2 Kings 5

Naaman Cured of Leprosy

1Now Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man in his master’s sight and highly regarded, for through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. And he was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.

1And Naaman commander of the army of the king of Aram was a great man in the eyes of his master, and was lifted of face, because by him YHWH had given deliverance to Aram. And the man was mighty in valor—a leper.

2At this time the Arameans had gone out in bands and had taken a young girl from the land of Israel, and she was serving Naaman’s wife.

2And Aram had gone out in bands, and had brought back captive from the land of Israel a young girl. And she waited before the face of the wife of Naaman.

3She said to her mistress, “If only my master would go to the prophet who is in Samaria, he would cure him of his leprosy.”

3And she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria, then he would heal him of his leprosy!”

4And Naaman went and told his master what the girl from the land of Israel had said.

4And he went in and declared to his master, saying, “Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel.”

5“Go now,” said the king of Aram, “and I will send you with a letter to the king of Israel.”

So Naaman departed, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of clothing.

5And the king of Aram said, “Go, enter, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” And he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of garments.

6And the letter that he took to the king of Israel stated: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman, so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

6And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, “And now when this letter comes to you, be advised that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may heal him of his leprosy.”

7When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and asked, “Am I God, killing and giving life, that this man expects me to cure a leper? Surely you can see that he is seeking a quarrel with me!”

7And it came to pass, in the king of Israel reading the letter, that he tore his garments and said, “Am I God to kill and make alive, that this one sends to me to heal a man of his leprosy? Upon thus consider, please, and see how he is presenting himself to me.”

8Now when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king: “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let the man come to me, and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

8And it came to pass, in Elisha the man of God hearing that the king of Israel had torn his garments, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your garments? Let him come, please, to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

9So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house.

9And Naaman went with his horses and with his chariot, and he stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

10Then Elisha sent him a messenger, who said, “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored, and you will be clean.”

10And Elisha sent to him a messenger, saying, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.”

11But Naaman went away angry, saying, “I thought that he would surely come out, stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the spot to cure my leprosy.

11And Naaman became furious and went away and said, “Behold, I said to myself he would surely come out and stand, and call on the name of YHWH his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.

12Are not the Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not have washed in them and been cleansed?” So he turned and went away in a rage.

12Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could not I wash in them and be clean?” And he turned and went away in a rage.

13Naaman’s servants, however, approached him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’?”

13And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if something great the prophet had spoken to you, would you not have done it? Then how much more when he says to you, ‘Wash and be clean’?”

14So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored and became like that of a little child, and he was clean.

14And he went down and dipped in the Jordan seven times, according to the saying of the man of God. And his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Gehazi’s Greed and Leprosy

15Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God, stood before him, and declared, “Now I know for sure that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”

15And he returned to the man of God, he and all his camp, and came and stood before his face, and he said, “Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth for but in Israel. And now take please a gift from your servant.”

16But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept it.” And although Naaman urged him to accept it, he refused.

16And he said, “As YHWH lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing.” And he urged him to take it, and he refused.

17“If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much soil as a pair of mules can carry. For your servant will never again make a burnt offering or a sacrifice to any other god but the LORD.

17And Naaman said, “If not, let be given, please, to your servant a load of earth as a pair of mules, for your servant will offer not anymore either burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, for but to YHWH.

18Yet may the LORD forgive your servant this one thing: When my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my arm, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant in this matter.”

18In this thing may YHWH pardon your servant, when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon. In my bowing myself in the temple of Rimmon, may YHWH please pardon your servant in this thing.”

19“Go in peace,” said Elisha.

But after Naaman had traveled a short distance,

19And he said to him, “Go in peace.” And he departed from him a distance of land.

20Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared this Aramean, Naaman, by not accepting what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”

20And Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God said, “Behold, my master has spared Naaman this Aramaean—not receiving from his hands what he brought. For as YHWH lives, I will run after him and get from him something.”

21So Gehazi pursued Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and asked, “Is everything all right?”

21And Gehazi pursued after Naaman. And Naaman saw him running after him, and he got down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Peace?”

22“Everything is all right,” Gehazi replied. “My master has sent me to say, ‘Look, two young men from the sons of the prophets have just now come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.’”

22And he said, “Peace. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Behold now this, two young men have come to me from the mountains of Ephraim of the sons of the prophets. Give, please, to them a talent of silver and two changes of garments.’”

23But Naaman insisted, “Please, take two talents.” And he urged Gehazi to accept them. Then he tied up two talents of silver in two bags along with two sets of clothing and gave them to two of his servants, who carried them ahead of Gehazi.

23And Naaman said, “Be resolved, take two talents.” And he urged him and bound two talents of silver in two bags, and two changes of garments, and he gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them on ahead of him.

24When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the gifts from the servants and stored them in the house. Then he dismissed the men, and they departed.

24And he came to the citadel, and he took them from their hand, and stored them away in the house, and he sent away the men, and they departed.

25When Gehazi went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Gehazi, where have you been?”

“Your servant did not go anywhere,” he replied.

25And he went in and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, “From where, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant did not go where and where.”

26But Elisha questioned him, “Did not my spirit go with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to accept money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, menservants and maidservants?

26And he said to him, “Did my heart not go when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it the time to receive silver, and to receive garments, and olive groves, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?

27Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and your descendants forever!”

And as Gehazi left his presence, he was leprous—as white as snow.

27And the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your seed forever.” And he went out from before his face, leprous as the snow.