< 2 Kings 5 >

1 Now was there one Naaman captaine of the hoste of the King of Aram, a great man, and honourable in the sight of his lorde, because that by him the Lord had deliuered the Aramites. He also was a mightie man and valiant, but a leper.
And Na'aman, the captain of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man before his Lord, and highly honored; because by him had the Lord given victory unto Syria: and this man was valiant in war, [but] a leper.
2 And the Aramites had gone out by bands, and had taken a litle mayde of the land of Israel, and shee serued Naamans wife.
And the Syrians had gone out in predatory troops, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maiden; and she waited on Na'aman's wife.
3 And she sayd vnto her mistres, Would God my lord were with the Prophet that is in Samaria, he would soone deliuer him of his leprosie.
And she said unto her mistress, Oh that my Lord were but before the prophet that is in Samaria! then would he heal him of his leprosy.
4 And he went in, and tolde his lorde, saying, Thus and thus saith the mayde that is of the land of Israel.
And he went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus hath spoken the maiden that is from the land of Israel.
5 And the King of Aram sayde, Goe thy way thither, and I will send a letter vnto the King of Israel. And he departed, and tooke with him ten talents of siluer, and sixe thousand pieces of golde, and ten change of rayments,
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 garments.
6 And brought the letter to the King of Israel to this effect, Now when this letter is come vnto thee, vnderstand, that I haue sent thee Naaman my seruant, that thou maiest heale him of his leprosie.
And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, And now when this letter cometh unto thee, behold, I have sent to thee Na'aman my servant, that thou mayest heal him of his leprosy.
7 And when the King of Israel had read the letter, he rent his clothes, and sayde, Am I God, to kill and to giue life, that hee doth send to mee, that I should heale a man from his leprosie? wherfore consider, I pray you, and see howe he seeketh a quarel against me.
And it came to pass, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this one doth send unto me to heal a man of his leprosy? for know to a certainty, I pray you, and see that he but seeketh a quarrel against me.
8 But when Elisha the man of God had heard that the King of Israel had rent his clothes, hee sent vnto the King, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? Let him come now to me, and he shall knowe that there is a Prophet in Israel.
And it happened, when Elisha' the man of God 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 but come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.
9 Then Naaman came with his horses, and with his charets, and stoode at the doore of the house of Elisha.
And Na'aman came with his horses and with his chariot, and remained at the door of the house of Elisha'.
10 And Elisha sent a messenger vnto him, saying, Go and wash thee in Iorden seuen times, and thy flesh shall come againe to thee, and thou shalt be clensed.
And Elisha' sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and bathe seven times in the Jordan, and thy flesh shall be restored [healthy] to thee, and thou shalt become clean.
11 But Naaman was wroth and went away, and sayde, Beholde, I thought with my selfe, Hee will surely come out, and stande, and call on the Name of the Lord his God and put his hand on the place, and heale the leprosie.
But Na'aman became wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I had thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and swing his hand over the place, and heal the leper.
12 Are not Abanah and Pharpar, riuers of Damascus, better then all the waters of Israel? may I not washe mee in them, and bee cleansed? so hee turned, and departed in displeasure.
Are not Amanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not bathe in them, and become clean? and he turned and went away in a rage.
13 But his seruants came, and spake vnto him, and sayd, Father, if the Prophet had commanded thee a great thing, wouldest thou not haue done it? howe much rather then, when hee sayth to thee, Wash and be cleane?
And his servants came near, and spoke unto him, and they said, My father, if the prophet had bidden thee a great thing, wouldst thou not do it? how much rather then, when he hath said to thee, Bathe, and become clean?
14 Then went he downe, and washed him selfe seuen times in Iorden, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came againe, like vnto ye flesh of a litle child, and he was cleane.
Then went he down, and dived seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God: and his flesh was restored [healthy] like the flesh of a little boy, and he became clean.
15 And hee turned againe to the man of God, hee, and all his companie, and came and stood before him, and sayd, Behold, now I knowe that there is no God in all the world, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a reward of thy seruant.
And he returned to the man of God, he with all his camp, and came and stood before him, and said, Behold, now I know that there is no god on all the earth, but in Israel; and now, I pray thee, take a present from thy servant.
16 But hee sayde, As the Lord liueth (before whom I stand) I wil not receiue it. And he would haue constrained him to receiue it, but he refused.
But he said, As the Lord liveth before whom I have stood, I will take none: and he urged him to take it; but he refused.
17 Moreouer Naaman sayde, Shall there not be giuen to thy seruant two mules loade of this earth? for thy seruant will henceforth offer neither burnt sacrifice nor offring vnto any other god, saue vnto the Lord.
And Na'aman said, If [thou wilt] not, [then] let there be given, I pray thee, unto thy servant two mules' burden of earth; for thy servant will not offer henceforth either burnt-offering or peace-sacrifice unto other gods, except unto the Lord.
18 Herein the Lord bee mercifull vnto thy seruant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon, to worship there, and leaneth on mine hand, and I bowe my selfe in the house of Rimmon: when I doe bowe downe, I say, in the house of Rimmon, the Lord be mercifull vnto thy seruant in this point.
For this thing may the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my Lord goeth into the house of Rimmon to prostrate himself there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I prostrate myself also in the house of Rimmon: when I prostrate myself in the house of Rimmon, may the Lord pardon thy servant for this thing.
19 Vnto whome he saide, Goe in peace. So he departed from him about halfe a dayes iourney of grounde.
And he said unto him, Go in peace: so he departed from him some distance.
20 And Gehazi the seruant of Elisha the man of God sayde, Beholde, my master hath spared this Aramite Naaman, receiuing not those things at his hand that he brought: as the Lord liueth, I will runne after him, and take somewhat of him.
But Gechazi, the servant of Elisha' the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Na'aman, this Syrian, in not receiving from his hand what he had brought; but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take some little thing from him.
21 So Gehazi followed speedily after Naaman. And when Naaman sawe him running after him, he light downe from the charet to meete him, and said, Is all well?
So Gechazi hurried after Na'aman; and when Na'aman saw him running after him, he lighted doom from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is [all] well?
22 And he answered, All is well: my master hath set me, saying, Behold, there be come to me, euen nowe from mount Ephraim two yong men of the children of the Prophets: giue them, I pray thee, a talent of siluer, and two change of garmets.
And he said, [all] is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there are come to me from the mountain of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: do give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.
23 And Naaman saide, Yea, take two talents: and he compelled him, and bound two talents of siluer in two bagges, with two change of garments, and gaue them vnto two of his seruants, that they might beare them before him.
And Na'aman said, Give thy assent, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound up two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and he gave them unto his two young men, and they carried them before him.
24 And when he came to the towre, he tooke them out of their handes, and laide them in the house, and sent away the men: and they departed.
And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he dismissed the men, and they departed.
25 Then he went in, and stoode before his master. And Elisha said vnto him, Whence commest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy seruant went no whither.
But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha' said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gechazi? And he said, Thy servant went not hither or thither.
26 But he saide vnto him, Went not mine heart with thee when the man turned againe from his charet to meete thee? Is this a time to take money, and to receiue garments, and oliues, and vineyardes, and sheepe, and oxen, and men seruants, and maide seruants?
And he said unto him, My mind was not gone, when the man turned round from his chariot to meet thee. Is it a time to take money, and to take garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and men-servants, and maid-servants?
27 The leprosie therefore of Naaman shall cleaue vnto thee, and to thy seede for euer. And he went out from his presence a leper white as snowe.
May then the leprosy of Na'aman cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper [as white] as snow.

< 2 Kings 5 >