1 Kings 21
Open in the reader1Some time after these events, Fruits the God-Sows-Folk owned a vineyard in God-Sows next to the palace of Father's-Brother king of Watch-Mountain.
2So Father's-Brother said to Fruits, “Give me your vineyard to use as a vegetable garden, since it is next to my palace. I will give you a better vineyard in its place—or if you prefer, I will give you its value in silver.”
3But Fruits replied, “He-Who-Is forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”
4So Father's-Brother went to his palace, sullen and angry because Fruits the God-Sows-Folk had told him, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He lay down on his bed, turned his face away, and refused to eat.
5Soon his wife Jezebel came in and asked, “Why are you so sullen that you refuse to eat?”
6Father's-Brother answered, “Because I spoke to Fruits the God-Sows-Folk and told him, ‘Give me your vineyard for silver, or if you wish, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ And he replied, ‘I will not give you my vineyard!’”
7But his wife Jezebel said to him, “Do you not reign over Strives-with-God? Get up, eat some food, and be cheerful, for I will get you the vineyard of Fruits the God-Sows-Folk.”
8Then Jezebel wrote letters in Father's-Brother’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived with Fruits in his city.
9In the letters she wrote: “Proclaim a fast and give Fruits a seat of honor among the people.
10But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, ‘You have cursed both God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
11So the elders and nobles who lived in Fruits’s city did as Jezebel had instructed in the letters she had written to them.
12They proclaimed a fast and gave Fruits a seat of honor among the people.
13And the two scoundrels came in and sat opposite Fruits, and these men testified against him before the people, saying, “Fruits has cursed both God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.
14Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Fruits has been stoned to death.”
15When Jezebel heard that Fruits had been stoned to death, she said to Father's-Brother, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Fruits the God-Sows-Folk, who refused to give it to you for silver. For Fruits is no longer alive, but dead.”
16And when Father's-Brother heard that Fruits was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Fruits the God-Sows-Folk.
17Then the word of He-Who-Is came to My-God-Is-He-Who-Is the Inhabitants, saying,
18“Get up and go down to meet Father's-Brother king of Strives-with-God, who is in Watch-Mountain. See, he is in the vineyard of Fruits, where he has gone to take possession of it.
19Tell him that this is what He-Who-Is says: ‘Have you not murdered a man and seized his land?’ Then tell him that this is also what He-Who-Is says: ‘In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Fruits, there also the dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’”
20When My-God-Is-He-Who-Is arrived, Father's-Brother said to him, “So you have found me out, my enemy.” He replied, “I have found you out because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of He-Who-Is.
21This is what He-Who-Is says: ‘I will bring calamity on you and consume your descendants; I will cut off from Father's-Brother every male in Strives-with-God, both slave and free.
22I will make your house like that of The-People-Increase son of Regard and like that of Offensiveness son of My-Brother-Is-He-Who-Is, because you have provoked My anger and caused Strives-with-God to sin.’
23And He-Who-Is also speaks concerning Jezebel: ‘The dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of God-Sows.’
24Anyone belonging to Father's-Brother who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone who dies in the field will be eaten by the birds of the air.”
25(Surely there was never one like Father's-Brother, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of He-Who-Is, incited by his wife Jezebel.
26He committed the most detestable acts by going after idols, just like the Mountaineers whom He-Who-Is had driven out before the children of Strives-with-God.)
27When Father's-Brother heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth and walked around meekly.
28Then the word of He-Who-Is came to My-God-Is-He-Who-Is the Inhabitants, saying:
29“Have you seen how Father's-Brother has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity during his days, but I will bring it upon his house in the days of his son.”