Post verba autem hæc, tempore illo vinea erat Naboth Jezrahelitæ, quæ erat in Jezrahel, juxta palatium Achab regis Samariæ.

Now turn we to the vineyard at Jezrahel, which belonged to Naboth the Jezrahelite, close to Achab’s palace, that was King of Samaria.

And after these things, Naboth the Jezrahelite, who was in Jezrahel, had at that time a vineyard near the palace of Achab king of Samaria.

Locutus est ergo Achab ad Naboth, dicens: Da mihi vineam tuam, ut faciam mihi hortum olerum, quia vicina est, et prope domum meam: daboque tibi pro ea vineam meliorem, aut si commodius tibi putas, argenti pretium, quanto digna est.

Give me that vineyard of thine, Achab said to Naboth, so near adjoining my house, to make a herb-garden of it. In its place, I will give thee a better vineyard of my own, or its worth in money, if that likes thee better.

And Achab spoke to Naboth, saying: Give me thy vineyard, that I may make me a garden of herbs, because it is nigh, and adjoining to my house, and I will give thee for it a better vineyard: or if thou think it more convenient for thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.

Cui respondit Naboth: Propitius sit mihi Dominus, ne dem hæreditatem patrum meorum tibi.

The Lord be merciful to me, Naboth answered; should I give thee the land that was my fathers’ patrimony?

Naboth answered him: The Lord be merciful to me, and not let me give thee the inheritance of my fathers.

Venit ergo Achab in domum suam indignans, et frendens super verbo quod locutus fuerat ad eum Naboth Jezrahelites, dicens: Non dabo tibi hæreditatem patrum meorum. Et projiciens se in lectulum suum, avertit faciem suam ad parietem, et non comedit panem.

And at that, Achab went home sullen and ill to cross, only because Naboth had refused to give up his fathers’ patrimony. Down on his bed he lay, face to wall, and would take no food.

And Achab came into his house angry and fretting, because of the word that Naboth the Jezrahelite had spoken to him, saying: I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And casting himself upon his bed, he turned away his face to the wall, and would eat no bread.

Ingressa est autem ad eum Jezabel uxor sua, dixitque ei: Quid est hoc, unde anima tua contristata est? et quare non comedis panem?

So his wife Jezabel came in to see him, and know what ailed him, that he should refuse to eat;

And Jezabel his wife went in to him, and said to him: What is the matter that thy soul is so grieved? and why eatest thou no bread?

Qui respondit ei: Locutus sum Naboth Jezrahelitæ, et dixi ei: Da mihi vineam tuam, accepta pecunia: aut, si tibi placet, dabo tibi vineam meliorem pro ea. Et ille ait: Non dabo tibi vineam meam.

and he told her the story, how he had offered Naboth the Jezrahelite a sum of money for his vineyard, or a better vineyard, if he would, in place of it, and Naboth had refused to give the vineyard up.

And he answered her: I spoke to Naboth the Jezrahelite, and said to him: Give me thy vineyard, and take money for it: or if it please thee, I will give thee a better vineyard for it. And he said: I will not give thee my vineyard.

Dixit ergo ad eum Jezabel uxor ejus: Grandis auctoritatis es, et bene regis regnum Israël. Surge, et comede panem, et æquo animo esto: ego dabo tibi vineam Naboth Jezrahelitæ.

A fine king thou art, she said, as ever ruled in Israel! Up with thee, and eat, set thy heart at rest; I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezrahelite.

Then Jezabel his wife said to him: Thou art of great authority indeed, and governest well the kingdom of Israel. Arise, and eat bread, and be of good cheer, I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezrahelite.

Scripsit itaque litteras ex nomine Achab, et signavit eas annulo ejus, et misit ad majores natu, et optimates, qui erant in civitate ejus, et habitabant cum Naboth.

Then she wrote a letter in Achab’s name, sealing it with his own seal, and despatched it to the elders and chief men that were Naboth’s fellow-citizens.

So she wrote letters in Achab’s name, and sealed them with his ring, and sent them to the ancients, and the chief men that were in his city, and that dwelt with Naboth.

Litterarum autem hæc erat sententia: Prædicate jejunium, et sedere facite Naboth inter primos populi:

The tenour of it was this; They were to proclaim a solemn fast, and where the greatest of the townspeople sat, there must be a seat for Naboth.

