2 Kings 5
1 [A man named] Naaman was the commander of the army of Syria. Yahweh had enabled him to win many victories/battles. He was a great warrior, and as a result the king of Syria greatly respected him. But he had (leprosy/a dreaded skin disease).
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.
2 [Some time previously, ] groups of soldiers/marauders from Syria had raided/attacked the land of Israel, and they had captured a young girl [and taken her to Syria]. She became a servant for Naaman’s wife.
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.
3 One day, that girl said to her, “I wish that (my master/your husband) would go to see the prophet in Samaria. That prophet would heal your husband from his leprosy.”
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.
4 [Naaman’s wife told her husband] what the girl from Israel had said, [and] Naaman told [that] to the king.
And she went in and told her lord, and said, Thus and thus spoke the maid from the land of Israel.
5 The king said to him, “Okay, go [and see the prophet]. I will [write] a letter for you to take to the king of Israel, [saying that I sent you].” The king wrote in the letter, “I am sending this letter with [my army commander] Naaman, who serves me [faithfully]. I want you to heal him of his disease.” So Naaman, [assuming/thinking that the king of Israel was the prophet, took the letter and] 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing, to give to the king of Israel, [and he went to Samaria, taking along several servants].
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 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.
7 [When he arrived in Samaria, he gave the letter to the king] of Israel. The king read the letter. Then, being very dismayed, the king tore his clothes and said, “I am not God [RHQ]! I am not able to enable people to live or to die [RHQ]! Why does [the king] who wrote this letter request me to cure this man of his leprosy? I think that he is just wanting to start a fight with me!”
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.
8 But the prophet Elisha heard that the king of Israel had torn his robe [and said that]. So he sent a message to the king, saying, “Why are you upset/frustrated [RHQ]? Send Naaman to me, and he will find out that [because] I am a true prophet [here] in Israel, [I can help/heal him].”
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.
9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots to Elisha’s house and waited outside the door.
So Naiman came with horse and chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisaie.
10 But Elisha [did not come to the door. Instead, he] sent a messenger to Naaman, to tell him, “Go to the Jordan [River] and wash yourself seven times in the river. Then your skin will be restored/healed, and you will no longer have leprosy.”
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.
11 But Naaman became very angry. He said, “I thought that surely he would wave his hand over the leprosy, and pray to Yahweh his god, and heal me!
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.
12 Surely the Abana River and the Pharpar River in Damascus [in my own country of Syria] are [RHQ] better than any of the rivers in Israel! Why can I not wash in those rivers and be healed?” [RHQ] So he turned and walked away with great anger/disgust.
[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.
13 But his servants came to him, and [one of them] said, “Sir, if that prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would certainly [RHQ] have done it. So you should certainly do what he says and wash [in the Jordan River] to be healed!” [RHQ]
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.
14 So Naaman went down to the Jordan [River] and washed himself seven times, as (the prophet/Elisha) told him to do. Then his skin was restored/healed, and it became healthy/smooth, like the skin of a young child.
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.
15 Then Naaman and those who were with him went back to talk to Elisha. They stood in front of him, and Naaman said, “Now I know that there are no real gods anywhere else in the world, but there is a God here in Israel! So now please accept these gifts that I [have brought to you]!”
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.
16 But Elisha replied, “Just as certainly as Yahweh, the one whom I serve, lives, I will not accept any gifts.” Naaman kept urging him [to accept the gifts], but Elisha kept refusing.
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.
17 Then Naaman said, “Okay, but [I have one request. This dirt here in Israel is holy, so] please allow me to take some dirt from this place and put it [in sacks] on two mules. Then I will take it back home with me [and make an altar on this dirt]. From now on, I will offer sacrifices to Yahweh [on that altar]. I will not offer sacrifices to any other god.
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.
18 However, when my master, [the king, ] goes into the temple of the god Rimmon to worship him/it there, and he is leaning on my arm, I hope/desire that Yahweh will forgive me because I will have to bow down, too.”
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.
19 Elisha replied, “Go home, and do not worry about that.” So Naaman [and his servants] started to travel home.
And Elisaie said to Naiman, Go in peace. And he departed from him a little way.
20 But then Elisha’s servant Gehazi said to himself, “It is not good that my master allowed this Syrian man to leave like this. He should have accepted his gifts. So just as certainly as Yahweh lives, I will go and catch up with Naaman and get something from him.”
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.
21 So Gehazi hurried to catch up with Naaman. When Naaman saw Gehazi running toward him, he [stopped] the chariot [in which he was riding, ] jumped out, and went to see what Gehazi wanted. He asked him, “Is everything all right?”
So Giezi followed after Naiman: and Naiman saw him running after him, and turned back from his chariot to meet him.
22 Gehazi replied, “Yes, but two young prophets from the hilly area where the descendants of Ephraim live have just arrived. Elisha has sent me to tell you that he would like 75 pounds of silver and two sets of clothing to give to them.”
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.
23 Naaman replied, “Certainly! You can have 150 pounds of silver!” He urged Gehazi to take it. He also gave him two sets of clothing. He tied up the silver in two bags and gave them to two of his servants to carry back to Elisha.
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.
24 But when they arrived at the hill [where Elisha lived], Gehazi took the silver and the clothes from Naaman’s servants and sent the servants back to Naaman. Then he took those things into his house and hid them.
And he came to a secret place, and took them from their hands, and laid them up in the house, and dismissed the men.
25 When he went to Elisha, Elisha asked him, “Where did you go, Gehazi?” Gehazi replied, “I did not go anywhere.”
And he went in himself and stood before his master; and Elisaie said to him,
26 Elisha asked him, [“Do you not realize that] my spirit was there when Naaman got out of his chariot to talk with you? This is certainly not [RHQ] the time to accept gifts of money and clothes and olive groves and vineyards and sheep and oxen and servants!
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.
27 Because you have done this, you and your children and all your descendants, forever, will have leprosy just like Naaman had!” And when Gehazi left the room, he was a leper! His skin was as white as snow!
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.
