Léctio libri primi Regum (21,1-16)
Témpore illo, vínea erat Naboth Iezrahélitæ, quæ erat in Iézrahel iúxta palátium Achab regis Samaríæ. Locútus est ergo Achab ad Naboth dicens: " Da mihi víneam tuam, ut fáciam mihi hortum hólerum, quia vicína est et prope domum meam. Dabóque tibi pro ea víneam meliórem aut, si tibi commódius putas, argénti prétium quanto digna est ". Cui respóndit Naboth: " Propítius mihi sit Dóminus, ne dem hereditátem patrum meórum tibi ". Venit ergo Achab in domum suam tristis et indígnans super verbo, quod locútus fúerat ad eum Naboth Iezrahélites dicens: " Non dabo tibi hereditátem patrum meórum ". Et proíciens se in léctulum suum avértit fáciem ad paríetem et non comédit panem. Ingréssa est autem ad eum Iezábel uxor sua dixítque ei: " Quid est hoc, unde ánima tua contristáta est? Et quare non cómedis panem? ". Qui respóndit ei: " Quia locútus sum Naboth Iezrahélitæ et dixi ei: Da mihi víneam tuam, accépta pecúnia; aut, si tibi placet, dabo tibi víneam pro ea. Et ille ait: "Non dabo tibi víneam meam" ". Dixit ergo ad eum Iezábel uxor eíus: " Grandis auctoritátis es et bene regis regnum Israel! Surge et cómede panem et æquo esto ánimo; ego dabo tibi víneam Naboth Iezrahélitæ ". Scripsit ítaque lítteras ex nómine Achab et signávit eas ánulo eíus et misit ad maióres natu et ad optimátes, qui erant in civitáte eíus et habitábant cum Naboth. Litterárum autem hæc erat senténtia: " Prædicáte ieiúnium et sedére fácite Naboth in cápite pópuli et submíttite duos viros fílios Bélial contra eum, et testimónium dicant: "Maledixísti Deum et regem"; et edúcite eum et lapidáte, sicque moriátur ". Fecérunt ergo cives eíus maióres natu et optimátes, qui habitábant cum eo in urbe, sicut præcéperat eis Iezábel et sicut scriptum erat in lítteris, quas míserat ad eos. Prædicavérunt ieiúnium et sedére fecérunt Naboth in cápite pópuli; et ingréssi duo viri fílii Bélial sedérunt contra eum et illi, ut viri diabólici, dixérunt contra eum testimónium coram multitúdine: " Maledíxit Naboth Deum et regem ". Quam ob rem eduxérunt eum extra civitátem et lapídibus interfecérunt; miserúntque ad Iezábel dicéntes: " Lapidátus est Naboth et mórtuus est ". Factum est autem cum audísset Iezábel lapidátum Naboth et mórtuum, locúta est ad Achab: " Surge, pósside víneam Naboth Iezrahélitæ, qui nóluit tibi acquiéscere et dare eam, accépta pecúnia; non enim vivit Naboth, sed mórtuus est ". Quod cum audísset Achab, mórtuum vidélicet Naboth, surréxit et descendébat in víneam Naboth Iezrahélitæ, ut possidéret eam.
At that time Naboth the Jezrahelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezrahel, beside the palace of Achab the king of Samaria. Achab therefore spake to Naboth, saying: Give me thy vineyard, that I may make me a garden of herbs, because it is nigh, and joining to my house, and I will give thee for it a better vineyard: or if thou think it more commodious for thee, the price of silver, so much as it is worth. To whom Naboth answered: Our Lord be merciful to me, that I give not the inheritance of my fathers to thee. Achab therefore came into his house with indignation, and fretting upon 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 did not eat bread. And Jezabel his wife went in unto him, and said to him: What is this matter, whereupon thy soul is grieved? And why eatest thou not bread? Who answered her: I spake to Naboth the Jezrahelite, and said to him: Give me thy vineyard, taking 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. Jezabel therefore his wife said to him: Thou art of great authority, and doest well govern the Kingdom of Israel: Arise, and eat bread, and be of good cheer, I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezrahelite. She therefore wrote letters in the name of Achab, and signed them with his ring, and sent to the ancients, and the chief men that were in his city, and dwelt with Naboth. And this was the tenor of the letters: Proclaim a fast, and make Naboth sit among the chief of the people, and suborn two men the children of Belial against him, and let them bear false testimony: that he hath blessed God and the king: and bring him forth, and stone him, and so let him die. His citizens therefore the ancients and chief men, that dwelt with him in the city, did as Jezabel had commanded them, and as it was written in the letters which she sent to them: they proclaimed a fast, and made Naboth sit among the chief of the people. And two men the children of the devil being brought forth, they made them sit against him: but they, as devilish men, gave testimony against him before the multitude: Naboth hath blessed God and the king: for the which thing they brought him forth without the city, and killed him with stones. And they sent to Jezabel, saying: Naboth is stoned, and is dead. And it came to pass, when Jezabel had heard that Naboth was stoned, and dead, she spake to Achab: Arise, and possess the vineyard of Naboth the Jezrahelite, who would not agree unto thee, and give it taking money: for Naboth liveth not, but is dead. Which when Achab had heard, to wit, that Naboth was dead, he arose, and went down into the vineyard of Naboth the Jezrahelite, to possess it.
