1 Kings 21-22

Complete Jewish Bible

21 A while later, an incident occurred involving Navot the Yizre‘eli. He owned a vineyard in Yizre‘el, right next to the palace of Ach’av king of Shomron. ² Ach’av spoke to Navot and said, “Give me your vineyard, so that I can have it as my vegetable garden, because it’s close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard; or, if you prefer, I will give you its monetary value.” ³ But Navot said to Ach’av, “Adonai forbid that I should give you my ancestral heritage!” ⁴ Ach’av went home resentful and depressed at what Navot the Yizre‘eli had said to him, since he had said, “I won’t give you my ancestral heritage.” He lay down on his bed, turned his face away and refused to eat. ⁵ Izevel his wife went and said to him, “Why are you so depressed that you refuse to eat?” ⁶ He answered her, “Because I spoke to Navot the Yizre‘eli and said to him, “Sell me your vineyard for money; or else, if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard for it”; but he answered, “I won’t give you my vineyard.” ⁷ “Are you the king of Isra’el or not?” asked his wife Izevel. “Get up, eat some food, and cheer up! I will give you the vineyard of Navot the Yizre‘eli.”

⁸ So she wrote letters in Ach’av’s name, sealed them with his seal and sent the letters to the leaders and notables of the city where Navot lived. ⁹ In the letters she wrote, “Proclaim a fast, and give Navot the seat of honor among the people. ¹⁰ Have two good-for-nothing men sit opposite him, and have them accuse him publicly of cursing God and the king. Then take him outside and stone him to death.”

¹¹ The leaders and notables of the city he lived in did as Izevel had written in the letters she sent to them. ¹² They proclaimed a fast and gave Navot the seat of honor among the people. ¹³ The two good-for-nothing men came in and sat opposite him, and these scoundrels publicly accused Navot, saying, “Navot cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death, ¹⁴ then sent a message to Izevel, “Navot has been stoned to death.”

¹⁵ When Izevel heard that Navot had been stoned to death, she said to Ach’av, “Get up, and take possession of the vineyard that Navot the Yizre‘eli refused to sell you, because Navot is no longer alive; he is dead.” ¹⁶ When Ach’av heard that Navot was dead, he set out to go down to the vineyard of Navot the Yizre‘eli, to take possession of it.

¹⁷ But the word of Adonai came to Eliyahu from Tishbe: ¹⁸ “Get up, go down to meet Ach’av king of Isra’el, who lives in Shomron. Right now he is in the vineyard of Navot; he has gone down there to take possession of it. ¹⁹ This is what you are to say to him: ‘Here is what Adonai says: “You have committed murder, and now you are stealing the victim’s property!” ’ Also say to him, ‘Here is what Adonai says: “In the very place where dogs licked up the blood of Navot, dogs will lick up your blood — yours!” ’”

²⁰ Ach’av said to Eliyahu, “My enemy! You’ve found me!” He answered, “Yes, I have found you; because you have given yourself over to do what is evil from Adonai’s perspective. ²¹ ‘Here,’ [says Adonai,] ‘I am bringing disaster on you! I will sweep you away completely; I will cut off from Ach’av every male, whether a slave or free in Isra’el. ²² I will make your house like the house of Yarov‘am the son of N’vat and like the house of Ba‘sha the son of Achiyah for provoking my anger and leading Isra’el into sin.’ ²³ Adonai also said this about Izevel: ‘The dogs will eat Izevel by the wall around Yizre‘el. ²⁴ If someone from the line of Ach’av dies in the city, the dogs will eat him; if he dies in the countryside, the vultures will eat him.’”

²⁵ Truly, there was never anyone like Ach’av. Stirred up by his wife Izevel, he gave himself over to do what is evil from Adonai’s perspective. ²⁶ His behavior in following idols was grossly abominable; he did everything the Emori had done, whom Adonai expelled ahead of the people of Isra’el.

