4. U-Ahabi wangena endlini yakhe ehluneme, ethukuthele ngenxa yezwi abelikhulume kuye uNaboti waseJizreyeli; ngokuba wayeshilo ukuthi: “Angiyikukunika ifa lawobaba.” Walala embhedeni, waphendula ubuso, akadlanga lutho.
5. Kepha kwase kufika kuye u-Izebeli umkakhe, wakhuluma kuye, wathi: “Uhlunameleni umoya wakho ukuba ungadli lutho na?”
6. Wathi kuye: “Ngokuba ngakhuluma kuNaboti waseJizreyeli, ngathi kuye: ‘Ngiphe isivini sakho ngesiliva; kepha uma uthanda, ngiyakukunika esinye isivini esikhundleni saso;’ kodwa wathi: ‘Angiyikukunika isivini sami.’ ”
7. Wayesethi kuye u-Izebeli umkakhe: “Manje, nguwe ophethe umbuso wakwa-Israyeli na? Vuka udle, inhliziyo yakho ithokoze; mina ngiyakukunika isivini sikaNaboti waseJizreyeli.”
8. Wayeseloba izincwadi egameni lika-Ahabi, wazinamathelisa ngophawu lwakhe, wazithuma izincwadi kumalunga nakwabakhulu ababesemzini wakhe, abakhe kanye noNaboti.
9. Waloba ezincwadini ukuthi: “Memezelani ukuzila ukudla, nimbeke uNaboti emqoka kubantu,
10. nibeke amadoda amabili, abantu ababi, phambi kwakhe, afakaze ngaye ngokuthi: ‘Uthukile uNkulunkulu nenkosi, bese nimkhiphela ngaphandle, nimkhande ngamatshe, afe.’ ”
11. Amadoda omuzi wakubo, amalunga nabakhulu ababehlala emzini wakubo, enza njengokuthumela kuka-Izebeli kuwo nanjengokulotshiweyo ezincwadini ayezithume kuwo.
12. Amemezela ukuzila ukudla, ambeka uNaboti emqoka kubantu.
13. Lawo madoda amabili, abantu ababi, angena, ahlala phambi kwakhe; bafakaza labo bantu ababi ngaye, bathi: “Yena uNaboti uthukile uNkulunkulu nenkosi.” Base bemkhiphela ngaphandle komuzi, bamkhanda ngamatshe, wafa.
14. Base bethumela ku-Izebeli, bethi: “UNaboti ukhandiwe ngamatshe, wafa.”
15. Kwathi u-Izebeli esezwile ukuthi uNaboti ukhandiwe ngamatshe, wafa, u-Izebeli wathi ku-Ahabi: “Suka udle isivini sikaNaboti waseJizreyeli, enqaba ukukunika sona ngesiliva, ngokuba uNaboti kasekho, ufile.”
16. Kwathi u-Ahabi esezwile ukuthi uNaboti ufile, u-Ahabi wasuka ukuba ehlele esivinini sikaNaboti waseJizreyeli ukusidla.
17. Izwi likaJehova lase lifika ku-Eliya waseThishibi, lathi:
18. “Suka wehle, umhlangabeze u-Ahabi, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, oseSamariya; bheka, usesivinini sikaNaboti, lapho ehlele khona ukusidla.
19. Uyakukhuluma kuye ngokuthi: ‘Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Usubulele, wadla isizi na?’ Bese wukhuluma kuye ngokuthi: ‘Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Endaweni lapho izinja zaxhapha khona igazi likaNaboti, izinja ziyakuxhapha negazi lakho, yebo, elakho.’ ”
20. Wayesethi u-Ahabi ku-Eliya: “Usungitholile wena sitha sami na?”Wathi: “Ngikutholile, ngokuba uzithengisile ukwenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova.
21. ‘Bheka, ngiyakukwehlisela okubi, ngikukhukhule, nginqume ku-Ahabi wonke umlisa, omncane nomkhulu kwa-Israyeli;