1 Kings 21:10

Easy-to-Read Version

Find some men who will tell lies about Naboth. They should say that they heard Naboth speak against the king and against God. Then take Naboth out of the city and kill him with stones."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then seat two wicked men opposite him and have them testify against him, saying, “You have cursed God and the king!” Then take him out and stone him to death.

Hebrew Names Version
and set two men, base fellows, before him, and let them testify against him, saying, You did curse God and the king. Then carry him out, and stone him to death.

King James Version
And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.

English Standard Version
And set two worthless men opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, ‘You have cursed God and the king.' Then take him out and stone him to death."

New Century Version
Seat two troublemakers across from him, and have them say they heard Naboth speak against God and the king. Then take Naboth out of the city and kill him with stones."

New English Translation
Also seat two villains opposite him and have them testify, ‘You cursed God and the king.' Then take him out and stone him to death."

Amplified Bible
and seat two worthless and unprincipled men opposite him, and have them testify against him, saying, 'You cursed God and the king.' Then take him out and stone him to death."

New American Standard Bible
and seat two worthless men opposite him, and have them testify against him, saying, 'You cursed God and the king.' Then take him out and stone him to death."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And set two wicked men before him, & let them witnesse against him, saying, Thou diddest blaspheme God and the King: then cary him out, and stone him that he may dye.

Legacy Standard Bible
and seat two vile men before him, and let them testify against him, saying, ‘You cursed God and the king.' Then take him out and stone him so that he will die."

Complete Jewish Bible
Have two good-for-nothing men sit opposite him, and have them accuse him publicly of cursing God and the king. Then take him outside and stone him to death."

Darby Translation
and set two men, sons of Belial, before him, and they shall bear witness against him saying, Thou didst curse God and the king; and carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.

George Lamsa Translation
Then bring two wicked men and set them opposite him, and let them testify against him, saying, Naboth has reviled God and the king. And then take him out, and stone him, that he may die.

Good News Translation
Get a couple of scoundrels to accuse him to his face of cursing God and the king. Then take him out of the city and stone him to death."

Lexham English Bible
Seat two men, scoundrels, opposite him. Let them witness against him saying, ‘You cursed God and the king.' Then you shall bring him out and stone him so that he dies."

Literal Translation
And set two men, sons of worthlessness, across from him; and they shall testify of him, saying, You have cursed God and the king. And they shall bring him out and stone him; and he shall die.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and set two men of Belial before him, to testifye and saye: Thou hast blasphemed God and the kynge. And brynge him forth, and stone him to death.

American Standard Version
and set two men, base fellows, before him, and let them bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst curse God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him to death.

Bible in Basic English
And get two good-for-nothing persons to come before him and give witness that he has been cursing God and the king. Then take him out and have him stoned to death.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And set two vnthriftes before him, to beare witnesse against him, saying, Thou dyddest blaspheme God and the king: And then carie him out, and stone him to death.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
and set two men, base fellows, before him, and let them bear witness against him, saying: Thou didst curse God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he die.'

King James Version (1611)
And set two men, sonnes of Belial before him, to beare witnes against him, saying, Thou diddest blaspheme God and the king: and then carie him out, and stone him that he may die.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the son of Ader sent to him, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for foxes to all the people, even my infantry.

English Revised Version
and set two men, sons of Belial, before him, and let them bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst curse God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he die.

Berean Standard Bible
But 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."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and sende ye priueli twei men, the sones of Belial, ayens hym, and sey thei fals witnessyng, Naboth blesside God and the kyng; and lede ye out hym, and stoon ye him, and die he so.

Young's Literal Translation
and cause two men -- sons of worthlessness -- to sit over-against him, and they testify of him, saying, Thou hast blessed God and Melech; and they have brought him out, and stoned him, and he dieth.'

Update Bible Version
and set two men, base fellows, before him, and let them bear witness against him, saying, You cursed God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him to death.

Webster's Bible Translation
And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And [then] carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.

World English Bible
and set two men, base fellows, before him, and let them testify against him, saying, You did curse God and the king. Then carry him out, and stone him to death.

