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.

Naaman, prince of the chyualrye of the kyng of Syrie, was a greet man, and worschipid anentis his lord; for bi hym the Lord yaf helthe to Sirie; sotheli he was a strong man and riche, but leprouse.

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.

Forsothe theues yede out of Sirie, and ledden prisonere fro the lond of Israel a litil damysele, that was in the seruyce of the wijf of Naaman.

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.

`Which damysele seide to hir ladi, `Y wolde, that my lord hadde be at the prophete which is in Samarie; sotheli the prophete schulde haue curid hym of the lepre which he hath.

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

Therfor Naaman entride to his lord, and telde to hym, and seide, A damysel of the lond of Israel spak so and so.

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.

Therfor the kyng of Syrie seide to hym, Go thou, and Y schal sende lettris to the kyng of Israel. And whanne he hadde go forth, and hadde take with hym ten talentis of siluer, and sixe thousynde goldun platis, `ether floreyns, and ten chaungyngis of clothis,

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

he brouyte lettris to the kyng of Israel bi these wordis; Whanne thou hast take this pistle, wite thou, that Y haue sent to thee Naaman, my seruaunt, that thou cure hym of his lepre.

7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel read the letter, [that] he tore 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 whanne the kyng of Israel hadde red the lettris, he to-rente his clothis, and seide, Whether Y am God, that may sle and quykene, for this kyng sente to me, that Y cure a man of his lepre? Perseyue ye, and se, that he sekith occasiouns ayens me.

8 And it came to pass, when Elisaie heard that the king of Israel had tore his garments, that he sent to the king of Israel, saying, Therefore have you tore your garments? Let Naiman, I pray you, come to me, and let him know that there is a prophet in Israel.

And whanne Elisee, the man of God, hadde herd this, that is, that the kyng of Israel hadde to-rente hise clothis, he sente to the kyng, and seide, Whi to-rentist thou thi clothis? come he to me, and wite he, that a prophete is in Israel.

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

Therfor Naaman cam with horsis and charis, and stood at the dore of the hows of Elisee.

10 And Elisaie sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash seven times in Jordan, and your flesh shall return to you, and you shall be cleansed.

And Elisee sente to hym a messanger, and seide, Go thou, and be thou waischun seuensithis in Jordan; and thi fleisch shal resseyue helthe, and thou schalt be clensid.

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.

Naaman was wrooth, and yede awei, and seide, Y gesside, that he schulde go out to me, and that he schulde stonde, and clepe the name of `the Lord his God, and that he schulde touche with his hond the place of lepre, and schulde cure me.

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.

Whether Abana and Pharphar, floodis of Damask, ben not betere than alle the watris of Israel, that Y be waischun in tho, and be clensid?

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

Therfor whanne he hadde turned hym silf, and yede awei, hauynge indignacioun, hise seruauntis neiyiden to hym, and spaken to hym, Fadir, thouy the prophete hadde seid to thee a greet thing, certis thou owist to do; hou myche more for now he seide to thee, Be thou waischun, and thou schalt be clensid.

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.

He yede doun, and waischide hym seuensithis in Jordan, bi the word of the man of God; and his fleisch was restored as the fleisch of a litil child, and he was clensid.

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 your servant.

And he turnede ayen with al his felouschipe to the man of God, and cam, and stood bifor hym; and seide, Verili Y knowe, that noon other God is in al erthe, no but oneli God of Israel; therfor, Y biseche, that thou take blessyng of thi seruaunt.

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.

And he answeride, The Lord lyueth bifor whom Y stonde, for Y schal not take. And whanne he made `strengthe, that is, greet preier, Elisee assentide not outirli.

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

Therfor Naaman seide, As thou wolt; but, I biseche, graunte thou to me, thi seruaunt, that Y take of `the lond the birthun of twei burdones; for thi seruaunt schal no more make brent sacrifice, ether slayn sacrifice, to alien goddis, no but to the Lord.

18 And let the Lord be propitious to your 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 your servant in this matter.

Forsothe this thing is oneli, of which thou schalt preie the Lord for thi seruaunt, whanne my lord shal entre into the temple of Remmon, that he worschipe, and while he `schal lene on myn hond, if Y worschipe in the temple of Remmon, while he worschipith in the same place, that the Lord foryyue to thi seruaunt for this thing.

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

Which Elisee seide to hym, Go thou in pees. `Therfor he yede fro Elisee in a chosun tyme of the lond.

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.

And Giezi, the child of the man of God, seide, My lord sparide this Naaman of Syrie, that he took not of hym that, that he brouyte; the Lord lyueth, for Y schal renne aftir hym, and Y schal take of hym sum thing.

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

And Giezi suede aftir the bak of Naaman; and whanne Naaman hadde seyn Giezi rennynge to hym, he skippide doun of the chare in to the metyng of Giezi; and seide, Whether alle thingis ben riytfuli?

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 you, a talent of silver, and two changes of raiment.

And he seide, Riytfuli; my lord sente me to thee, and seide, Twey yonge men of the hille of Effraym, of the sones of prophetis, camen now to me; yyue thou to hem a talent of siluer, and double chaungyng clothis.

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 seide, It is betere that thou take twei talentis. And Naaman constreynede hym; and Naaman boond twei talentis of siluer in twei sackis, and double clothis, and puttide on his twey children, `that is, seruauntis, whiche also baren bifor Giezi.

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 whanne he hadde come thanne in the euentid, he took fro the hond of hem, and leide vp in the hows; and he delyuerede the men, and thei yeden.

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

Forsothe Giezi entride, and stood bifor his lord. And Elise seide, Giezi, fro whennus comest thou? Which answeride, Thi seruaunt yede not to ony place.

26 Whence [come you], Giezi? and Giezi said, Your servant has not been hither or there. And Elisaie said to him, Went not my heart with you, when the man returned from his chariot to meet you? and now you have received silver, and now you have received raiment, and olive yards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants.

And Elise seide, Whether myn herte was not in present, whanne the man turnede ayen fro his chare in to the metyng of thee? Now therfor thou hast take siluer, and thou hast take clothis, that thou bie places of olyues, and vyneris, and scheep, and oxis, and seruauntis, and handmaydis;

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

but also the lepre of Naaman schal cleue to thee, and to thi seed withouten ende. And Giezi yede leprouse as snow, `fro hym.