[1] Na'aman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man
with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given
victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. [2] Now
the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little maid from the
land of Israel, and she waited on Na'aman's wife. [3] She said to her
mistress, "Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Sama'ria! He
would cure him of his leprosy." [4] So Na'aman went in and told his lord,
"Thus and so spoke the maiden from the land of Israel." [5] And the king of
Syria said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So
he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of
gold, and ten festal garments. [6] And he brought the letter to the king of
Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to
you Na'aman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy." [7] And when
the king of Israel read the letter, he rent his clothes and said, "Am I
God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a
man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with
me." [8] But when Eli'sha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had
rent his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, "Why have you rent your
clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet
in Israel." [9] So Na'aman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at
the door of Eli'sha's house. [10] And Eli'sha sent a messenger to him,
saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be
restored, and you shall be clean." [11] But Na'aman was angry, and went
away, saying, "Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me, and
stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the
place, and cure the leper. [12] Are not Aba'na and Pharpar, the rivers of
Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them,
and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage. [13] But his servants
came near and said to him, "My father, if the prophet had commanded you to
do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much rather, then,
when he says to you, `Wash, and be clean'?" [14] So he went down and dipped
himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God;
and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was
clean. [15] Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and
he came and stood before him; and he said, "Behold, I know that there is no
God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your
servant." [16] But he said, "As the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will
receive none." And he urged him to take it, but he refused. [17] Then
Na'aman said, "If not, I pray you, let there be given to your servant two
mules' burden of earth; for henceforth your servant will not offer burnt
offering or sacrifice to any god but the LORD. [18] In this matter may the
LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to
worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon,
when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon your servant in
this matter." [19] He said to him, "Go in peace." But when Na'aman had
gone from him a short distance, [20] Geha'zi, the servant of Eli'sha the
man of God, said, "See, my master has spared this Na'aman the Syrian, in
not accepting from his hand what he brought. As the LORD lives, I will run
after him, and get something from him." [21] So Geha'zi followed Na'aman.
And when Na'aman saw some one running after him, he alighted from the
chariot to meet him, and said, "Is all well?" [22] And he said, "All is
well. My master has sent me to say, `There have just now come to me from
the hill country of E'phraim two young men of the sons of the prophets;
pray, give them a talent of silver and two festal garments.'" [23] And
Na'aman said, "Be pleased to accept two talents." And he urged him, and
tied up two talents of silver in two bags, with two festal garments, and
laid them upon two of his servants; and they carried them before Geha'zi.
[24] And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and put
them in the house; and he sent the men away, and they departed. [25] He
went in, and stood before his master, and Eli'sha said to him, "Where have
you been, Geha'zi?" And he said, "Your servant went nowhere." [26] But he
said to him, "Did I not go with you in spirit when the man turned from his
chariot to meet you? Was it a time to accept money and garments, olive
orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, menservants and maidservants? [27]
Therefore the leprosy of Na'aman shall cleave to you, and to your
descendants for ever." So he went out from his presence a leper, as white
as snow.