New King James Version
and seat two men, scoundrels, before him to bear witness against him, saying, You have blasphemed God and the king. Then take him out, and stone him, that he may die.

New Living Translation
And then seat two scoundrels across from him who will accuse him of cursing God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death."

New Life Bible
Seat two men of no worth beside him. And have them speak against him, saying, ‘You spoke against God and the king.' Then take him out and kill him with stones."

New Revised Standard
seat two scoundrels opposite him, and have them bring a charge against him, saying, ‘You have cursed God and the king.' Then take him out, and stone him to death."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
then let two reckless men take their seats before him, that they may bear witness against him, saying, Thou hast reviled God and king! then shall ye carry him forth and stone him, that he die.

Douay-Rheims Bible
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.

Revised Standard Version
and set two base fellows opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, 'You have cursed God and the king.' Then take him out, and stone him to death."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
and seat two worthless men before him, and let them testify against him, saying, 'You cursed God and the king.' Then take him out and stone him to death."

Contextual Overview

⁵ His wife Jezebel went to him and asked him, "Why are you upset? Why do you refuse to eat?" ⁶ Ahab answered, "I asked Naboth from Jezreel to give me his vineyard. I told him that I would pay him the full price. Or, if he preferred, I would give him another vineyard. But he refused to give it to me." ⁷ Jezebel answered, "But you are the king over Israel! Get out of bed and eat something, and you will feel better. I will get Naboth's vineyard for you." ⁸ Then Jezebel wrote some letters. She signed Ahab's name to them and used his seal to seal the letters. Then she sent them to the elders and important men who lived in the same town as Naboth. ⁹ This is what the letter said: "Announce that there will be a day of fasting when the people will eat nothing. Then call all the people of the town together for a meeting. At the meeting we will talk about Naboth. ¹⁰ Find some men who will tell lies about Naboth. They should say that they heard Naboth speak against the king and against God. Then take Naboth out of the city and kill him with stones." ¹¹ So the elders and important men of Jezreel obeyed the command. ¹² The leaders announced that there would be a day when all the people would eat nothing. On that day they called all the people together for a meeting. They put Naboth in a special place before the people. ¹³ Then two men told the people that they heard Naboth speak against God and the king. So the people carried Naboth out of the city and killed him with stones. ¹⁴ Then the leaders sent a message to Jezebel that said: "Naboth has been killed."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

two men: Deuteronomy 19:15, Matthew 26:59, Matthew 26:60, Acts 6:11

sons of Belial: Deuteronomy 13:13, Judges 19:22

Thou didst blaspheme: Some, with Parkhurst, would render the original, bairachta elohim wamailech, "Thou hast blessed the gods and Molech;" a sense, however, which seems extremely forced, and is not acknowledged by any of the ancient versions, though the LXX and Vulgate render bairachta by וץכןדחףו, benedixit, "blessed." It is no unusual thing for a word to have opposite senses. Exodus 22:28, Leviticus 24:15, Matthew 26:59-66, John 10:33, Acts 6:13

Reciprocal: Exodus 20:16 - General Exodus 23:1 - an unrighteous witness Leviticus 19:16 - stand Leviticus 24:11 - blasphemed Leviticus 24:16 - blasphemeth Deuteronomy 19:16 - a false witness 1 Samuel 2:12 - sons of Belial 1 Samuel 25:17 - a son of Belial 1 Samuel 30:22 - wicked 2 Samuel 16:7 - man of Belial 2 Samuel 19:21 - Shall not 2 Kings 6:32 - son of a murderer 2 Chronicles 13:7 - the children of Belial Job 1:5 - cursed Proverbs 6:19 - A false Proverbs 7:14 - this Proverbs 19:28 - An ungodly witness Isaiah 32:7 - lying Ezekiel 22:9 - men that carry tales Matthew 26:65 - He Matthew 27:31 - and led Matthew 27:32 - as Mark 14:55 - sought Luke 5:21 - blasphemies Luke 23:2 - forbidding John 8:17 - that 2 Corinthians 13:1 - In Hebrews 11:37 - stoned

Cross-References

Genesis 17:19
God said, "No, I said that your wife Sarah will have a son. You will name him Isaac. I will make my agreement with him that will continue forever with all his descendants.

