I Kings Chapter 21

Melachim | Kings

Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, so that I may have it as an herb garden, for it is close by my house; in its place I will give you a better vineyard, or, if you prefer, I will give you its price in money.”
21:2
But Naboth said to Ahab, “Far be it from me before Hashem that I should give you my ancestor’s heritage!”
21:3
His wife Jezebel said to him, “Are you now exercising your sovereignty over Israel? Arise. Eat some food, and let your heart be. I shall present you with the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite!”
:7
Two unscrupulous men came and sat opposite him, and the unscrupulous men testified against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth has ‘blessed’ God and the king.” Then they took him outside of the city and stoned him with stones, and he died.
:14
The word of Hashem then came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, …
:18
You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus said Hashem: Will you murder and also inherit?’ saying, ‘Thus said Hashem: In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, the dogs will lick up your blood as well.’”
:19
Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me [guilty], my adversary?” He said, “I have found [you guilty]. because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the eyes of Hashem.
:20
Behold! [says Hashem] I am bringing evil upon you, and I shall annihilate after you, and I shall eliminate [every] male offspring from Ahab and all property, whether hidden or public, in Israel.
:21
… because of the provocation with which you have provoked [Me], and because you caused Israel to sin.
:22
Hashem has spoken also concerning Jezebel, saying, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the Valley of Jezreel.’
:23
(There had never been anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do what was evil in the eyes of Hashem, because Jezebel his wife had incited him.
:25
It happened that when Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes and placed sackcloth upon his skin and fasted; he slept with the sackcloth, and he walked about slowly.
:27
The word of Hashem came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, “Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Since he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil during his days; I will rather bring the evil upon his house in the days of his son.”
:28-29

Daily Holy Bible Reading

1 And it was after these happenings, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab, the king of Samaria.
2 And Ahab spoke to Naboth saying, “Give me your vineyard and I will have it for a vegetable garden since it is near my house, and I will give you instead of it a vineyard which is better than it-if it pleases you, I will give you money, its worth.”
3 And Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid me to give the inheritance of my forefathers to you.”
4 And Ahab came to his house sad and upset because of the matter that Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him and said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my forefathers.” He lay on his bed, turned away his face, and did not eat bread.
5 And Jezebel his wife came to him, and spoke to him, “For what is this that your spirit has left you and you do not eat bread?”
6 He spoke to her, “For I have spoken to Naboth the Jezreelite and I have said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money or if you wish I will give you a vineyard instead of it. And he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’ “
7 And Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now exercise kingly power over Israel? Arise, and eat bread and let your heart be merry, I will give you Naboth the Jezreelite’s vineyard.”
8 And she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed [them] with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and the officials who were in his city, who sat with Naboth.
9 And she wrote letters saying, “Proclaim a fast and place Naboth in the forefront of the people.
10 And set up two wicked men opposite him and they will testify against him saying, ‘You have cursed God and the king,’ and they shall remove him and stone him, and he will die.”
11 And the men of his city did, the elders and the officials that dwelled in his city, as Jezebel sent to them, as it was written in the letters that she had sent to them.
12 They proclaimed a fast, and they set Naboth at the head of the people.
13 And the two wicked men came and sat opposite him, and the wicked men testified against Naboth in front of the people saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” And they took him out of the city and stoned him with stones, and he died.
14 And they sent to Jezebel saying: “Naboth has been stoned and has died.”
15 And it was when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned and that he died, that Jezebel said to Ahab, “Get up, and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money, for Naboth is not living but dead.”
16 And it was as Ahab heard that Naboth had died, that Ahab got 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 and go down toward Ahab the king of Israel, who is in Samaria. Behold! he is in Naboth’s vineyard where he has gone down to take possession of it.
19 And you shall speak to him saying, ‘So said the Lord, “Have you murdered and also inherited?” And you shall speak to him saying, ‘Thus said the Lord; “In the place that the dogs have licked the blood of Naboth, shall the dogs lick your blood, even yours!”‘
20 And Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?” And he said, “I have found [you] because you have sold yourself to do what is bad in the eyes of the Lord.
21 I will bring disaster upon you and I will expunge after you and I will cut off from Ahab every male child and those that are restrained and those that are free in Israel.
22 And I will make your house as the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat and the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the anger which you have angered [Me] and you have caused Israel to sin.
23 And also concerning Jezebel, the Lord spoke saying, ‘The dogs will eat Jezebel in the valley of Jezreel.
24 The dead of Ahab in the city will be eaten by the dogs, and the dead in the fields the fowl of the sky will eat.’ “
25 But there was none like Ahab who had sold himself to do bad in the eyes of the Lord, that Jezebel his wife instigated him.
26 And he very abominably went after idols, like all that the Amorites had done, whom the Lord had expelled from before the children of Israel.
27 And it was when Ahab heard these words, that he tore his garments and put sackcloth on his flesh and he fasted, and he lay in the sackcloth and walked slowly.
28 And it was the word of the Lord to Elijah the Tishbite saying:
29 “Have you seen that Ahab is submissive to me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; in the days of his son I will bring the disaster on his house.”

Exposé | Moral

Knowing What Is Wrong Or Evil And Still Following Or Practicing It

In the end you will be held accountable.

You cannot play innocent.

Comfort or convenience is not a good excuse of not facing the truth.