And this was the tenor of the letters: Proclaim a fast, and make Naboth sit among the chief of the people,

et submittite duos viros filios Belial contra eum, et falsum testimonium dicant: Benedixit Deum et regem: et educite eum, et lapidate, sicque moriatur.

Then two rogues must be suborned to bear false witness against him, accusing him of blasphemous speech about God and the king; and so they were to have him out, and stone him to death.

And suborn two men, sons of Belial against him, and let them bear false witness: that he hath blasphemed God and the king: and then carry him out, and stone him, and so let him die.

Fecerunt ergo cives ejus majores natu et optimates, qui habitabant cum eo in urbe, sicut præceperat eis Jezabel, et sicut scriptum erat in litteris quas miserat ad eos:

So the elders and chief men, Naboth’s fellow-citizens, obeyed the instructions Jezabel’s letter had given them;

And the men of his city, the ancients and nobles, that dwelt with him in the city, did as Jezabel had commanded them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them:

prædicaverunt jejunium, et sedere fecerunt Naboth inter primos populi.

they proclaimed a fast, and would have Naboth sit among the greatest of the townspeople;

They proclaimed a fast, and made Naboth sit among the chief of the people.

Et adductis duobus viris filiis diaboli, fecerunt eos sedere contra eum: at illi, scilicet ut viri diabolici, dixerunt contra eum testimonium coram multitudine: Benedixit Naboth Deum et regem: quam ob rem eduxerunt eum extra civitatem, et lapidibus interfecerunt.

and there, opposite him, sat two rogues, whom they had brought in to that end. These, like the slanderers they were, accused Naboth of cursing God and the king; whereupon he was led out beyond the city walls, and stoned to death.

And bringing two men, sons of the devil, they made them sit against him: and they, like men of the devil, bore witness against him before the people, saying: Naboth hath blasphemed God and the king: wherefore they brought him forth without the city, and stoned him to death.

Miseruntque ad Jezabel, dicentes: Lapidatus est Naboth, et mortuus est.

Then a message was sent to Jezabel, telling her how Naboth had died by stoning;

And they sent to Jezabel, saying: Naboth is stoned, and is dead.

Factum est autem, cum audisset Jezabel lapidatum Naboth et mortuum, locuta est ad Achab: Surge, et posside vineam Naboth Jezrahelitæ, qui noluit tibi acquiescere, et dare eam accepta pecunia: non enim vivit Naboth, sed mortuus est.

and no sooner had she heard of his death, than she bade the king bestir himself. Take for thy own, she said, the vineyard which Naboth the Jezrahelite would not sell thee; Naboth is dead, and can thwart thy will no longer.

And it came to pass when Jezabel heard that Naboth was stoned, and dead, that she said to Achab: Arise and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezrahelite, who would not agree with thee, and give it thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead.

Quod cum audisset Achab, mortuum videlicet Naboth, surrexit, et descendebat in vineam Naboth Jezrahelitæ, ut possideret eam.

And away went Achab to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard; Naboth was dead.

And when Achab heard this, to wit, that Naboth was dead, he arose, and went down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezrahelite, to take possession of it.

Factus est igitur sermo Domini ad Eliam Thesbiten, dicens:

Thereupon the word of the Lord came to Elias the Thesbite,

And the word of the Lord came to Elias the Thesbite, saying:

Surge, et descende in occursum Achab regis Israël, qui est in Samaria: ecce ad vineam Naboth descendit, ut possideat eam.

Up, and go to meet Achab, king of Israel, that dwells in Samaria; thou wilt find him now in the vineyard of Naboth; he has gone to take possession of it.

Arise, and go down to meet Achab king of Israel, who is in Samaria: behold he is going down to the vineyard of Naboth, to take possession of it:

Et loqueris ad eum, dicens: Hæc dicit Dominus: Occidisti, insuper et possedisti. Et post hæc addes: Hæc dicit Dominus: In loco hoc, in quo linxerunt canes sanguinem Naboth, lambent quoque sanguinem tuum.

And this message thou wilt give him from the Lord: Wouldst thou slay, and dispossess the slain? Then tell him, Thus says the Lord, Here, where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, they shall lick thine.

