Study Desk

So they wrapped sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their necks, went to Ahab and said, "Your servant Benhadad pleads with you for his life." Ahab answered, "Is he still alive? Good! He's like a brother to me!"

The prophet bandaged his face with a cloth, to disguise himself, and went and stood by the road, waiting for the king of Israel to pass.

The prophet tore the cloth from his face, and at once the king recognized him as one of the prophets.

The prophet then said to the king, "This is the word of the Lord : ‘Because you allowed the man to escape whom I had ordered to be killed, you will pay for it with your life, and your army will be destroyed for letting his army escape.'"

Ahab went home, depressed and angry over what Naboth had said to him. He lay down on his bed, facing the wall, and would not eat.

His wife Jezebel went to him and asked, "Why are you so depressed? Why won't you eat?"

He answered, "Because of what Naboth said to me. I offered to buy his vineyard or, if he preferred, to give him another one for it, but he told me that I couldn't have it!"

Then she wrote some letters, signed Ahab's name to them, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the officials and leading citizens of Jezreel.

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."

Tell him that I, the Lord , say to him, ‘After murdering the man, are you taking over his property as well?' Tell him that this is what I say: ‘In the very place that the dogs licked up Naboth's blood they will lick up your blood!'"

(There was no one else who had devoted himself so completely to doing wrong in the Lord 's sight as Ahab—all at the urging of his wife Jezebel.

When Elijah finished speaking, Ahab tore his clothes, took them off, and put on sackcloth. He refused food, slept in the sackcloth, and went about gloomy and depressed.

"Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Since he has done this, I will not bring disaster on him during his lifetime; it will be during his son's lifetime that I will bring disaster on Ahab's family."

Ahab asked his officials, "Why is it that we have not done anything to get back Ramoth in Gilead from the king of Syria? It belongs to us!"

Micaiah went on: "Now listen to what the Lord says! I saw the Lord sitting on his throne in heaven, with all his angels standing beside him.

Then the prophet Zedekiah went up to Micaiah, slapped his face, and asked, "Since when did the Lord 's spirit leave me and speak to you?"

Then King Ahab ordered one of his officers, "Arrest Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Prince Joash.

The king of Syria had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders to attack no one else except the king of Israel.

By chance, however, a Syrian soldier shot an arrow which struck King Ahab between the joints of his armor. "I'm wounded!" he cried out to his chariot driver. "Turn around and pull out of the battle!"

While the battle raged on, King Ahab remained propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrians. The blood from his wound ran down and covered the bottom of the chariot, and at evening he died.