2 Kings 5

1 And Naaman, head of the host of the king of Aram, was a great man before his lord, and accepted of face, for by him had Jehovah given salvation to Aram, and the man was mighty in valour — leprous.

Naaman, the king of Aram's army commander was considered a great man by his master and highly respected, for through him the Lord had made the Arameans victorious. He was a mighty warrior, but he was a leper.

2 And the Aramaeans have gone out [by] troops, and they take captive out of the land of Israel a little damsel, and she is before the wife of Naaman,

Some Arameans had gone on a raid and had captured a young girl from the land of Israel. She had been made a servant to Naaman's wife.

3 and she saith unto her mistress, 'O that my lord [were] before the prophet who [is] in Samaria; then he doth recover him from his leprosy.'

She told her mistress, “If only my master would go and see the prophet who lives in Samaria. I'm sure he could cure him of his leprosy.”

4 And [one] goeth in and declareth to his lord, saying, 'Thus and thus she hath spoken, the damsel who [is] from the land of Israel.'

Naaman went to his master and explained what the Israelite girl had said.

5 And the king of Aram saith, 'Go thou, enter, and I send a letter unto the king of Israel;' and he goeth and taketh in his hand ten talents of silver, and six thousand [pieces] of gold, and ten changes of garments.

“You can go,” said the king of Aram, “and I will send a letter with you to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left. He took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of clothing.

6 And he bringeth in the letter unto the king of Israel, saying, 'And now, at the coming in of this letter unto thee, lo, I have sent unto thee Naaman my servant, and thou hast recovered him from his leprosy.'

The letter he took to the king of Israel read: “This letter accompanies my servant Naaman, sent to you so you can heal him of his leprosy.”

7 And it cometh to pass, at the king of Israel's reading the letter, that he rendeth his garments, and saith, 'Am I God, to put to death and to keep alive, that this [one] is sending unto me to recover a man from his leprosy? for surely know, I pray you, and see, for he is presenting himself to me.'

When the king of Israel read the letter, he ripped his clothes in panic and said, “Does this man think I'm God, having power over life and death, sending me a leper to heal? Obviously he's just trying to invent an excuse to attack me, as anyone can see!”

8 And it cometh to pass, at Elisha the man of God's hearing that the king of Israel hath rent his garments, that he sendeth unto the king, saying, 'Why hast thou rent thy garments? let him come, I pray thee, unto me, and he doth know that there is a prophet in Israel.'

But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had ripped his clothes in panic, he sent a message to the king, saying: “What did you rip your clothes for? Please send the man to me, so he will be convinced there is a prophet in Israel.”

9 And Naaman cometh, with his horses and with his chariot, and standeth at the opening of the house for Elisha;

So Naaman arrived with his horses and chariots and stood waiting at the door of Elisha's house.

10 and Elisha sendeth unto him a messenger, saying, 'Go, and thou hast washed seven times in Jordan, and thy flesh doth turn back to thee — and be thou clean.

Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan. Then your body will be healed, and you will be clean.”

11 And Naaman is wroth, and goeth on, and saith, 'Lo, I said, Unto me he doth certainly come out, and hath stood and called in the name of Jehovah his God, and waved his hand over the place, and recovered the leper.

But Naaman got angry and left, saying, “I expected he would at least come out, stand there and invoke the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over where my leprosy is and heal it.

12 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 turneth and goeth on in fury.

Aren't the rivers of Damascus, Abanah and Pharpar, better than any of these streams of Israel? Couldn't I have washed in them and been healed?” So he turned around and went off in a rage.

13 And his servants come nigh, and speak unto him, and say, 'My father, a great thing had the prophet spoken unto thee — dost thou not do [it]? and surely, when he hath said unto thee, Wash, and be clean.'

But Naaman's officials went to him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you that you had to do something extraordinary, wouldn't you have done it? How much easier is it to do what he says, ‘Wash and you'll be healed’?”

14 And he goeth down and dippeth in Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh doth turn back as the flesh of a little youth, and is clean.