Genesis 17:21
But I will make my agreement with Isaac, the son who Sarah will have. He will be born at this same time next year."

Genesis 20:11
Then Abraham said, "I thought no one in this place respected God. I thought someone would kill me to get Sarah.

Genesis 21:6
Sarah said, "God has made me happy, and everyone who hears about this will be happy with me.

Genesis 21:7
No one thought that I, Sarah, would be able to have Abraham's child. But I have given Abraham a son, even though he is old."

Genesis 21:11
This upset Abraham very much. He was worried about his son Ishmael.

Genesis 21:12
But God said to Abraham, "Don't worry about the boy and the slave woman. Do what Sarah wants. Your descendants will be those who come through Isaac.

Genesis 21:22
Then Abimelech and Phicol spoke with Abraham. Phicol was the commander of Abimelech's army. They said to Abraham, "God is with you in everything you do.

Genesis 21:31
So after that, the well was called Beersheba. Abraham gave the well this name because it was the place where they made a promise to each other.

Genesis 22:10
Then Abraham reached for his knife to kill his son.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him,.... Worthless wretches, that have cast off the yoke of the law, as Belial signifies, lawless abandoned creatures, that have no conscience of anything; "knights of the post", as we call them, that will swear anything; these were to be set before Naboth, right against him to confront him, and accuse him to his face, and charge him with crimes next mentioned:

saying, thou didst blaspheme God and the king: and so was guilty of death for the former, if not for both, and of confiscation of estate for the latter, which was the thing aimed at; and Jezebel was willing to make sure work of it, and therefore would have him accused of both:

and then carry him out, and stone him, that he die; immediately, without requiring the witnesses to give proof of their charge, and without giving Naboth leave to answer for himself.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Sons of Belial - i. e., “worthless persons” (Deuteronomy 13:13 note). Witnesses must be two in number according to the Law Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 17:6; Deuteronomy 19:15.

The word rendered “blaspheme” is that which commonly means “bless.” The opposite sense of “cursing,” seems, however, to be required here and in Job 1:5, Job 1:11; Job 2:5. Perhaps the best explanation of the bad sense of the original word is to be found in the practice of blessing by way of salutation, not only on meeting, but also on taking leave Genesis 47:7, Genesis 47:10. From the latter custom the word came to mean “bidding farewell to,” and so “renouncing,” “casting off,” “cursing.”

Carry him out and stone him - Naboth’s offence would be twofold, and in both cases capital; blasphemy against God being punishable with death by the Law (marginal reference), and blasphemy against the king being a capital offence by custom 1Ki 2:8; 2 Samuel 16:9; 2 Samuel 19:21. The punishment would be stoning, since the greater crime would absorb the lesser, and the Law made stoning the punishment for blasphemy against God. As stoning always took place outside the city (see Acts 7:58), Jezebel told the elders to “carry Naboth out.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 21:10. Set two men — For life could not be attainted but on the evidence of two witnesses at least.

Sons of Belial — Men who will not scruple to tell lies and take a false oath.

Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. — Thou art an atheist and a rebel. Thou hast spoken words injurious to the perfections and nature of God; and thou hast spoken words against the crown and dignity of the king. The words literally are, Naboth hath BLESSED God and the king; or, as Parkhurst contends, "Thou hast blessed the false gods and Molech," ברכת אלהים ומלך And though Jezebel was herself an abominable idolatress; yet, as the law of Moses still continued in force, she seems to have been wicked enough to have destroyed Naboth, upon the false accusation of blessing the heathen Aleim and Molech, which subjected him to death by Deuteronomy 12:6; Deuteronomy 17:2-7. The first meaning appears the most simple.

Many think that the word ברך barach signifies both to bless and curse; and so it is interpreted in most Lexicons: it is passing strange that out of the same word proceedeth blessing and cursing; and to give such opposite and self-destructive meanings to any word is very dangerous. Parkhurst denies that it ever has the meaning of cursing, and examines all the texts where it is said to occur with this meaning; and shows that blessing, not cursing, is to be understood in all those places: see him under ברך, sec. vi.