e to thee?"

And he returned from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, and
slew them, and made a feast of their flesh, and gave to the people,
and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered
unto him.

_How the Wicked King and Queen Did an Evil Deed, and
How They Were Rebuked by Elijah_.

And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a
vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of
Samaria. And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, "Give me thy vineyard, that I
may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near to my house; and I
will give thee for it a better vineyard than it: or, if it seem good to
thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money."

{128}

And Naboth said to Ahab, "The Lord forbid it, that I should give the
inheritance of my fathers to thee."

And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word
which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, "I
will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers."

And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would
eat no bread. But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, "Why
is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?"

And he said to her, "Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, and
said to him, 'Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please
thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it': and he answered, 'I
will not give thee my vineyard.'"

And Jezebel his wife said unto him, "Dost thou now govern the kingdom
of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will
give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."

So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal,
and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles that were in his
city, and that dwelt with Naboth. And she wrote in the letters,
saying, "Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: and
set two men, base fellows, before him, and let them bear witness
against him, saying, 'Thou didst curse God and the king.' And then
carry him out, and stone him to death."

And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who dwelt in
his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, {129} according as it was
written in the letters which she had sent to them. They proclaimed a
fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. And the two base
fellows came in and sat before him: and bore witness against him, even
against