Chapter 5
1 Now Naaman , captain of the army 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 girl , and she waited on Naaman ’s wife.
3 She said to her mistress , " I wish that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria ! Then he would heal him of his leprosy ."
4 Someone went in and told his lord, saying , " The girl who is from the land of Israel said this ."
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 , 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 has come to you , behold , I have sent Naaman my servant to you , that you may heal him of his leprosy ."
7 When the king of Israel had read the letter , he tore his clothes and said , " Am I God , to kill and to make alive , that this man sends to me to heal a man of his leprosy ? But please consider 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 heal the leper .’
12 Aren’t Abanah and Pharpar , the rivers of Damascus , better than all the waters of Israel ? Couldn’t I 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 asked 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 was restored 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 gift 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 , then , please let two mules ’ load of earth be given to your servant ; for your servant will from now on offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice to other gods, but to Yahweh .
18 In this thing may 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 , may 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 something from him ."
21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman . When Naaman saw one running after him , he came down 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 two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. 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 carried them before him .
24 When he came to the hill , he took them from their hand , and stored them in the house . Then he let the men go , and they departed .
25 But he went in , and stood before his master. Elisha said to him , " Where did you come from , Gehazi ?" He said, " Your servant went nowhere ."
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 cattle , and male servants and female servants ?
27 Therefore the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and to your offspring forever ." He went out from his presence a leper , as white as snow .