21:8 She wrote out orders, 3 signed Ahab’s name to them, 4 and sealed them with his seal. She then sent the orders 5 to the leaders 6 and to the nobles who lived in Naboth’s city. 7 21:9 This is what she wrote: 8 “Observe a time of fasting and seat Naboth in front of the people. 21:10 Also seat two villains opposite him and have them testify, ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
21:11 The men of the 9 city, the leaders 10 and the nobles who lived there, 11 followed the written orders Jezebel had sent them. 12 21:12 They observed a time of fasting and put Naboth in front of the people. 21:13 The two villains arrived and sat opposite him. Then the villains testified against Naboth right before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they dragged him 13 outside the city and stoned him to death. 14 21:14 Then they reported to Jezebel, “Naboth has been stoned to death.” 15
21:15 When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she 16 said to Ahab, “Get up, take possession of the vineyard Naboth the Jezreelite refused to sell you for silver, for Naboth is no longer alive; he’s dead.” 21:16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, 17 he got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
21:17 The Lord told Elijah the Tishbite: 18 21:18 “Get up, go down and meet King Ahab of Israel who lives in Samaria. He is at the vineyard of Naboth; he has gone down there to take possession of it. 21:19 Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Haven’t you committed murder and taken possession of the property of the deceased?”’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “In the spot where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood they will also lick up your blood – yes, yours!”’”
1 tn Heb “You, now, you are exercising kingship over Israel.”
2 tn Heb “so your heart [i.e., disposition] might be well.”
3 tn Heb “scrolls.”
4 tn Heb “in the name of Ahab.”
5 tn Heb “scrolls.”
6 tn Heb “elders.”
7 tn Heb “to the nobles who were in his city, the ones who lived with Naboth.”
8 tn Heb “she wrote on the scrolls, saying.”
9 tn Heb “his.”
10 tn Heb “elders.”
11 tn Heb “and the nobles who were living in his city.”
12 tn Heb “did as Jezebel sent to them, just as was written in the scrolls which she sent to them.”
13 tn Heb “led him.”
14 tn Heb “and they stoned him with stones and he died.”
15 tn Heb “Naboth was stoned and he died.” So also in v. 15.
16 tn Heb “Jezebel”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“she”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
17 tc The Old Greek translation includes the following words here: “he tore his garments and put on sackcloth. After these things.”
18 tn Heb “the word of the