Jezebel Has Naboth Killed
1 Naboth owned a vineyard in Jezreel near King Ahab's palace.
2 One day, Ahab said, “Naboth, your vineyard is near my palace. Give it to me so I can turn it into a vegetable garden. I'll give you a better vineyard or pay whatever you want for yours.”
3 Naboth answered, “This vineyard has always been in my family. I won't let you have it.”
4 So Ahab went home, angry and depressed because of what Naboth had told him. He lay on his bed, just staring at the wall and refusing to eat a thing.
5 Jezebel his wife came in and asked, “What's wrong? Why won't you eat?”
6 “I asked Naboth to sell me his vineyard or to let me give him a better one,” Ahab replied. “And he told me I couldn't have it.”
7 “Aren't you the king of Israel?” Jezebel asked. “Get out of bed and eat something! Don't worry, I'll get Naboth's vineyard for you.”
8-10 Jezebel wrote a letter to each of the leaders of the town where Naboth lived. In the letters she said:
Call everyone together and tell them to go without eating today. When they come together, give Naboth a seat at the front. Get two liars to sit facing him and swear that Naboth has cursed God and the king. Then take Naboth outside and stone him to death!
She signed Ahab's name to the letters and sealed them with his seal. Then she sent them to the town leaders.
11 After receiving her letters, they did exactly what she had asked. 12 They told the people that it was a day to go without eating, and when they all came together, they seated Naboth at the front. 13 The two liars came in and sat across from Naboth. Then they accused him of cursing God and the king, so the people dragged Naboth outside and stoned him to death.
14 The leaders of Jezreel sent a message back to Jezebel that said, “Naboth is dead.”
15 As soon as Jezebel got their message, she told Ahab, “Now you can have the vineyard Naboth refused to sell. He's dead.” 16 Ahab got up and went to take over the vineyard.
Elijah Condemns Ahab
17 The Lord said to Elijah the prophet, 18 “King Ahab of Israel is in Naboth's vineyard right now, taking it over. 19 Go tell him that I say, ‘Ahab, you murdered Naboth and took his property. And so, in the very spot where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, they will lick up your blood.’ ”
When Elijah found him, 20 Ahab said, “So, my enemy, you found me at last.”
Elijah answered:
Yes, I did! Ahab, you have managed to do everything the Lord hates. 21 Now you will be punished. You and every man and boy in your family will die, whether slave or free. 22 Your whole family will be wiped out, just like the families of King Jeroboam and King Baasha. You've made the Lord very angry by sinning and causing the Israelites to sin.
23 And as for Jezebel, dogs will eat her body there in Jezreel. 24 Dogs will also eat the bodies of your relatives who die in town, and vultures will eat the bodies of those who die in the country.
25-29 When Ahab heard this, he tore his clothes in sorrow and wore sackcloth day and night. He was depressed and refused to eat.
Some time later, the Lord said, “Elijah, do you see how sorry Ahab is for what he did? I won't punish his family while he is still alive. I'll wait until his son is king.”
No one was more determined than Ahab to disobey the Lord. And Jezebel encouraged him. Worst of all, he had worshiped idols, just as the Amorites had done before the Lord forced them out of the land and gave it to Israel.
Otjikunino tjomivite tja Nabot
1 Popezu nondjuwo youhona ya Ahab, ombara ya Samaria, motjihuro tja Jesreel mwa ri otjikunino tjomivite tjomurumendu wena Nabot. 2 Noruveze rworive Ahab wa tja nai ku Nabot: “Ndji pao otjikunino tjoye tjomivite, mbi ise po otjikunino tjandje tjovihape, orondu otjo tji ri meṋe yondjuwo yandje youhona. Ami me ku pe mo otjikunino tjarwe tjomivite otjiwa pu tjo poo ove tji movanga me ku sutu mo otjimariva tjonḓengu yatjo.”
3 Nabot wa zira na tja: “otjikunino tjomivite hi mbe tji rumata kootate. Muhona we ndji tjaera kutja e he tji yandja kove.”
4 Ahab arire tja yaruka koye nomunyengwatima nomapindi mena romambo wa Nabot nga hungira ku ye. Eye wa rangavara kotjiraro tje a tara mekuma rondjuwo, nu ka rire ovikurya. 5 Omukazendu we Isebel ope era ku ye ne mu pura a tja: “Wa nyengwa tjike tji u hi nokurya?”