²⁷ Ach’av, on hearing these words, tore his clothes, put sackcloth on himself and fasted. He slept in the sackcloth and went about dejectedly. ²⁸ Then the word of Adonai came to Eliyahu from Tishbe: ²⁹ “Do you see how Ach’av has humbled himself before me? Since he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring this evil during his lifetime; but during his son’s lifetime I will bring the evil on his house.”

22 For three years there was no war between Aram and Isra’el. ² Then, in the third year, Y’hoshafat the king of Y’hudah came down to the king of Isra’el. ³ The king of Isra’el said to his servants, “Are you aware that Ramot-Gil‘ad belongs to us; yet, we’re doing nothing to recover it from the king of Aram?” ⁴ He said to Y’hoshafat, “Will you go with me to attack Ramot-Gil‘ad?” Y’hoshafat answered the king of Isra’el, “I’m with you all the way; think of my troops and horses as yours.” ⁵ But Y’hoshafat said to the king of Isra’el, “First, we should seek the word of Adonai.”

⁶ So the king of Isra’el assembled the prophets, about 400 men. “Should I attack Ramot-Gil‘ad?” he asked them, “Or should I hold off?” They said, “Attack! Adonai will hand it over to the king.” ⁷ But Y’hoshafat said, “Besides these, isn’t there a prophet of Adonai here that we can consult?” ⁸ The king of Isra’el said to Y’hoshafat, “Yes, there is still one man through whom we can consult Adonai, Mikhay’hu the son of Yimlah; but I hate him, because he doesn’t prophesy good things for me, but bad!” Y’hoshafat replied, “The king shouldn’t say such a thing.”

⁹ Then the king of Isra’el called an officer and said, “Quickly! Bring Mikhay’hu the son of Yimlah.” ¹⁰ Now the king of Isra’el and Y’hoshafat the king of Y’hudah were each sitting on his throne, dressed in their royal robes, on a threshing-floor at the entrance to the gate of Shomron; and all the prophets were there, prophesying in their presence. ¹¹ Tzidkiyah the son of Kena‘anah had made himself some horns out of iron and said, “This is what Adonai says: ‘With these you will gore Aram until they are destroyed.’” ¹² All the prophets prophesied the same thing: “Go up and attack Ramot-Gil‘ad. You will succeed, for Adonai will hand it over to the king.”

¹³ The messenger who had gone to call Mikhay’hu said to him, “Here, now, the prophets are unanimously predicting success for the king. Please let your word be like the word of one of them — say something good.” ¹⁴ But Mikhay’hu answered, “As Adonai lives, whatever Adonai says to me is what I will say.”

¹⁵ When he reached the king, the king asked him, “Mikhay’hu, should we go up and attack Ramot-Gil‘ad; or should we hold off?” He answered, “Go up, you will succeed, Adonai will hand it over to the king.” ¹⁶ The king said to him, “How many times do I have to warn you to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of Adonai?” ¹⁷ Then he said, “I saw all Isra’el scattered over the hills like sheep without a shepherd; and Adonai said, ‘These men have no leader; let everyone go home in peace.’” ¹⁸ The king of Isra’el said to Y’hoshafat, “Didn’t I tell you that he wouldn’t prophesy good things about me, but bad?”

¹⁹ Mikhay’hu continued: “Therefore hear the word of Adonai. I saw Adonai sitting on his throne with the whole army of heaven standing by him on his right and on his left. ²⁰ Adonai asked, ‘Who will entice Ach’av to go up to his death at Ramot-Gil‘ad?’ One of them said, ‘Do it this way,’ and another, ‘Do it that way.’ ²¹ Then a spirit stepped up, stood in front of Adonai and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ²² Adonai asked, ‘How?’ and he answered, ‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ Adonai said, ‘You will succeed in enticing him. Go, and do it.’ ²³ So now Adonai has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours; meanwhile, Adonai has ordained disaster for you.”

²⁴ Then Tzidkiyah the son of Kena‘anah came up, slapped Mikhay’hu in the face and said, “And how did the Spirit of Adonai leave me to speak to you?” ²⁵ Mikhay’hu said, “You’ll find out the day you go into an inside room, trying to hide.”

