Naboth's Vineyard
1 Near King Ahab's palace in Jezreel there was a vineyard owned by a man named Naboth. 2 One day Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard; it is close to my palace, and I want to use the land for a vegetable garden. I will give you a better vineyard for it or, if you prefer, I will pay you a fair price.”
3 “I inherited this vineyard from my ancestors,” Naboth replied. “The Lord forbid that I should let you have it!”
4 Ahab went home, depressed and angry over what Naboth had said to him. He lay down on his bed, facing the wall, and would not eat. 5 His wife Jezebel went to him and asked, “Why are you so depressed? Why won't you eat?”
6 He answered, “Because of what Naboth said to me. I offered to buy his vineyard or, if he preferred, to give him another one for it, but he told me that I couldn't have it!”
7 “Well, are you the king or aren't you?” Jezebel replied. “Get out of bed, cheer up, and eat. I will get you Naboth's vineyard!”
8 Then she wrote some letters, signed Ahab's name to them, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the officials and leading citizens of Jezreel. 9 The letters said: “Proclaim a day of fasting, call the people together, and give Naboth the place of honor. 10 Get a couple of scoundrels to accuse him to his face of cursing God and the king. Then take him out of the city and stone him to death.”
11 The officials and leading citizens of Jezreel did what Jezebel had commanded. 12 They proclaimed a day of fasting, called the people together, and gave Naboth the place of honor. 13 The two scoundrels publicly accused him of cursing God and the king, and so he was taken outside the city and stoned to death. 14 The message was sent to Jezebel: “Naboth has been put to death.”
15 As soon as Jezebel received the message, she said to Ahab, “Naboth is dead. Now go and take possession of the vineyard which he refused to sell to you.” 16 At once Ahab went to the vineyard to take possession of it.
17 Then the Lord said to Elijah, the prophet from Tishbe, 18 “Go to King Ahab of Samaria. You will find him in Naboth's vineyard, about to take possession of it. 19 Tell him that I, the Lord, say to him, ‘After murdering the man, are you taking over his property as well?’ Tell him that this is what I say: ‘In the very place that the dogs licked up Naboth's blood they will lick up your blood!’”
20 When Ahab saw Elijah, he said, “Have you caught up with me, my enemy?”
“Yes, I have,” Elijah answered. “You have devoted yourself completely to doing what is wrong in the Lord's sight. 21 So the Lord says to you, ‘I will bring disaster on you. I will do away with you and get rid of every male in your family, young and old alike. 22 Your family will become like the family of King Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the family of King Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have stirred up my anger by leading Israel into sin.’ 23 And concerning Jezebel, the Lord says that dogs will eat her body in the city of Jezreel. 24 Any of your relatives who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and any who die in the open country will be eaten by vultures.”
( 25 There was no one else who had devoted himself so completely to doing wrong in the Lord's sight as Ahab—all at the urging of his wife Jezebel. 26 He committed the most shameful sins by worshiping idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the Lord had driven out of the land as the people of Israel advanced.)
27 When Elijah finished speaking, Ahab tore his clothes, took them off, and put on sackcloth. He refused food, slept in the sackcloth, and went about gloomy and depressed.
28 The Lord said to the prophet Elijah, 29 “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Since he has done this, I will not bring disaster on him during his lifetime; it will be during his son's lifetime that I will bring disaster on Ahab's family.”
Nabot ta dipaelwa epya lomiviinyu