6 Ahab wa zira a tja: “Mba nyengwa omambo wa Nabot nga hungire ku ami. Ami mba ningire okuranda otjikunino tje tjomivite poo tji ma vanga mbi mu pe mo tjarwe; nungwari eye wa rurupara.”
7 Isebel wa zira a tja: “Kaove ngu u ri ombara are? Penduka, kara nomutima omuwa nu u rye ovikurya! Ami me ku kamburire otjikunino tja Nabot!”
8 Isebel wa tjanga otutuu mena ra Ahab, na twako otjihako tja Ahab, ne tu hindi kovahongore na kovaingona mba tura mOjesreel. 9 Otutuu twi twa tja nai: “Zuvariseye eyuva rokuritjaera kovikurya, woronganiseye otjiwaṋa, nu haamiseye Nabot poṋa pondengero. 10 Eteye ovandu vevari ovanahanḓu mbu mave mu kuminine kutja wa yamburura Ndjambi nombara. Tjazumba mu pitiseye motjihuro mu kemuzepe nomawe.”
11 Ovahongore novaingona mba turire mOjesreel va tjita otja Isebel pa rakiza. 12 Owo va zuvarisa eyuva rokuritjaera kovikurya, ave woronganisa otjiwaṋa nave haamisa Nabot poruveze rwondengero. 13 Imba ovanahanḓu vevari ve mu kuminina komurungu wotjiwaṋa kutja eye wa yamburura Ndjambi nombara; nu Nabot opa pitisirwa motjihuro na kaṱa nomawe. 14 Nowo va hinda ombuze ku Isebel yokutja Nabot wa ṱu.
15 Isebel tja za nokuzuva ombuze ndji, wa tja nai ku Ahab: “Nabot wa ṱu. Nambano twende u kakambure otjikunino tjomivite, ihi tja panḓa okurandisa kove tji rire otjoye.” 16 Mokamanga Ahab otja ya kotjikunino tjomivite tja Nabot okukaisa po otje.
17 Muhona wa tja nai komuprofete Elia wa Tisbe: 18 “Twende kombara Ahab wa Samaria. Mo mu vaza motjikunino tjomivite tja Nabot ama vanga okuisapo otje. 19 Mu raera kutja ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, me tja nai ku ye: ‘Tji wa zu nokuzepa omurumendu ngwi, mo kambura ouini we wina are?’ Mu raera kutja ami me tja nai: ‘poṋa tjingepo ozombwa pu za rasere ombinḓu ya Nabot opunga amaze rasere ombinḓu yoye wina!’ ”
20 Ahab tja muna Elia, we mu zira a tja: “We ndji munu are, munavita na ami?”
Elia we mu zira a tja: “Ii, mbe ku munu. Ove we riyandja kokutjita imbi mbi hi nokutjata ku Muhona. 21 Muhona opu ma tjere nai kove: ‘Ami me eta oviwonga kombanda yoye. Me isa po ove nomuvena auhe meṱunḓu roye, omutanda nomukururume wina. 22 Eṱunḓu roye mari sana ku indi rombara Jerobeam, omuzandu wa Nebat, na indi rombara Basa, omuzandu wa Ahija, tjinga awe ndji pindikisa tjinene no turisa Ovaisrael ondjo.’ 23 Nu ohunga na Isebel Muhona ma tja na: Ozombwa maze rire orurova rwe motjihuro tja Jesreel. 24 Nu auhe wovazamumwe voye ngu ma kokere motjihuro, ma riwa i ozombwa, nu auhe ngu ma kokere mokuti, ma riwa i ozonguvi.”
25 Kape na umwe warwe ngwe riyandjere okutjita ouvi oparukaze nai momurungu wa Muhona otja Ahab, tjinga a pukisirwa ko i omukazendu we Isebel. 26 Ahab wa tjita ourunde ounene wohoṋi mokukarera oomukuru vovisenginina, Ovaamori punga aave tjiti, imba Muhona mba ramba mehi, Ovaisrael tji ve ya.
27 Elia tja mana okuhungira, Ahab wa nyondorora ozombanda ze, ne ze hukura na zara ekutu. Eye wa panḓa okurya na rara mekutu na ryanga e nondjenda.
28 Muhona wa tja nai komuprofete Elia: 29 “Ko mwine Ahab tje risusuparisa komurungu wandje are? Eye tjinga a tjiti nai, ami hi nokueta otjiwonga kombanda ye ngunda e nomuinyo, nungwari me eta otjiwonga keṱunḓu ra Ahab momayuva wouhona womuzandu we.”
