Cursed By His Own Desire: Forbidden Obsession: A Story
"Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well." – Proverbs 5:15
Chapter One: The Stranger at the Well
Eliab ben Judah was a man of stature in the town of Hebron. A wealthy merchant, respected elder, and devoted husband, he had everything a man could desire—except control over his own heart. Though he had a faithful wife, Naomi, whose virtue shone like the morning sun, his eyes wandered where they should not.
And so it was that on one fateful day, his desire was snared by the sight of another man's wife.
It happened at the well, where the women of Hebron gathered in the early hours, their veils fluttering like the wings of doves. Among them was Talia, the wife of Asahel the blacksmith. She was a woman of rare beauty, with dark, piercing eyes and a voice as soft as flowing water.
Eliab watched her draw water, her delicate hands gripping the clay jar. A single drop of sweat traced the curve of her neck. He should have turned away. He should have remembered the words of wisdom:
"You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his servant, nor his ox, nor anything that belongs to your neighbor." – Exodus 20:17
But the seed of desire had already taken root.
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Chapter Two: The Burning Fire of Covetousness
That night, Eliab could not sleep. The image of Talia haunted him, her laughter an echo in his mind. He found himself justifying his thoughts.
"Surely, admiring beauty is no sin," he reasoned. "Did not King David once look upon Bathsheba?"
Yet he forgot what came next—the curse, the bloodshed, the destruction of David’s house.
"The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good." – Proverbs 15:3
Days turned into weeks, and Eliab’s desire grew. He began frequenting the well at the hour Talia came. He lingered near her husband’s shop, watching her from afar. And soon, temptation turned to pursuit.
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Chapter Three: The Forbidden Fruit
One evening, as the crimson sun dipped behind the hills, Eliab found himself alone with Talia. Her husband had gone to the city, and she was returning from the market, her basket heavy with figs and pomegranates.
"Let me help you, my lady," Eliab offered, his voice smooth as oil.
Talia hesitated, but his status as an elder made it difficult to refuse. She allowed him to carry her basket. They walked together in the twilight, and Eliab, emboldened by the secrecy of the moment, spoke words he never should have uttered.
"You are more beautiful than any woman I have known," he confessed. "Your husband does not cherish you as he should."
Talia stopped in her tracks. Shock filled her eyes. "You dishonor me, my lord," she whispered. "And you dishonor your wife."
But Eliab reached for her hand. "No one will know. Love is not bound by law."
Talia pulled away. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," she said. "Do not bring a curse upon yourself, Eliab ben Judah."
"Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?" – Proverbs 6:27
She turned and fled, leaving Eliab standing alone in the growing darkness.
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Chapter Four: The Curse of the Lord
That night, Eliab fell ill. His body burned with fever, and his mind was tormented by visions. He dreamt of shadows chasing him, of unseen hands clawing at his soul. He saw Asahel’s face twisted in rage, and above it all, he heard a voice like thunder:
"Why do you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in His eyes?" – 2 Samuel 12:9
For days, Eliab lay in his bed, tormented. His wife wept by his side, unaware of the sin he had hidden in his heart. But sin does not stay hidden forever.
Asahel, the blacksmith, soon heard whispers—of glances stolen, of words spoken in secret. He confronted Eliab in the marketplace, his voice echoing like a hammer against iron.
"You looked upon my wife with lust," he accused. "You defiled her honor with your words!"
The townspeople gathered, murmuring among themselves. The Law of Moses was clear:
"If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death." – Leviticus 20:10
Though no sin of the flesh had been committed, the elders of Hebron saw the wickedness in Eliab’s heart. His reputation was shattered. The weight of his shame drove him from the town, and he wandered the wilderness, a man cursed by his own desire.
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Chapter Five: The Valley of Repentance
Alone in the wilderness, Eliab wept. He cried out to the God of his fathers, begging for mercy. He tore his garments and fasted for seven days, for the words of the prophets rang in his ears:
"Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong." – Isaiah 1:16
On the seventh night, as he lay upon the cold earth, a vision came to him. He saw a well overflowing with pure water, and a voice called out:
"Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well." – Proverbs 5:15
Eliab awoke with tears upon his face. He understood. He had despised the gift given to him—his own wife, his own household. He had chased after another man’s treasure, and in doing so, he had nearly destroyed himself.
He returned to Hebron, humbled and repentant. Before the elders and the people, he confessed his sin. He fell at Naomi’s feet and begged her forgiveness.
And because the Lord is merciful, He restored Eliab. But the scar of his sin remained, a reminder that the eyes of the Lord see all things, and that no man can touch another’s wife without inviting ruin upon himself.
For as it is written:
"For jealousy arouses a husband's fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge." – Proverbs 6:34
And so the name of Eliab ben Judah was forever a warning in Hebron: Leave other men's wives alone, lest the curse of the Lord fall upon you.
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The End
