One day Ahab said to Naboth, "Give me your vineyard that is near my palace. I want to make it a vegetable garden. I will give you a better vineyard in its place. Or, if you prefer, I will pay you for it."
So Ahab went home angry and upset because Naboth told him, "I will not give you my family's land." Ahab went to bed, turned away from everyone, and refused to eat.
Ahab answered, "I asked Naboth from Jezreel to give me his vineyard. I told him that I would pay him the full price. Or, if he preferred, I would give him another vineyard. But Naboth refused to give it to me."
Jezebel answered, "But you are the king over Israel! Get out of bed and eat something, and you will feel better. I will get Naboth's vineyard for you."
Then Jezebel wrote some letters. She signed Ahab's name to them and used his seal to seal the letters. Then she sent them to the elders and important men who lived in the same town as Naboth.
This is what the letter said: "Announce that there will be a day of fasting when the people will eat nothing. Then call all the people of the town together for a meeting. At the meeting we will talk about Naboth.
Find some men who will tell lies about Naboth. They should say that they heard Naboth speak against the king and against God. Then take Naboth out of the city and kill him with stones."
The leaders announced that there would be a day when all the people would eat nothing. On that day they called all the people together for a meeting. They put Naboth in a special place before the people.
Then two men told the people that they heard Naboth speak against God and the king. So the people carried Naboth out of the city and killed him with stones.
Tell Ahab that I, the Lord, say to him, 'Ahab! You killed the man Naboth and now you are taking his land. I tell you this: Where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, they will lick up your blood as well.'"
So Elijah went to Ahab. When Ahab saw him, he said, "Well, my enemy has found me again!" Elijah answered, "Yes, I found you, because you have again sold yourself out to do what the Lord says is evil.
I will destroy your family just as I destroyed the families of King Jeroboam son of Nebat and King Baasha. I will do this to you because you have made me angry and you have caused the Israelites to sin.'
So Ahab sold himself out to do what the Lord says is evil. There is no one who did as much evil as Ahab and his wife Jezebel, who caused him to do these things.
Ahab committed the very bad sin of worshiping those filthy idols, just as the Amorites did. And that is why the Lord took the land from them and gave it to the Israelites.
When Ahab heard what Elijah said, he tore his clothes to show how sad he was. Then he put on sackcloth and refused to eat. He even slept in these clothes. He was very sad and upset.
"Look, Ahab has humbled himself before me. So I will not make that disaster happen during his lifetime. I will wait until his son is king. Then I will destroy his family."