Naboth’s Vineyard and the Wars with Syria

At that time Ahab, king of Samaria, coveted the vineyard of Naboth, which lay next to his own. When Naboth was unwilling to sell it to him, he was put to death through Jezebel’s scheming. So Ahab got possession of the vineyard, though he is said at the same time to have been sorry for Naboth’s death. Acknowledging his crime, he is said to have done penance clothed in sackcloth, and in this way he turned aside the punishment that threatened him. [a]

For the king of Syria, having formed a military alliance with thirty-two kings, entered the territory of Samaria with a great army and began to besiege the city and its king. The besieged were in great distress, and the Syrian king offered these terms of war: if they gave up their gold and silver and their women, he would spare their lives. But with such unjust terms offered, it seemed better to suffer the worst. And when everyone had given up hope of being saved, a prophet sent by God went to the king, urged him to go out to battle, and, when he hesitated, strengthened his confidence in many ways. So they made a sally, the enemy were routed, and a rich store of plunder was taken.

But a year later the Syrian king came back into Samaria with fresh strength, burning to avenge the defeat he had suffered, and he was beaten again. In that battle one hundred and twenty thousand Syrians died. The king was pardoned, and his kingdom and former rank were given back to him. Then the prophet rebuked Ahab in the words of God for having abused the divine kindness and spared the enemy who had been delivered into his hands. So, three years later, the Syrian king made war on the Hebrews. Ahab went out to battle against him on the advice of a certain false prophet. He had scorned the words of the prophet Micaiah and thrown him into prison, because Micaiah had warned him that the fight would be disastrous for him. And so Ahab was killed in that battle and left the kingdom to his son Ahaziah.