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.
World English Bible - Public Domain |
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