< 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 Naaman, head of the host of the king of Aram, was a great man before his lord, and accepted of face, for YHWH had given salvation to Aram by him, and the man was mighty in valor, [but] leprous.
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 Arameans have gone out [by] troops, and they take a little girl captive out of the land of Israel, and she is before the wife of Naaman,
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 says to her mistress, “O that my lord [were] before the prophet who [is] in Samaria; then he recovers him from 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 [one] goes in and declares [it] to his lord, saying, “Thus and thus the girl who [is] from the land of Israel has spoken.”
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 Aram says, “Go, enter, and I send a letter to the king of Israel”; and he goes and takes in his hand 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 brings in the letter to the king of Israel, saying, “And now, at the coming in of this letter to you, behold, I have sent my servant Naaman to you, and you have recovered him from 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 comes to pass, at the king of Israel’s reading the letter, that he tears his garments and says, “Am I God, to put to death and to keep alive, that this [one] is sending to me to recover a man from his leprosy? For surely know now, and see, for he is presenting himself to 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 comes to pass, at Elisha the man of God’s hearing that the king of Israel has torn his garments, that he sends to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your garments? Please let him come to me, and he knows 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 Naaman comes, with his horses and with his chariot, and stands at the opening of the house for 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 sends a messenger to him, saying, “Go, and you have washed seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh turns back to you—and be 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.
And Naaman is angry, and goes on and says, “Behold, I said, He certainly comes out to me, and has stood and called in the Name of his God YHWH, and waved his hand over the place, and recovered 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 Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Do I not wash in them and I have been clean?” And he turns and goes on in fury.
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 come near, and speak to him, and say, “My father, the prophet had spoken a great thing to you—do you not do [it]? And surely, when he has said to you, Wash, and be 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.
And he goes down and dips in the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh turns back as the flesh of a little youth, and is 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 turns back to the man of God, he and all his camp, and comes in, and stands before him, and says, “Now behold, I have known that there is not a God in all the earth except in Israel; and now, please take a blessing from your 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.
And he says, “YHWH lives, before whom I have stood—if I take [it]”; and he presses on him to take, and he refuses.
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 Naaman says, “If not, please let a couple of mules’ burden of earth be given to your servant, for your servant makes no more burnt-offering and sacrifice to other gods, but [only sacrifices] to YHWH.
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 in this thing may YHWH be propitious to your servant, in the coming in of my lord into the house of Rimmon to bow himself there, and he was supported by my hand, and I bowed myself [in] the house of Rimmon; for my bowing myself in the house of Rimmon, may YHWH now be propitious to your servant in this thing.”
19 Vnto whome he saide, Goe in peace. So he departed from him about halfe a dayes iourney of grounde.
And he says to him, “Go in peace.” And he goes from him a distance of land,
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.
and Gehazi, servant of Elisha the man of God, says, “Behold, my lord has spared this Aramean Naaman, not to receive from his hand that which he brought; for YHWH lives; if I have run after him, then I have taken something 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?
And Gehazi pursues after Naaman, and Naaman sees one running after him, and comes down off the chariot to meet him, and says, “Is there peace?”
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 says, “Peace; my lord has sent me, saying, Behold, now, this, two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill-country of Ephraim; please give a talent of silver and two changes of garments to them.”
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 Naaman says, “Be pleased, take two talents”; and he urges him, and binds two talents of silver in two purses, and two changes of garments, and gives [them] to two of his young men, and they carry [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 he comes to the high place, and takes [them] out of their hand, and lays [them] up in the house, and sends the men away, and they go.
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.
And he has come in, and stands by his lord, and Elisha says to him, “From where—Gehazi?” And he says, “Your servant did not go here or there.”
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 says to him, “My heart did not go when the man turned from off his chariot to meet you; is it a time to take silver, and to take garments, and olives, and vines, and flock, and herd, and menservants, and maidservants?
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.
Indeed, the leprosy of Naaman cleaves to you and to your seed for all time”; and he goes out from before him—leprous as snow.