1. A man named Naboth owned a vineyard. It was in Jezreel, near the palace of Ahab king of Israel.
2. One day Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard. It is near my palace. I want to make it into a vegetable garden. I will give you a better vineyard in its place. Or, if you prefer, I will pay you what it is worth.”
3. Naboth answered, “May the Lord keep me from ever giving my land to you. It belongs to my family.”
4. So Ahab went home, angry and upset. He did not like what Naboth from Jezreel had said. (Naboth had said, “I will not give you my family’s land.”) So Ahab lay down on his bed. He turned his face to the wall and refused to eat.