8. So Jezebel wrote some letters and signed Ahab’s name to them. And she used his own seal to seal them. Then she sent them to the elders and important men who lived in Naboth’s town.
9. The letter she wrote said: “Declare a day during which the people are to give up eating. Call the people together. And give Naboth a place of honor among them.
10. Seat two troublemakers across from him. Have them say they heard Naboth speak against God and the king. Then take Naboth out of the city and kill him with stones.”
11. So the elders and important men of Jezreel obeyed Jezebel’s command.
12. They declared a special day. On that day the people were to give up eating. They called the people together. And they put Naboth in a place of honor before the people.
13. Then two troublemakers sat across from Naboth. They said they had heard Naboth speak against God and the king. So the people carried Naboth out of the city. And they killed him with stones.
14. Then the leaders sent a message to Jezebel. It said, “Naboth has been killed.”
15. When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been killed, she told Ahab. She said, “Naboth of Jezreel is dead. Now you may go and take for yourself his vineyard you wanted.”
16. When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he left. He went to the vineyard to take it for his own.
17. At this time the Lord spoke his word to Elijah. (Elijah was the prophet from Tishbe.) The Lord said,
18. “Go to Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is at Naboth’s vineyard to take it as his own.
19. Tell Ahab that I, the Lord, say to him, ‘Ahab! You have murdered Naboth and have taken his land. So I tell you this! In the same place that Naboth died, you will also die. The dogs that licked up Naboth’s blood will lick up your blood in the same place!’”
20. When Ahab saw Elijah, he said, “So you have found me, my enemy!”Elijah answered, “Yes, I have found you. You have always chosen to do what the Lord says is wrong.
21. So the Lord says to you, ‘I will destroy you. I will kill you and every male in your family, both slave and free.
22. Your family will be like the family of King Jeroboam son of Nebat. And it will be like the family of King Baasha son of Ahijah. Both of these families were completely destroyed. I will do this to you because you have made me angry. And you have caused the people of Israel to sin.’
23. “And the Lord also says, ‘Dogs will eat the body of Jezebel in the city of Jezreel.’