TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
I - Chapter 21
Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:
- Commentary
- Buy E-book
- Buy the Israel Bible
1[The following events] occurred sometime afterward: Navot the Yizraelite owned a vineyard in Yizrael, adjoining the palace of King Achav of Shomron.
אוַיְהִי אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה כֶּרֶם הָיָה לְנָבוֹת הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִי אֲשֶׁר בְּיִזְרְעֶאל אֵצֶל הֵיכַל אַחְאָב מֶלֶךְ שֹׁמְרוֹן׃
2Achav said to Navot, “Give me your vineyard, so that I may have it as a vegetable garden, since it is right next to my palace. I will give you a better vineyard in exchange; or, if you prefer, I will pay you the price in money.”
בוַיְדַבֵּר אַחְאָב אֶל־נָבוֹת לֵאמֹר תְּנָה־לִּי אֶת־כַּרְמְךָ וִיהִי־לִי לְגַן־יָרָק כִּי הוּא קָרוֹב אֵצֶל בֵּיתִי וְאֶתְּנָה לְךָ תַּחְתָּיו כֶּרֶם טוֹב מִמֶּנּוּ אִם טוֹב בְּעֵינֶיךָ אֶתְּנָה־לְךָ כֶסֶף מְחִיר זֶה׃
3But Navot replied, “Hashem forbid that I should give up to you what I have inherited from my fathers!”
גוַיֹּאמֶר נָבוֹת אֶל־אַחְאָב חָלִילָה לִּי מֵיהֹוָה מִתִּתִּי אֶת־נַחֲלַת אֲבֹתַי לָךְ׃
4Achav went home dispirited and sullen because of the answer that Navot the Yizraelite had given him: “I will not give up to you what I have inherited from my fathers!” He lay down on his bed and turned away his face, and he would not eat.
דוַיָּבֹא אַחְאָב אֶל־בֵּיתוֹ סַר וְזָעֵף עַל־הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו נָבוֹת הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִי וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא־אֶתֵּן לְךָ אֶת־נַחֲלַת אֲבוֹתָי וַיִּשְׁכַּב עַל־מִטָּתוֹ וַיַּסֵּב אֶת־פָּנָיו וְלֹא־אָכַל לָחֶם׃
5His wife Jezebel came to him and asked him, “Why are you so dispirited that you won't eat?”
הוַתָּבֹא אֵלָיו אִיזֶבֶל אִשְׁתּוֹ וַתְּדַבֵּר אֵלָיו מַה־זֶּה רוּחֲךָ סָרָה וְאֵינְךָ אֹכֵל לָחֶם׃
6So he told her, “I spoke to Navot the Yizraelite and proposed to him, ‘Sell me your vineyard for money, or if you prefer, I'll give you another vineyard in exchange'; but he answered, ‘I will not give my vineyard to you.'”
ווַיְדַבֵּר אֵלֶיהָ כִּי־אֲדַבֵּר אֶל־נָבוֹת הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִי וָאֹמַר לוֹ תְּנָה־לִּי אֶת־כַּרְמְךָ בְּכֶסֶף אוֹ אִם־חָפֵץ אַתָּה אֶתְּנָה־לְךָ כֶרֶם תַּחְתָּיו וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא־אֶתֵּן לְךָ אֶת־כַּרְמִי׃
7His wife Jezebel said to him, “Now is the time to show yourself king over Yisrael. Rise and eat something, and be cheerful; I will get the vineyard of Navot the Yizraelite for you.”
זוַתֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אִיזֶבֶל אִשְׁתּוֹ אַתָּה עַתָּה תַּעֲשֶׂה מְלוּכָה עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל קוּם אֱכָל־לֶחֶם וְיִטַב לִבֶּךָ אֲנִי אֶתֵּן לְךָ אֶת־כֶּרֶם נָבוֹת הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִי׃
8So she wrote letters in Achav's name and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who lived in the same town with Navot.
חוַתִּכְתֹּב סְפָרִים בְּשֵׁם אַחְאָב וַתַּחְתֹּם בְּחֹתָמוֹ וַתִּשְׁלַח הספרים [סְפָרִים] אֶל־הַזְקֵנִים וְאֶל־הַחֹרִים אֲשֶׁר בְּעִירוֹ הַיֹּשְׁבִים אֶת־נָבוֹת׃
9In the letters she wrote as follows: “Proclaim a fast and seat Navot at the front of the assembly.
טוַתִּכְתֹּב בַּסְּפָרִים לֵאמֹר קִרְאוּ־צוֹם וְהוֹשִׁיבוּ אֶת־נָבוֹת בְּרֹאשׁ הָעָם׃
10And seat two scoundrels opposite him, and let them testify against him: ‘You have reviled Hashem and king!' Then take him out and stone him to death.”