²⁶ The king of Isra’el said, “Seize Mikhay’hu, and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and Yo’ash the king’s son. ²⁷ Say, ‘The king says to put this man in prison; and feed him only bread and water, and not much of that, until I return in peace.’” ²⁸ Mikhay’hu said, “If you return in peace at all, Adonai has not spoken through me!” Then he added, “Did you hear me, you peoples, all of you?”

²⁹ So the king of Isra’el and Y’hoshafat the king of Y’hudah went up to Ramot-Gil‘ad. ³⁰ The king of Isra’el said to Y’hoshafat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle; but you, put on your robes.” So the king of Isra’el disguised himself and went into battle. ³¹ Now the king of Aram had ordered the thirty-two chariot commanders, “Don’t attack anyone of either high or low rank, only the king of Isra’el.” ³² So when the chariot commanders saw Y’hoshafat they said, “This must be the king of Isra’el,” and turned to attack him. But Y’hoshafat gave a yell, ³³ so that the chariot commanders saw that he wasn’t the king of Isra’el and stopped pursuing him. ³⁴ However, one soldier shot an arrow at random and struck the king of Isra’el between his lower armor and his breastplate. So the king said to his chariot-driver, “Turn the reins, and take me out of the fighting; I’m collapsing from my wounds.” ³⁵ But the fighting grew fiercer that day; and they propped the king upright in his chariot facing Aram until he died, in the evening, with the blood streaming from his wound onto the floor of the chariot. ³⁶ Around sundown, a cry spread through the ranks: “Every man to his own town! Every man to his own land!” ³⁷ So the king died and was brought to Shomron, and they buried the king in Shomron. ³⁸ They washed the chariot at the Pool of Shomron where the prostitutes bathed, and the dogs licked up his blood, in keeping with the word Adonai had spoken.

³⁹ Other activities of Ach’av’s reign, all his accomplishments, the ivory palace he built and all the cities he built are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra’el. ⁴⁰ So Ach’av slept with his ancestors, and Achazyah his son became king in his place.

⁴¹ Y’hoshafat the son of Asa began his reign over Y’hudah in the fourth year of Ach’av king of Isra’el. ⁴² Y’hoshafat was thirty-five years old when he began to rule, and he ruled twenty-five years in Yerushalayim. His mother’s name was ‘Azuvah the daughter of Shilchi.

⁴³ He lived in the manner of Asa his father and did not turn away from it, doing what was right from Adonai’s perspective; ^44 (43b) although the high places were not taken away — the people still sacrificed and presented offerings on the high places.

^45 (44) Y’hoshafat made peace with the king of Isra’el.

^46 (45) Other activities of Y’hoshafat, all his power that he demonstrated and how he made war are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y’hudah.

^47 (46) He rid the land of the male and female cult-prostitutes remaining from the time of his father Asa.

^48 (47) There had previously been no king in Edom, but now a deputy was made king.

^49 (48) Y’hoshafat built some large “Tarshish” ships to go to Ofir for gold, but they didn’t make the voyage, because they were wrecked at ‘Etzyon-Gever. ^50 (49) Achazyah the son of Ach’av suggested to Y’hoshafat that his men should go to sea with Y’hoshafat’s men, but Y’hoshafat would not agree.

^51 (50) So Y’hoshafat slept with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David his ancestor, and Y’horam his son became king in his place.

^52 (51) Achazyah the son of Ach’av began his reign over Isra’el in Shomron in the seventeenth year of Y’hoshafat king of Y’hudah, and he ruled two years over Isra’el. ^53 (52) He did what was evil from Adonai’s perspective, living in the manner of his father, his mother and Yarov‘am the son of N’vat, by which he led Isra’el into sin. ^54 (53) He also served Ba‘al and worshipped him; and he made Adonai the God of Isra’el angry, in keeping with everything his father had done.