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King Ben-Hadad of Aram gathered his army together. There were 32 kings with him and many horses and chariots. They surrounded Samaria and attacked it.

So King Ahab called a meeting of all the elders of his country and said, "Look, Ben-Hadad is looking for trouble. First he told me that I must give him my wives and children and my silver and gold. I agreed to give them to him."

King Ahab answered, "Tell Ben-Hadad that the man who puts on his armor should not boast as much as the man who lives long enough to take it off."

King Ben-Hadad was drinking in his tent with the other rulers when the messengers came back and gave him the message from King Ahab. King Ben-Hadad commanded his men to prepare to attack the city, so the men moved into their places for the battle.

King Ahab began his attack at noon, while King Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings were drinking and getting drunk in their tents.

His servants said to him, "We heard that the kings of Israel are merciful. Let's dress in rough cloth with ropes on our heads. Then let's go to the king of Israel. Maybe he will let us live."

Ben-Hadad's men wanted King Ahab to say something to show that he would not kill King Ben-Hadad. When Ahab called Ben-Hadad his brother, the advisors quickly said, "Yes! Ben-Hadad is your brother." Ahab said, "Bring him to me." So Ben-Hadad came to King Ahab. King Ahab asked him to get in the chariot with him.

So the prophet wrapped his face with a cloth. This way no one could see who he was. The prophet went and waited for the king by the road.

The king came by and the prophet said to him, "I went to fight in the battle. One of our men brought an enemy soldier to me. The man said, ‘Guard this man. If he runs away, you will have to give your life in his place or you will have to pay a fine of 75 pounds of silver.'

Then the prophet quickly took the cloth from his face, and the king of Israel saw that he was one of the prophets.

Then the prophet said to the king, "The Lord says to you, ‘You set free the man I said should die. So you will take his place—you and your people will die!'"

His wife Jezebel went to him and asked him, "Why are you upset? Why do you refuse to eat?"

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."

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.

So Ahab went to the vineyard and took it for his own.

"Go to King Ahab in Samaria. He will be at Naboth's vineyard. He is there to take the vineyard as his own.

Tell Ahab that I, the Lord , say to him, ‘Ahab! You killed the man Naboth and now you are taking his land. So I, the Lord , tell you this: Where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, they will lick up your blood as well.'"

So Ahab sold himself out to do what the Lord says is evil. There is no one who did as much evil as Ahab and his wife Jezebel, who caused him to do these things.

When Ahab heard what Elijah said, he tore his clothes to show how sad he was. Then he put on sackcloth and refused to eat. He even slept in these clothes. He was very sad and upset.

"Look, Ahab has humbled himself before me. So I will not make that disaster happen during his lifetime. I will wait until his son is king. Then I will destroy his family."