יוְהוֹשִׁיבוּ שְׁנַיִם אֲנָשִׁים בְּנֵי־בְלִיַּעַל נֶגְדּוֹ וִיעִדֻהוּ לֵאמֹר בֵּרַכְתָּ אֱלֹהִים וָמֶלֶךְ וְהוֹצִיאֻהוּ וְסִקְלֻהוּ וְיָמֹת׃
11His townsmen—the elders and nobles who lived in his town—did as Jezebel had instructed them, just as was written in the letters she had sent them:
יאוַיַּעֲשׂוּ אַנְשֵׁי עִירוֹ הַזְּקֵנִים וְהַחֹרִים אֲשֶׁר הַיֹּשְׁבִים בְּעִירוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁלְחָה אֲלֵיהֶם אִיזָבֶל כַּאֲשֶׁר כָּתוּב בַּסְּפָרִים אֲשֶׁר שָׁלְחָה אֲלֵיהֶם׃
12They proclaimed a fast and seated Navot at the front of the assembly.
יבקָרְאוּ צוֹם וְהֹשִׁיבוּ אֶת־נָבוֹת בְּרֹאשׁ הָעָם׃
13Then the two scoundrels came and sat down opposite him; and the scoundrels testified against Navot publicly as follows: “Navot has reviled Hashem and king.” Then they took him outside the town and stoned him to death.
יגוַיָּבֹאוּ שְׁנֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים בְּנֵי־בְלִיַּעַל וַיֵּשְׁבוּ נֶגְדּוֹ וַיְעִדֻהוּ אַנְשֵׁי הַבְּלִיַּעַל אֶת־נָבוֹת נֶגֶד הָעָם לֵאמֹר בֵּרַךְ נָבוֹת אֱלֹהִים וָמֶלֶךְ וַיֹּצִאֻהוּ מִחוּץ לָעִיר וַיִּסְקְלֻהוּ בָאֲבָנִים וַיָּמֹת׃
14Word was sent to Jezebel: “Navot has been stoned to death.”
ידוַיִּשְׁלְחוּ אֶל־אִיזֶבֶל לֵאמֹר סֻקַּל נָבוֹת וַיָּמֹת׃
15As soon as Jezebel heard that Navot had been stoned to death, she said to Achav, “Go and take possession of the vineyard which Navot the Yizraelite refused to sell you for money; for Navot is no longer alive, he is dead.”
טווַיְהִי כִּשְׁמֹעַ אִיזֶבֶל כִּי־סֻקַּל נָבוֹת וַיָּמֹת וַתֹּאמֶר אִיזֶבֶל אֶל־אַחְאָב קוּם רֵשׁ אֶת־כֶּרֶם נָבוֹת הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִי אֲשֶׁר מֵאֵן לָתֶת־לְךָ בְכֶסֶף כִּי אֵין נָבוֹת חַי כִּי־מֵת׃
16When Achav heard that Navot was dead, Achav set out for the vineyard of Navot the Yizraelite to take possession of it.
טזוַיְהִי כִּשְׁמֹעַ אַחְאָב כִּי מֵת נָבוֹת וַיָּקָם אַחְאָב לָרֶדֶת אֶל־כֶּרֶם נָבוֹת הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִי לְרִשְׁתּוֹ׃
17Then the word of Hashem came to Eliyahu the Tishbite:
יזוַיְהִי דְּבַר־יְהֹוָה אֶל־אֵלִיָּהוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּי לֵאמֹר׃
18“Go down and confront King Achav of Yisrael who [resides] in Shomron. He is now in Navot's vineyard; he has gone down there to take possession of it.
יחקוּם רֵד לִקְרַאת אַחְאָב מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן הִנֵּה בְּכֶרֶם נָבוֹת אֲשֶׁר־יָרַד שָׁם לְרִשְׁתּוֹ׃
19Say to him, ‘Thus said Hashem: Would you murder and take possession? Thus said Hashem: In the very place where the dogs lapped up Navot's blood, the dogs will lap up your blood too.'”
v'-di-bar-TA ay-LAV lay-MOR KOH a-MAR a-do-NAI ha-ra-TZAKH-ta v'-gam ya-RASH-ta v'-di-bar-TA ay-LAV lay-MOR KOH a-MAR a-do-NAI bim-KOM a-SHER la-k'-KU ha-k'-la-VEEM et DAM na-VOT ya-LO-ku ha-k'-la-VEEM et da-m'-KHA gam A-tah
יטוְדִבַּרְתָּ אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה הֲרָצַחְתָּ וְגַם־יָרָשְׁתָּ וְדִבַּרְתָּ אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה בִּמְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר לָקְקוּ הַכְּלָבִים אֶת־דַּם נָבוֹת יָלֹקּוּ הַכְּלָבִים אֶת־דָּמְךָ גַּם־אָתָּה׃
21:19 Would you murder and take possession?
