2 Kings 5

1 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.

Now Naaman, chief of the army of the king of Aram, was a man of high position with his master, and greatly respected, because by him the Lord had given salvation to Aram; but he was a leper.

2 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.

Now the Aramaeans had gone out in bands, and taken prisoner from Israel a little girl, who became servant to Naaman's wife.

3 `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.

And she said to her master's wife, If only my lord would go to the prophet in Samaria, he would make him well.

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

And someone went and said to his lord, This is what the girl from the land of Israel says.

5 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,

So the king of Aram said, Go then; and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. And he went, taking with him ten talents of silver and six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing.

6 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.

And he took the letter to the king of Israel, in which the king of Aram had said, See, I have sent my servant Naaman to you to be made well, for he is a leper.

7 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.

But the king of Israel, after reading the letter, was greatly troubled and said, Am I God, to give death and life? why does this man send a leper to me to be made well? is it not clear that he is looking for a cause of war?

8 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.

Now Elisha, the man of God, hearing that the king of Israel had done this, sent to the king, saying, Why are you troubled? send the man to me, so that he may see that there is a prophet in Israel.

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

So Naaman, with all his horses and his carriages, came to the door of Elisha's house.

10 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.

And Elisha sent a servant to him, saying, Go to Jordan, and after washing seven times in its waters your flesh will be well again and you will be clean.

11 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.

But Naaman was angry and went away and said, I had the idea that he would come out to see such an important person as I am, and make prayer to the Lord his God, and with a wave of his hand over the place make the leper well.

12 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?

Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not be washed in them and become clean? So turning, he went away in wrath.

13 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.

Then his servants came to him and said, If the prophet had given you orders to do some great thing, would you not have done it? how much more then, when he says to you, Be washed and become clean?

14 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.

Then he went down seven times into the waters of Jordan, as the man of God had said; and his flesh became like the flesh of a little child again, and he was clean.

15 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.

Then he went back to the man of God, with all his train, and, taking his place before him, said, Now I am certain that there is no God in all the earth, but only in Israel: now then, take an offering from me.

16 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.

But he said, By the life of the Lord whose servant I am, I will take nothing from you. And he did his best to make him take it but he would not.

17 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.

Then Naaman said, If you will not, then let there be given to your servant as much earth as two beasts are able to take on their backs; because from now on, your servant will make no offering or burned offering to other gods, but only to the Lord.

18 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.

But may your servant have the Lord's forgiveness for this one thing: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon for worship there, supported on my arm, and my head is bent in the house of Rimmon; when his head is bent in the house of Rimmon, may your servant have the Lord's forgiveness for this thing.

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

And he said to him, Go in peace. And he went from him some distance.

20 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.

But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, the man of God, said, Now my master has taken nothing from Naaman, this Aramaean, of what he would have given him: by the living Lord, I will go after him and get something from him.

21 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?

So Gehazi went after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he got down from his carriage and went back to him and said, Is all well?

22 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.

And he said, All is well: but my master has sent me, saying, Even now, two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill-country of Ephraim; will you give me a talent of silver and two changes of clothing for them?

23 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.

And Naaman said, Be good enough to take two talents. And forcing him to take them, he put two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and gave them to his two servants to take before him.

24 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.

When he came to the hill, he took them from their hands, and put them away in the house; and he sent the men away, and they went.

25 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.

Then he came in and took his place before his master. And Elisha said to him, Where have you come from, Gehazi? And he said, Your servant went nowhere.

26 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;

And he said to him, Did not my heart go with you, when the man got down from his carriage and went back to you? Is this a time for getting money, and clothing, and olive-gardens and vine-gardens, and sheep and oxen, and men-servants and women-servants?

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

Because of what you have done, the disease of Naaman the leper will take you in its grip, and your seed after you, for ever. And he went out from before him a leper as white as snow.