So Naaman went down and plunged himself underwater in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him. His body was healed, his skin became like a baby's, and he was clean.

15 And he turneth back unto the man of God, he and all his camp, and cometh in, and standeth before him, and saith, 'Lo, I pray thee, I have known that there is not a God in all the earth except in Israel; and now, take, I pray thee, a blessing from thy servant.'

Then Naaman and his whole entourage went back to the man of God, stood before him, and Naaman announced, “Now I'm convinced that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept a gift from me, your servant.”

16 And he saith, 'Jehovah liveth, before whom I have stood — if I take [it];' and he presseth on him to take, and he refuseth.

But Elisha replied, “As the Lord lives, the one I serve, I will not accept anything.” Even though Naaman tried to persuade him to take the gift, he refused.

17 And Naaman saith, 'If not — let be given, I pray thee, to thy servant, a couple of mules' burden of earth, for thy servant doth make no more burnt-offering and sacrifice to other gods, but to Jehovah.

So Naaman said, “If you won't, please let me, your servant, take back with me two mule loads of earth, for I will never again bring a burnt offering or make a sacrifice to any other god but the Lord.

18 For this thing Jehovah be propitious to thy 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 Jehovah be propitious, I pray thee, to thy servant in this thing.'

In addition, may the Lord forgive me for doing this: When my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and I assist him, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive me for doing so.”

19 And he saith to him, 'Go in peace.' And he goeth from him a kibrath of land,

“Go in peace,” said Elisha, and Naaman left. But he had only gone a short way

20 And Gehazi, servant of Elisha the man of God, saith, 'Lo, my lord hath spared Naaman this Aramaean, not to receive from his hand that which he brought; Jehovah liveth; surely if I have run after him, then I have taken from him something.'

when Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “Just look how my master has let this Naaman the Syrian off the hook by not accepting the gifts he brought! As the Lord lives, I'll run after him and get something from him.”

21 And Gehazi pursueth after Naaman, and Naaman seeth one running after him, and alighteth from off the chariot to meet him, and saith, 'Is there peace?'

So Gehazi chased after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he jumped down from the chariot to meet him and asked, “Is everything all right?”

22 And he saith, 'Peace; my lord hath sent me, saying, Lo, now, this, come unto me have two young men from the hill-country of Ephraim, of the sons of the prophets; give, I pray thee, to them, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.'

“Everything's fine,” Gehazi replied. “My master sent me to tell you, ‘I've just found out that two young men have arrived to see me from the sons of the prophets who live the hill country of Ephraim. Please let them have a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.’”

23 And Naaman saith, 'Be pleased, take two talents;' and he urgeth on him, and bindeth two talents of silver in two purses, and two changes of garments, and giveth unto two of his young men, and they bear before him;

But Naaman replied, “Please, take two talents.” He insisted that Gehazi to accept them. Then he tied up two talents of silver in two bags as well as two sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, who carried them for Gehazi.

24 and he cometh in unto the high place, and taketh out of their hand, and layeth up in the house, and sendeth away the men, and they go.

When Gehazi arrived at the hill fortress, he took the gifts from the servants and put them in the house. He told the men they could go, and they left.

25 And he hath come in, and doth stand by his lord, and Elisha saith unto him, 'Whence — Gehazi?' and he saith, 'Thy servant went not hither or thither.'

When Gehazi got back and attended his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” “Your servant hasn't been anywhere,” he replied.

26 And he saith unto him, 'My heart went not when the man turned from off his chariot to meet thee; is it a time to take silver, and to take garments, and olives, and vines, and flock, and herd, and men-servants, and maid-servants?

But Elisha told him, “Didn't I see you in my mind's eye when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants?

27 yea, the leprosy of Naaman doth cleave to thee, and to thy seed, — to the age;' and he goeth out from before him — leprous as snow.

Consequently Naaman's leprosy will stick to you and your descendants forever!” As Gehazi left him, he had leprosy—he looked as white as snow.