1 Ndele konima yoinima ei pa ningwa, Nabot, Omujisreel, okwa li e noshikokola shomiviinyu muJisreel, sha shaama nongulu youhamba waAhab, ohamba yaSamaria. 2 Ndele Ahab okwa popya naNabot ndele ta ti: “Pe nge oshikokola shoye shomiviinyu, shi ninge oshikunino shange sheembidi, osheshi sho shi li popepi nongulu yange youhamba. Ame ohandi ku pe oshikokola shomiviinyu shi dule osho, ile ngeenge wa hala, handi ku pe oimaliwa, ye shi yeleka.” 3 Ndelenee Nabot ta ti kuAhab: “Omwene na amene nge oku ku pa efyuululo lootate!” 4 Opo nee Ahab e uya keumbo laye e nomwenyo mwii nehandu omolwondjovo yaNabot, Omujisreel, oyo e i popya naye, nokutya: Ihandi dulu oku ku pa efyuululo lootate. Nokwa ka nangala mombete yaye, okwa pungulula oshipala shaye ndele ina lya omungome. 5 Opo nee omwalikadi waye, Isabel, te uya kuye ndele ta ti kuye: “Omolwashike wa ninga omwenyo mwii, nomolwashike ito li omungome?” 6 Nokwe mu nyamukula, ta ti: “Shaashi nda popya naNabot, Omujisreel, ndele nde mu lombwela: ‘Pe nge oshikokola shoye shomiviinyu, ndi shi lande noimaliwa, ile ngeenge wa hala, ame handi ku pe oshikokola shomiviinyu ponhele yasho.’ Ndelenee ye okwa nyamukula: ‘Ame itandi ku pe oshikokola shange shomiviinyu.’ ” 7 Opo nee omwalikadi waye, Isabel, ta ti kuye: “Haave mbela ho pangele Israel ngaashi ohamba? Penduka, lya omungome, nomwenyo woye nau hafe. Ame ohandi ke ku pa oshikokola shomiviinyu shaNabot, Omujisreel.” 8 Opo nee ye a shanga onhumwafo medina laAhab nokwe i hakifa noshihako shaye nokwa tuma onhumwafo kovakulunhu novanamadina vomoshilando shaNabot, ndele va kala pamwe naNabot. 9 Ndele monhumwafo okwa shanga ngaha: “Ingideni efiku lelidiliko, naNabot na kale omutumba komesho mokati kovanhu. 10 Novalumenhu vavali ovakolokoshi nava kale omutumba ve mu taalela, ve mu pwilikine noku mu lundila, va tye: ‘Ove wa tuka Kalunga nohamba!’ Nye mu mu pitife ndele mu ke mu dipaife nomamanya.” 11 Ovalumenhu vomoshilando shavo, ovakulunhu novanamadina, ovo va li moshilando shaye, va ninga ngaashi Isabel e va lombwela, ngaashi sha shangelwa monhumwafo e i va tumina. 12 Ova ingida efiku lelidiliko, ndele va kaleka Nabot omutumba komesho mokati kavo. 13 Opo nee ovalumenhu venya ovakolokoshi vavali, va kala omutumba moipafi yaye. Novakolokoshi ova hepaulula nokuhokololifa Nabot moipafi yovanhu, ndele tava ti: “Nabot okwa tuka Kalunga nohamba.” Opo nee ve mu twala pondje yoshilando ndele ve mu denga nomamanya nde ta fi. 14 Opo nee va shiivifila Isabel tava ti: Nabot a dengwa nomamanya nokwa fya.
15 Isabel eshi a uda nokutya: “Nabot okwa dipawa nomamanya nokwa fya,” Isabel ta ti kuAhab: “Penduka, kufa oshikokola shomiviinyu shaNabot, Omujisreel, osho ye e shi ku anyena oku ku pa noimaliwa. Osheshi Nabot ke nomwenyo, okwa fya.” 16 Eshi a uda nokutya, Nabot okwa fya, Ahab a penduka ndele ta i koshikokola shomiviinyu shaNabot, Omujisreel, e shi nangale. 17 Ndelenee ondjovo yOmwene ye uya kuElia, Omutisbi, ndele tai ti: 18 “Fikama, inda u ka shakeneke Ahab, ohamba yaIsrael, yo i li muSamaria. Tala, oku li moshikokola shomiviinyu shaNabot, oko a ya e ke shi nangale. 19 Ndele u nokupopya naye u tye: ‘Omwene ta ti ngaha: “Ove wa dipaa ndele wa kufa efyuululo?” ’ U noku mu lombwela vali u tye: ‘Omwene ta ti ngaha: “Monhele tuu oyo eembwa da lafa ohonde yaNabot, eembwa tadi ka lafa yo ohonde yoye mwene.” ’ ” 20 Opo nee Ahab ta ti kuElia: “Omutondadi wange ove, wa hanga nge nokuli mboli?” Ye okwa nyamukula: “Heeno, onde ku hanga nokuli. Osheshi ove we lilandifa po u ninge osho inashi yuka momesho Omwene! 21 Tala, Ame ohandi ku tumine omupya ndele handi ku kombo po ndele handi ka hanauna po sheke muIsrael oludalo alishe laAhab ovalumenhu. 22 Naame ohandi ka ninga eumbo loye ngaashi eumbo laJerobeam yaNebat, nongaashi eumbo laBaasha yaAhia, osheshi wa handukifa nge ndele wa hongaula Ovaisraeli okunyona. 23 Heeno, mokupopya Isabel, Omwene ta ti: ‘Eembwa tadi ka lya Isabel pohotekuma yomuJisreel.’ 24 Ndele ou womoludalo laAhab ta file moshilando, ta ka liwa po keembwa, ndele ou ta file poluhaela, ta ka liwa po keedila dokeulu.” 25 Oshili, inapa kala nande umwe ngaashi Ahab, ou e lilandifa po okuninga osho inashi yuka momesho Omwene, Osheshi omwalikadi waye Isabel e mu hongaula. 26 Ye okwa ninga shili oixuna, eshi a ka shikula oihongwakalunga, ngaashi Ovaamori va ninga, ovo va tewa kOmwene komesho yOvaisraeli. 27 Ndelenee Ahab eshi a uda eendjovo odo, okwa pombaula oshikutu shaye nokwa djala oshikutu sheefya kolutu laye longaho nokwe lidilika. Nokwa nangala yo e noshikutu sheefya ndele ta ende a mwena filu. 28 Opo nee ondjovo yOmwene ye uya kuElia, Omutisbi, tai ti: 29 “Ove wa mona tuu nhumbi Ahab e lininipika koshipala shange? Ye eshi e lininipika koshipala shange, itandi tumu omupya pomafiku aye. Pomafiku omona waye Ame ohandi ka etela eumbo laye omupya.”
