Kings IV 5

1 Now Naiman, the captain of the host of Syria, was a great man before his master, and highly respected, because by him the Lord had given deliverance to Syria, and the man was mighty in strength, [but] a leper.

Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him YHWH had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.

2 And the Syrians went forth in small bands, and took captive out of the land of Israel a little maid: and she waited on Naiman's wife.

And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife.

3 And she said to her mistress, O that my lord were before the prophet of God in Samaria; then he would recover him from his leprosy.

And she said unto her mistress, Would Elohim my master were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.

4 And she went in and told her lord, and said, Thus and thus spoke the maid from the land of Israel.

And one went in, and told his master, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.

5 And the king of Syria said to Naiman, Go to, go, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. And he went, and took in his hand ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.

And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.

6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now then, as soon as this letter shall reach thee, behold, I have sent to thee my servant Naiman, and thou shalt recover him from his leprosy.

And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.

7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel read the letter, [that] he rent his garments, and said, [Am] I God, to kill and to make alive, that this [man] sends to me to recover a man of his leprosy? consider, however, I pray you, and see that this [man] seeks an occasion against me.

And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I Elohim, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.

8 And it came to pass, when Elisaie heard that the king of Israel had rent his garments, that he sent to the king of Israel, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy garments? Let Naiman, I pray thee, come to me, and let him know that there is a prophet in Israel.

And it was so, when Elisha the man of Elohim had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.

9 So Naiman came with horse and chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisaie.

So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

10 And Elisaie sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash seven times in Jordan, and thy flesh shall return to thee, and thou shalt be cleansed.

And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

11 And Naiman was angry, and departed, and said, Behold, I said, He will by all means come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of his God, and lay his hand upon the place, and recover the leper.

But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of YHWH his Elohim, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

12 [Are] not the Abana and Pharphar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not go and wash in them, and be cleansed? and he turned and went away in a rage.

Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.

13 And his servants came near and said to him, [Suppose] the prophet had spoken a great thing to thee, wouldest thou not perform it? yet he has but said to thee, Wash, and be cleansed.

And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?

14 So Naiman went down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the word of Elisaie: and his flesh returned to him as the flesh of a little child, and he was cleansed.

Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of Elohim: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

15 And he and all his company returned to Elisaie, and he came and stood before him, and said, Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth, save only in Israel: and now receive a blessing of thy servant.

And he returned to the man of Elohim, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no Elohim in all earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.

16 And Elisaie said, [As] the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will not take [one]. And he pressed him to take [one]: but he would not.

But he said, As YHWH liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.

17 And Naiman said, Well then, if not, let there be given to thy servant, I pray thee, the load [of a] yoke of mules; and thou shalt give me of the red earth: for henceforth thy servant will not offer whole-burnt-offering or sacrifice to other gods, but only to the Lord by [reason of] this thing.

And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other elohim, but unto YHWH.

18 And let the Lord be propitious to thy servant when my master goes into the house of Remman to worship there, and he shall lean on my hand, and I shall bow down in the house of Remman when he bows down in the house of Remman; even let the Lord, I pray, be merciful to thy servant in this matter.

In this thing YHWH pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, YHWH pardon thy servant in this thing.

19 And Elisaie said to Naiman, Go in peace. And he departed from him a little way.

And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.

20 And Giezi the servant of Elisaie said, Behold, my Lord has spared this Syrian Naiman, so as not to take of his hand what he has brought: as the Lord lives, I will surely run after him, and take somewhat of him.

But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of Elohim, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as YHWH liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.

21 So Giezi followed after Naiman: and Naiman saw him running after him, and turned back from his chariot to meet him.

So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?

22 And [Giezi] said, All is well: my master has sent me, saying, Behold, now are there come to me two young men of the sons of the prophets from mount Ephraim; give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of raiment.

And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.

23 And [Naiman] said, Take two talents of silver. And he took two talents of silver in two bags, and two changes of raiment, and put them upon two of his servants, and they bore them before him.

And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.

24 And he came to a secret place, and took them from their hands, and laid them up in the house, and dismissed the men.

And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.

25 And he went in himself and stood before his master; and Elisaie said to him,

But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.

26 Whence [comest thou], Giezi? and Giezi said, Thy servant has not been hither or thither. And Elisaie said to him, Went not my heart with thee, when the man returned from his chariot to meet thee? and now thou hast received silver, and now thou hast received raiment, and olive yards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants.

And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?

27 The leprosy also of Naiman shall cleave to thee, and to thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence leprous, like snow.

The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.