[1] Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man
with his master, and honorable, because by him Yahweh had given victory to
Syria: he was also a mighty man of valor, [but he was] a leper. [2] The
Syrians had gone out in bands, and had brought away captive out of the land
of Israel a little maiden; and she waited on Naaman`s wife. [3] She said to
her mistress, Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria!
then would he recover him of his leprosy. [4] One went in, and told his
lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maiden who is of the land of Israel.
[5] The king of Syria said, Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of
Israel. He departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six
thousand [pieces] of gold, and ten changes of clothing. [6] He brought the
letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come to you,
behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may recover him of
his leprosy. [7] It happened, when the king of Israel had read the letter,
that he tore his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive,
that this man does send to me to recover a man of his leprosy? but
consider, I pray you, and see how he seeks a quarrel against me. [8] It was
so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his
clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Why have you torn your clothes?
let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in
Israel. [9] So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariots, and stood
at the door of the house of Elisha. [10] Elisha sent a messenger to him,
saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall come
again to you, and you shall be clean. [11] But Naaman was angry, and went
away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and
stand, and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the
place, and recover the leper. [12] Aren`t Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of
Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and
be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. [13] His servants came
near, and spoke to him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid you do
some great thing, wouldn`t you have done it? how much rather then, when he
says to you, Wash, and be clean? [14] Then went he down, and dipped
[himself] seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of
God; and his flesh came again like the flesh of a little child, and he was
clean. [15] He returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and
came, and stood before him; and he said, See now, I know that there is no
God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, please take a present
from your servant. [16] But he said, As Yahweh lives, before whom I stand,
I will receive none. He urged him to take it; but he refused. [17] Naaman
said, If not, yet, please let there be given to your servant two mules`
burden of earth; for your servant will henceforth offer neither burnt
offering nor sacrifice to other gods, but to Yahweh. [18] In this thing
Yahweh pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to
worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of
Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, Yahweh pardon your
servant in this thing. [19] He said to him, Go in peace. So he departed
from him a little way. [20] But Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of
God, said, Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not
receiving at his hands that which he brought: as Yahweh lives, I will run
after him, and take somewhat of him. [21] So Gehazi followed after Naaman.
When Naaman saw one running after him, he alighted from the chariot to meet
him, and said, Is all well? [22] He said, All is well. My master has sent
me, saying, Behold, even now there are come to me from the hill-country of
Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets; please give them a
talent of silver, and two changes of clothing. [23] Naaman said, Be pleased
to take two talents. He urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two
bags, with two changes of clothing, and laid them on two of his servants;
and they bore them before him. [24] When he came to the hill, he took them
from their hand, and bestowed them in the house; and he let the men go, and
they departed. [25] But he went in, and stood before his master. Elisha
said to him, Whence come you, Gehazi? He said, Your servant went no where.
[26] He said to him, Didn`t my heart go with you, when the man turned from
his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive
garments, and olive groves and vineyards, and sheep and oxen, and
men-servants and maid-servants? [27] The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall
cleave to you, and to your seed forever. He went out from his presence a
leper [as white] as snow.