And thou shalt speak to him, saying: Thus saith the Lord: Thou hast slain, moreover also thou hast taken possession. And after these words thou shalt add: Thus saith the Lord: In this place, wherein the dogs have licked the blood of Naboth, they shall lick thy blood also.

Et ait Achab ad Eliam: Num invenisti me inimicum tibi? Qui dixit: Inveni, eo quod venundatus sis, ut faceres malum in conspectu Domini.

Here is one comes to seek me out, was Achab’s greeting, that is no friend of mine. Seek thee out I must, said he, to tell thee thou art a slave. Thou hast given thyself up to such doings as are hateful in the Lord’s sight.

And Achab said to Elias: Hast thou found me thy enemy? He said: I have found thee, because thou art sold, to do evil in the sight of the Lord.

Ecce ego inducam super te malum, et demetam posteriora tua, et interficiam de Achab mingentem ad parietem, et clausum et ultimum in Israël.

And hateful is the ruin I mean to bring on thee, sweeping away every trace of thee; every male of Achab’s house shall die, be he bondman or free man in the realm of Israel.

Behold I will bring evil upon thee, and I will cut down thy posterity, and I will kill of Achab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up, and the last in Israel.

Et dabo domum tuam sicut domum Jeroboam filii Nabat, et sicut domum Baasa filii Ahia: quia egisti ut me ad iracundiam provocares, et peccare fecisti Israël.

No better shall thy race fare than Jeroboam’s, that was son of Nabat, or Baasa’s, that was son of Ahia; thou too hast earned my displeasure, thou too hast taught Israel to sin.

And I will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, and like the house of Baasa the son of Ahias: for what thou hast done, to provoke me to anger, and for making Israel to sin.

Sed et de Jezabel locutus est Dominus, dicens: Canes comedent Jezabel in agro Jezrahel.

And of Jezabel the Lord said, Here, in the purlieus of Jezrahel, the dogs shall have Jezabel for their food.

And of Jezabel also the Lord spoke, saying: The dogs shall eat Jezabel in the field of Jezrahel.

Si mortuus fuerit Achab in civitate, comedent eum canes: si autem mortuus fuerit in agro, comedent eum volucres cæli.

As for Achab, die he in the city, he shall be food for the dogs, die he in the open country, he shall be food for all the birds of heaven.

If Achab die in the city, the dogs shall eat him: but if he die in the field, the birds of the air shall eat him.

Igitur non fuit alter talis sicut Achab, qui venundatus est ut faceret malum in conspectu Domini: concitavit enim eum Jezabel uxor sua,

Never was such another as Achab, that gave himself up to doings hateful in the Lord’s sight, his wife Jezabel prompting him;

Now there was not such another as Achab, who was sold to do evil in the sight of the Lord: for his wife Jezabel set him on,

et abominabilis factus est, in tantum ut sequeretur idola quæ fecerant Amorrhæi, quos consumpsit Dominus a facie filiorum Israël.

very foully he did, in paying worship to the false gods of those Amorrhites whom the Lord dispossessed to make room for Israel.

And he became abominable, insomuch that he followed the idols which the Amorrhites had made, whom the Lord destroyed before the face of the children of Israel.

Itaque cum audisset Achab sermones istos, scidit vestimenta sua, et operuit cilicio carnem suam, jejunavitque et dormivit in sacco, et ambulavit demisso capite.

Yet Achab, when he heard Elias’ warning, tore his garments and clothed himself in sackcloth, fasted and made sackcloth his bed, and went ever with head bowed,

And when Achab had heard these words, he rent his garments, and put haircloth upon his flesh, and fasted and slept in sackcloth, and walked with his head cast down.

Et factus est sermo Domini ad Eliam Thesbiten, dicens:

till the Lord sent this word to Elias the Thesbite:

And the word of the Lord came to Elias the Thesbite, saying:

Nonne vidisti humiliatum Achab coram me? quia igitur humiliatus est mei causa, non inducam malum in diebus ejus, sed in diebus filii sui inferam malum domui ejus.

Achab, as thou seest, humbles his pride before me. Humbled for my sake, he shall have this reward; the doom shall not fall in his days. I will wait till his son is on the throne, and then bring calamity upon all his race.

Hast thou not seen Achab humbled before me? therefore, because he hath humbled himself for my sake, I will not bring the evil in his days, but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.