hov, cov kev txwj quas laug hab cov kws ua hlub txawm ua lawv le Yexenpee has moog rua puab lawv le tsaab ntawv kws nwg sau moog rua puab. ¹²Puab txhad tshaaj tawm kuas yoo mov hab tsaa Nanpau nyob sau lub rooj sab huv plawv cov pejxeem. ¹³Tes ob tug tuabneeg phem hov txawm tuaj nyob ncaaj ntawm Nanpau xubndag, tes ob tug tuabneeg phem hov txawm kom Nanpau taab meeg cov pejxeem tas, “Nanpau tau tshev foom Vaajtswv hab vaajntxwv.” Tes puab txawm coj Nanpau tawm moog rua saab nrau lub moos hab xuas pob zeb ntaus nwg tuag. ¹⁴Tes puab txawm xaa xuv rua Yexenpee has tas, “Nanpau raug xuas pob zeb ntaus, nwg tuag lawm.”
¹⁵Thaus Yexenpee nov tas Nanpau raug xuas pob zeb ntaus hab tuag lawm, Yexenpee txawm has rua Ahaj tas, “Ca le sawv tseeg moog txeeb hlo Nanpau kws yog tuabneeg Yile‑ee lub vaaj txwv maab kws tsw kheev muab muag rua koj, tsua qhov Nanpau tsw nyob nwg tuag lawm.” ¹⁶Thaus Ahaj nov tas Nanpau tuag lawm, Ahaj txawm sawv tseeg moog rua huv Nanpau kws yog tuabneeg Yile‑ee lub vaaj txwv maab es moog txeeb hlo ua nwg tug.
¹⁷Yawmsaub txawm has lug tuaj rua Eliya kws yog tuabneeg Thinpi tas, ¹⁸“Koj ca le sawv tseeg moog ntswb Yixayee tug vaajntxwv Ahaj kws kaav huv lub nroog Xamali. Saib maj, nwg nyob huv Nanpau lub vaaj txwv maab kws nwg txeeb hlo yuav ua nwg tug. ¹⁹Koj has rua nwg tas, ‘Yawmsaub has le nuav tas, Koj tau tua hab tseed txeeb hlo lub vaaj lug ua koj tug hab lov?’ Hab koj ca le has rua nwg tas, ‘Yawmsaub has le nuav tas, Lub chaw kws dev yaim Nanpau cov ntshaav, dev kuj yuav yaim koj cov ntshaav hov ntawd hab.’ ”
²⁰Ahaj txawm has rua Eliya tas, “Kuv tug yeeb ncuab 'e, koj ntswb tau kuv lawm lov?” Eliya teb tas, “Kuv ntswb koj lawm tsua qhov koj muab koj tug kheej muag moog ua tej kws Yawmsaub pum tas phem kawg. ²¹‘Saib nawj, kuv yuav coj xwm txheej phem lug raug koj, hab kuv yuav rhuav tshem koj pov tseg huvsw hab yuav muab Ahaj cov txwvneej txhua tug tua taag nrho nwg tej qhev hab nwg tej tuabneeg ua kuas tu noob nrho huv cov Yixayee moog. ²²Hab kuv yuav ua kuas koj caaj ceg zoo ib yaam le Nenpa tug tub Yelaunpau‑aa caaj ceg hab ib yaam le Ahiya tug tub Npa‑asa caaj ceg, tsua qhov koj zwg ua rua kuv chim hab koj tau coj cov Yixayee ua txhum muaj txem.’ ²³Hab Yawmsaub has txug Yexenpee has tas, ‘Dev yuav noj Yexenpee rua huv Yile‑ee.’ ²⁴Ahaj cov tuabneeg tug kws tuag rua huv lub nroog mas dev yuav noj, tug kws tuag rua saab nrau mas laj daav sau nruab ntug yuav noj.”
²⁵Tsw muaj leejtwg muab nwg tug kheej muag moog ua tej kws Yawmsaub pum tas phem kawg yaam le Ahaj kws nwg tug quaspuj Yexenpee txhob nwg ua. ²⁶Ahaj ua tej kws qas vuab tsuab kawg le tsua qhov kws lawv quas ncav tej txoov daab ib yaam le cov Amaulai kws Yawmsaub muab laim pluj plag ntawm cov Yixayee xubndag lawm.
²⁷Thaus Ahaj nov tej lug hov, nwg txawm dua rhe nwg lub tsho muab khaub seev tsaaj lug naav, hab yoo mov hab naav khaub seev tsaaj moog pw, hab moog moog lug lug dai hau quas vag. ²⁸Hab Yawmsaub has lug tuaj rua Eliya kws yog tuabneeg Thinpi tas, ²⁹“Koj tub pum Ahaj txu nwg tug fwjchim rua ntawm kuv xubndag lawm lov? Vem nwg tub txu nwg tug fwjchim ntawm kuv xubndag lawm, kuv yuav tsw tso xwm txheej phem lug rua nwg swm neej, tassws kuv yuav tso xwm txheej phem lug raug nwg caaj ceg rua thaus nwg tug tub swm neej.”