A man named Naboth had his property from God next to the kings palace. He had a vineyard there, growing grapes.

 

 

 

But the king wanted to plant a garden of herbs next to the palace so he asked Naboth for his property, I will give you a better vineyard, he said.

 

 

 

 

 

Naboth said, God forbid that I give you the inheritance given to my fathers by the Lord.

The king was very unhappy at this and went and lay down on his bed and turned his face away and wouldn’t eat.

 

 

His wife Jezebel came and asked, Why are you so sad?

 

 

 

 

When he told her she said, Aren’t you the king of Israel? Don’t you have all the power? Get up and eat. I will get you this vineyard.

 

 

 

So queen Jezebel sent men to lie about Naboth and say he did a very bad thing, so the people of the city threw rocks at him until he was dead. Then Ahab took the vineyard for his own.

 

 

So the Lord sent Elijah to tell the Lord’s word about this bad thing the queen and king had done to a man who had done nothing wrong.

 

 

Elijah said to Ahab, This is what the Lord says to you, Have you killed and taken for your own Naboth’s property?

 

 

Because you sold yourself to do many bad things from the bad one, I will bring much bad on you. The same thing you did to him, I will do to you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the king heard this, he tore his clothes and ate no food and got very quiet in his heart before God.

Then the Lord God said to Elijah, Do you see how Ahab has made himself small and quieted himself to listen to me? Because he did this I will let him finish his days and bring the bad to his house later.