1Nabote, um indivíduo de Jezreel, tinha uma vinha nos subúrbios da cidade, perto do palácio do rei Acabe, rei da Samaria.2Um dia, o rei propôs-lhe comprar-lhe aquele pedaço de terra. “Quero fazer um jardim”, explicou-lhe, “porque está junto ao palácio.” Ofereceu-se para lhe pagar em dinheiro ou dar-lhe em troca outra vinha melhor.3Nabote respondeu: “Nunca poderia vender essa terra, porque se trata de uma herança dos meus antepassados, já de há muitas gerações. O SENHOR não o permite.”4Acabe foi para casa abatido e indignado. Não queria comer e meteu-se na cama com a cara virada para a parede.5“Que desgosto tão grande é esse?”, perguntou-lhe a mulher, Jezabel. “Porque é que nem sequer queres comer?”6“Pedi a Nabote que me vendesse a vinha, ou que a desse em troca de outra e recusou!”, disse-lhe Acabe.7“Afinal, és ou não o rei de Israel? Trata de te levantar e andar normalmente, porque eu me ocuparei desse assunto; hei de conseguir essa vinha de Nabote!”8Jezabel escreveu uma série de cartas, em nome de Acabe, com o selo real, e endereçou-as aos líderes da cidade de Jezreel, onde vivia Nabote.9Nelas dava a seguinte ordem: “Façam uma proclamação, por toda a cidade, para que a população jejue.10Convoquem Nabote e arranjem dois marginais que o acusem de ter amaldiçoado a Deus e ao rei. Depois levem-no e apedrejem-no até morrer.”11Os chefes locais obedeceram àquelas instruções.12-13Convocaram uma reunião, acarearam Nabote com dois marginais, os quais o acusaram de ter amaldiçoado a Deus e ao rei. Nabote foi arrastado para fora da cidade e apedrejado até morrer.14Depois os líderes da cidade participaram a Jezabel que Nabote já estava morto.15Quando a rainha tomou conhecimento disso, falou a Acabe: “Lembras-te da vinha que Nabote não te queria ceder? Pois bem, já podes tê-la. O homem morreu!”16Então Acabe desceu para ir tomar posse da terra.17No entanto, o SENHOR disse a Elias, o tesbita:18“Vai até Samaria falar com Acabe. Ele há de estar na vinha de Nabote, tomando posse dela.19Dá-lhe esta mensagem da minha parte: ‘Não terá sido bastante que tenhas morto Nabote? Irás ainda roubá-lo? Visto que fizeste tamanha maldade, o teu sangue virá a ser lambido por cães, fora da cidade, tal como lamberam o sangue de Nabote!’ ”20“Acabas sempre por me encontrar, meu inimigo!”, exclamou Acabe para Elias. “Sim, é verdade”, respondeu Elias. “Vim para te dar a conhecer a maldição que Deus colocou sobre ti, porque te vendeste para fazeres o que é mau aos olhos do SENHOR.21Ele trará um grande mal sobre ti e não deixará que um só dos teus descendentes masculinos sobreviva!22Deus destruirá a tua família, como o fez com a de Jeroboão, filho de Nebate, e a do rei Bacha, filho de Aías, porque acendeste a sua ira muitíssimo e levaste todo o Israel a pecar.23O SENHOR também me disse que os cães despedeçarão o corpo da tua mulher Jezabel junto à muralha de Jezreel.24Os membros da tua família que morrerem na cidade serão comidos pelos cães e os que morrerem no campo serão devorados pelas aves dos céus.”25Não houve ninguém que se tivesse vendido como Acabe, para fazer o que era mau aos olhos do SENHOR, instigado por sua mulher Jezabel.26A sua culpa era especialmente agravada porque prestava culto aos ídolos, tal como os amorreus, o povo que o SENHOR tinha lançado fora da terra para dar lugar ao seu povo de Israel.27Quando Acabe ouviu estas profecias, rasgou a roupa que trazia vestida, cobriu-se com saco e até assim dormia, jejuou e andava profundamente triste.28Mais tarde, veio outra mensagem a Elias, o tesbita:29“Estás a ver como Acabe anda humilhado perante mim? Visto que tomou essa atitude, não farei o que lhe prometi durante o tempo da sua vida; isso dar-se-á com os seus filhos; destruirei os seus descendentes.”
1Now Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. (1 Rs 18:45)2And after this Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house, and I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money.” (1 Sm 8:14)3But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.” (Lv 25:23; Nm 36:7; Ez 46:18)4And Ahab went into his house vexed and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him, for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food. (1 Rs 20:43)5But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “Why is your spirit so vexed that you eat no food?”6And he said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money, or else, if it please you, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ And he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”7And Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now govern Israel? Arise and eat bread and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”8So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and the leaders who lived with Naboth in his city. (Rt 4:2; 1 Rs 20:7; Et 3:12)9And she wrote in the letters, “Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people.10And set two worthless men opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, ‘You have cursed[1] God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.” (Ex 22:28; Lv 24:16; Dt 13:13; At 6:11; At 23:5)11And the men of his city, the elders and the leaders who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them. As it was written in the letters that she had sent to them, (1 Rs 21:8)12they proclaimed a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people. (Is 58:4)13And the two worthless men came in and sat opposite him. And the worthless men brought a charge against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones.14Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned; he is dead.”15As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money, for Naboth is not alive, but dead.”16And as soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
The Lord Condemns Ahab
17Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, (Sl 9:12)18“Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession. (1 Rs 16:24)19And you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Have you killed and also taken possession?”’ And you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood.”’” (1 Rs 22:38; 2 Rs 9:26)20Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord. (1 Rs 18:17; 1 Rs 21:25; 2 Rs 17:17; Rm 7:14)21Behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. (1 Rs 14:10; 2 Rs 9:8)22And I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the anger to which you have provoked me, and because you have made Israel to sin. (1 Rs 14:16; 1 Rs 15:29; 1 Rs 16:3; 1 Rs 16:11)23And of Jezebel the Lord also said, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel.’ (2 Sm 20:15; 2 Rs 9:36)24Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat.” (1 Rs 14:11; 1 Rs 16:4)
Ahab’s Repentance
25(There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited. (1 Rs 16:30)26He acted very abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the Lord cast out before the people of Israel.) (Gn 15:16; 1 Rs 15:12; 2 Rs 17:12; 2 Rs 21:11)27And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. (2 Sm 3:31; 2 Sm 12:16; 2 Rs 6:30)28And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,29“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster upon his house.” (2 Rs 9:25)