< 2 Kings 5 >

1 Now Naaman, chief of the army of the king of Aram, was a man of high position with his master, and greatly respected, because by him the Lord had given salvation to Aram; but he was a leper.
Now, Naaman, general of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man in presence of his lord, and held in honour, because, by him, had Yahweh given deliverance to Syria, —and, the man, was a hero of valour—[but], a leper.
2 Now the Aramaeans had gone out in bands, and taken prisoner from Israel a little girl, who became servant to Naaman's wife.
Now, the Syrians, had gone out in companies, and had brought back out of the land of Israel, a little maiden, —who became an attendant on the wife of Naaman.
3 And she said to her master's wife, If only my lord would go to the prophet in Samaria, he would make him well.
And she said unto her mistress, Ah! would that my lord were before the prophet, who is in Samaria! then, would he set him free from his leprosy.
4 And someone went and said to his lord, This is what the girl from the land of Israel says.
And he went in and told his lord, saying, —Thus and thus, hath spoken the maiden who is of the land of Israel!
5 So the king of Aram said, Go then; and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. And he went, taking with him ten talents of silver and six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing.
And the king of Syria said—Go, get in, that I may send a letter unto the king of Israel. So he went, and took in his hand ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.
6 And he took the letter to the king of Israel, in which the king of Aram had said, See, I have sent my servant Naaman to you to be made well, for he is a leper.
And he brought in the letter unto the king of Israel, saying, Now, therefore, when this letter cometh in unto thee, lo! I have sent unto thee, Naaman my servant, and thou shalt set him free from his leprosy.
7 But the king of Israel, after reading the letter, was greatly troubled and said, Am I God, to give death and life? why does this man send a leper to me to be made well? is it not clear that he is looking for a cause of war?
And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am, I, God, to kill and to make alive, that, this, man is sending unto me, to set one free from his leprosy, —but, of a truth, just mark, I pray you, and see, that he, is seeking an occasion, against me.
8 Now Elisha, the man of God, hearing that the king of Israel had done this, sent to the king, saying, Why are you troubled? send the man to me, so that he may see that there is a prophet in Israel.
And it was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent unto the king, saying—Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come, I pray thee, unto me, that he may get to know that there is a prophet in Israel.
9 So Naaman, with all his horses and his carriages, came to the door of Elisha's house.
So Naaman came, with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the entrance of the house of Elisha;
10 And Elisha sent a servant to him, saying, Go to Jordan, and after washing seven times in its waters your flesh will be well again and you will be clean.
and Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, —Go and bathe seven times in the Jordan, so shall thy flesh come back to thee, and be thou clean.
11 But Naaman was angry and went away and said, I had the idea that he would come out to see such an important person as I am, and make prayer to the Lord his God, and with a wave of his hand over the place make the leper well.
But Naaman was wroth, and went away, —and said—Lo! I thought, Unto me, will he, come right out, and take his stand, and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand towards the spot, and so set free the leper.
12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not be washed in them and become clean? So turning, he went away in wrath.
Are not, Abanah and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not bathe, in them, and be clean? So he turned, and went away in a rage.
13 Then his servants came to him and said, If the prophet had given you orders to do some great thing, would you not have done it? how much more then, when he says to you, Be washed and become clean?
Then drew near his servants, and spake unto him, and said—My father! if, some great thing, the prophet had commanded thee, wouldst thou not have done it? then, how much rather, when he hath said unto thee, Bathe and be clean?
14 Then he went down seven times into the waters of Jordan, as the man of God had said; and his flesh became like the flesh of a little child again, and he was clean.
Then went he down, and dipped himself in the Jordan, seven times, according to the word of the man of God: and his flesh came back, as the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
15 Then he went back to the man of God, with all his train, and, taking his place before him, said, Now I am certain that there is no God in all the earth, but only in Israel: now then, take an offering from me.
And he returned unto the man of God, he and all his company; and came, and took his stand before him, and said—Lo! I pray thee—I know that there is no God in all the earth, save in Israel, —now, therefore, I pray thee, accept a blessing from thy servant.
16 But he said, By the life of the Lord whose servant I am, I will take nothing from you. And he did his best to make him take it but he would not.
But he said—By the life of Yahweh, before whom I stand, I will not accept one. And, though he urged him to accept it, yet did he refuse.
17 Then Naaman said, If you will not, then let there be given to your servant as much earth as two beasts are able to take on their backs; because from now on, your servant will make no offering or burned offering to other gods, but only to the Lord.
Then said Naaman, Shall there not, then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant, two mules’ burden of earth? For thy servant will henceforth offer neither ascending-offering nor sacrifice to other gods, save only to Yahweh.
18 But may your servant have the Lord's forgiveness for this one thing: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon for worship there, supported on my arm, and my head is bent in the house of Rimmon; when his head is bent in the house of Rimmon, may your servant have the Lord's forgiveness for this thing.
In this thing, Yahweh grant forgiveness to thy servant, —When my lord entereth the house of Rimmon, to bow down therein, he leaning upon my hand, and so I bow down in the house of Rimmon, when he boweth down in the house of Rimmon, Yahweh, I pray, grant forgiveness to thy servant, in this thing.
19 And he said to him, Go in peace. And he went from him some distance.
And he said unto him—Go and prosper! But, when he had gone from him some distance,
20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, the man of God, said, Now my master has taken nothing from Naaman, this Aramaean, of what he would have given him: by the living Lord, I will go after him and get something from him.
Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said—Lo! my lord, hath restrained, this Naaman the Syrian, by not taking at his hand that which he brought! By the life of Yahweh, verily, I will runs after him, and accept of him, something.
21 So Gehazi went after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he got down from his carriage and went back to him and said, Is all well?
So Gehazi hastened after Naaman. And, when Naaman saw one running after him, he alighted from his chariot to meet him, and said, —Is all well?
22 And he said, All is well: but my master has sent me, saying, Even now, two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill-country of Ephraim; will you give me a talent of silver and two changes of clothing for them?
And he said, All is well. My lord, hath sent me to say, Lo! just now, have come unto me, two young men out of the hill country of Ephraim, of the sons of the prophets, —give for them, I pray thee, a talent, of silver, and two changes of raiment.
23 And Naaman said, Be good enough to take two talents. And forcing him to take them, he put two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and gave them to his two servants to take before him.
And Naaman said, Be content, accept two talents. So he urged him, and bound up two talents of silver in two bags, and two changes of raiment, and laid them upon two of his young men, and they bare them before him.
24 When he came to the hill, he took them from their hands, and put them away in the house; and he sent the men away, and they went.
And, when he came to the hill-tower, he took them from their hand, and put them in charge within, —and let the men go, and they departed.
25 Then he came in and took his place before his master. And Elisha said to him, Where have you come from, Gehazi? And he said, Your servant went nowhere.
Now, when, he, came in and stood before his lord, Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, —Thy servant hath been neither hither nor thither.
26 And he said to him, Did not my heart go with you, when the man got down from his carriage and went back to you? Is this a time for getting money, and clothing, and olive-gardens and vine-gardens, and sheep and oxen, and men-servants and women-servants?
Then he said unto him—My heart, had not gone with thee, when someone turned again from off his chariot, to meet thee! Is it a time to accept silver, or to accept raiment, or oliveyards, or vineyards, or flocks or herds, or men-servants, or maid-servants?
27 Because of what you have done, the disease of Naaman the leper will take you in its grip, and your seed after you, for ever. And he went out from before him a leper as white as snow.
The leprosy of Naaman, therefore, shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed, to times age-abiding. And he went forth from before him—a leper—like snow.

< 2 Kings 5 >