Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Baboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, does to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
Ahab said to Baboth,"Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth. "
But Naboth replied, "The LORD forbid that O sgould give you the inheritance of my fathers."
So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezerelite had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.
His wife Jezelite had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers," He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.
His answered her, "Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite," Sell me your vineyard or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place. Bt he said, "I will not give You my vineyard."
Jezebel his wife said, "Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I'll get you thje vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite,"
Si she wrote letters in Ahab's name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city with him.
In those letters sje wrote." Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people
But seal two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death."
So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city did as Jesebel directed in the letters she had written to them.
They pro claimed a fast and searated Naboth in a prominent place among the people.
Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, "Naboth has cursed both God and the king," So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.
Then they sent word to Jeebel: "Naboth has been stoned and is dead."
As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab "Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead."
When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take posssession of Naboth's vineyard
Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite.
"Go down to meet Ahab king oF Israel, who rulers in Samaria. He is now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it.
Say to him, This is what the LORD says. Have younot murdered a man and seized his property?" hen say to him, "This is what the LORD says. In the place where dogs licked up Nanoth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood-yes,yours!"
Ahab said to Elijah,"So you have foundme, my enemy!""I have found you,"he answered,"because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD.
I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descentants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel- slave or free.
I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah. because you have procoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin."
"And also concerning Jeebel the LORD says: "Dogs will devour Jesebel by the wall of Jezeel."
"Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in thec ity , and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country."
(There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife
He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the LORD drove out before Israel.)
When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted, He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly
Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite;
Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son."
1Kings 22
For three years there was no war between Aram and israel.
But in the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to see the king of Israel.
The king of Israel had said to his officials,"Don'y you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us and yet we are doing nothing to retake it from the king of Aram?"
So he asked Jehoshaphat,"Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel,"I am as you are, mu people as your people, my horses as your horses."
But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel. "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."
But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel,"First seek the counsel of the LORD."
So the king of Israel brought together the prophets-about four hundred men- and asked them,"Shall I go tow ar against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?""Go" they answered,"For the Lord will give it into the king's hand."
The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat,"There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad , He is Micaiah son of Imlah."
So the king of israel called one of his officials and said,"Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once."
Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at thet hreshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them.
Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns and he declared,"This is what the LORD says: With these you will gone the Arameans until theya re destroyed."
All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing,"Attack Ramoth Gilead and be vivtorious," they said, "for the LORD will give into the king's hand."
The messenger who had goneto summon Micaiah said to him."Look , asone man the other prophets are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably."
But Micaiah said,"As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what the LORD tells me,"
When he arrived, the king asked him, "Micaiah, shall we go tow ar against Ra,moth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" "Attack and be victorious," he answerd "for theLORD will give it into the king's hand."
The king said to him,"How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?"
Then Micaiah answered,"I saw all Isrel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the LORD said, "These people have no master, Let each one go home in peace,:
The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat "Didn't I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?"
Micaiah continued,"Therefore hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left.
And the LORD said, Who will entive Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?" "One suggested this, and another that.
Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, I will entice him.
"By what means? the LORD asked."I will go out and be a lying spirit in tje mouths of all his prophets. he said."You will succeed in enticing him, said the LORD,Go and do it.
"So now the nLORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you."
Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in thef ace. "Which way did the spirit from the LORD go when he went from me to speak to you?" he asked.
Micaiah replied,"You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room,"
The king of Israel then ordered,"Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king's son
and say,"This is what the king says; Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely."
Micaiah declared,"If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me." Then hea dded,"Mark my words, all you people!"
So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.
The king of Israel said to Jehoshapht, "I will enter the abttle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes," So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders,"Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel."
When the chariot commandrs saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, "Surely this is the king of Israel." So they turned to attack him. but when Jehoshapht cried out.
the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel ands topped pursuing him.
But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor. The king told his chariot driver,"Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I've been wounded.
All day long the battle raged, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died.
As the nsun was setting , a cry spread through the army: "Every man to his town, everyone to his land!"
So the king died and was brought to Samaria , and they buried him there.
They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria(Where the prostitutes bathed). and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of the LORD had declared.
As for the other events of Ahab's reign including all he did, the paace he built and inlaid with ivory, and teh cities he fortified,a re they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of isarael?
Ahab rested with his fathers , And Ahaziah hisn son succeeded him asking.
Jehoshapht son of Asa became king of Judahn in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel
Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king ,and her eigned in jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shihi.
In everything he walked in thew ays of his father Asa and did notnstrayn from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.The high places, however, were not removed and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
Jehoshapht was also at peace with the king of Israel
As for the other events of Jehoshaphat 's reign, the things he acjieved and his miltary.exploits ,are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?
He rid the land ofm the rest of thenmaleshrine prostitutes who remained there even after the rign of his father Asa'
There was then no king in Edom; a deputy ruled,
Now Jehoshaphat built a fleet of trading ship to go to Pphir for gold , but they never set sail- they were wrecked at Ezion Geber.
At that time Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat,"Let my men sail with your men," but Jehoshaphat refused.
Then Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of David his father. And Jehoram his son succeeded him
Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Hehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years.
He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, because he walked in the ways of his father and mother and in the ways of Jeroboam son of Bevat, who caused Israel to sin.
He served and worshhiped Baal and provoked the LORD , the God of Israel, to anger, just as his father had done.