Selling ancestral land is considered inappropriate in all but the most extreme circumstances. Thus, it is not surprising that Navot does not want to sell his portion. When he is cruelly murdered and his land seized, Eliyahu confronts Achav with harsh criticism. The phenomenon of land being wrongfully seized from its rightful owners is a theme that has repeated itself many times in Eretz Yisrael. Today, despite centuries of persecution and forcible exile from the land, the Children of Israel have returned home. Israel wants to live in peace with its neighbors and to preserve the rights of minorities within its borders. But it also wants to make sure that the Children of Israel are in possession of their rightful homeland. Now that the State of Israel is in possession of much of the biblical Land of Israel, the Jewish people have begun to return to the land that is rightfully theirs.
20Achav said to Eliyahu, “So you have found me, my enemy?” “Yes, I have found you,” he replied. “Because you have committed yourself to doing what is evil in the sight of Hashem,
כוַיֹּאמֶר אַחְאָב אֶל־אֵלִיָּהוּ הַמְצָאתַנִי אֹיְבִי וַיֹּאמֶר מָצָאתִי יַעַן הִתְמַכֶּרְךָ לַעֲשׂוֹת הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה׃
21I will bring disaster upon you. I will make a clean sweep of you, I will cut off from Yisrael every male belonging to Achav,bond and free.
כאהִנְנִי מבי [מֵבִיא] אֵלֶיךָ רָעָה וּבִעַרְתִּי אַחֲרֶיךָ וְהִכְרַתִּי לְאַחְאָב מַשְׁתִּין בְּקִיר וְעָצוּר וְעָזוּב בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל׃
22And I will make your house like the House of Yerovam son of Nebat and like the House of Basha son of Achiya, because of the provocation you have caused by leading Yisrael to sin.
כבוְנָתַתִּי אֶת־בֵּיתְךָ כְּבֵית יָרָבְעָם בֶּן־נְבָט וּכְבֵית בַּעְשָׁא בֶן־אֲחִיָּה אֶל־הַכַּעַס אֲשֶׁר הִכְעַסְתָּ וַתַּחֲטִא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
23And Hashem has also spoken concerning Jezebel: ‘The dogs shall devour Jezebel in the field of Yizrael.
כגוְגַם־לְאִיזֶבֶל דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה לֵאמֹר הַכְּלָבִים יֹאכְלוּ אֶת־אִיזֶבֶל בְּחֵל יִזְרְעֶאל׃
24All of Achav's line who die in the town shall be devoured by dogs, and all who die in the open country shall be devoured by the birds of the sky.'”
כדהַמֵּת לְאַחְאָב בָּעִיר יֹאכְלוּ הַכְּלָבִים וְהַמֵּת בַּשָּׂדֶה יֹאכְלוּ עוֹף הַשָּׁמָיִם׃
25Indeed, there never was anyone like Achav, who committed himself to doing what was displeasing to Hashem, at the instigation of his wife Jezebel.
כהרַק לֹא־הָיָה כְאַחְאָב אֲשֶׁר הִתְמַכֵּר לַעֲשׂוֹת הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר־הֵסַתָּה אֹתוֹ אִיזֶבֶל אִשְׁתּוֹ׃
26He acted most abominably, straying after the fetishes just like the Amorites, whom Hashem had dispossessed before the Israelites.)
כווַיַּתְעֵב מְאֹד לָלֶכֶת אַחֲרֵי הַגִּלֻּלִים כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ הָאֱמֹרִי אֲשֶׁר הוֹרִישׁ יְהֹוָה מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
27When Achav heard these words, he rent his clothes and put sackcloth on his body. He fasted and lay in sackcloth and walked about subdued.
כזוַיְהִי כִשְׁמֹעַ אַחְאָב אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַיִּקְרַע בְּגָדָיו וַיָּשֶׂם־שַׂק עַל־בְּשָׂרוֹ וַיָּצוֹם וַיִּשְׁכַּב בַּשָּׂק וַיְהַלֵּךְ אַט׃
28Then the word of Hashem came to Eliyahu the Tishbite:
כחוַיְהִי דְּבַר־יְהֹוָה אֶל־אֵלִיָּהוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּי לֵאמֹר׃
29“Have you seen how Achav has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the disaster in his lifetime; I will bring the disaster upon his house in his son's time.”
כטהֲרָאִיתָ כִּי־נִכְנַע אַחְאָב מִלְּפָנָי יַעַן כִּי־נִכְנַע מִפָּנַי לֹא־אבי [אָבִיא] הָרָעָה בְּיָמָיו בִּימֵי בְנוֹ אָבִיא הָרָעָה עַל־בֵּיתוֹ׃
