2 Kings 5

1Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man before his master and highly esteemed, because through him Yahweh had given victory to Aram. The man was a mighty warrior, but he was leprous.

2Bands of Arameans had gone out and taken captive from the land of Israel a small girl, and she served before Naaman’s wife.

3She said to her mistress, “If only my lord were before the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would gather him in from his leprosy.”

4So he went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus spoke the girl who is from the land of Israel.”

5Then the king of Aram said, “Go, come, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he went and took in his hand ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of clothing.

6And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, “And now, when this letter comes to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, so that you may gather him in from his skin disease.”

7And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to put to death and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only take note, please, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.”

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

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

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

11But Naaman became angry and went away, and he said, “Look, I said to myself, ‘Surely he will 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 leprous person.’”

12Are not Abanah 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.

13Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had spoken to you some great thing, would you not do it? How much more, then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”

14So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little boy, and he was cleansed.

15Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came and stood before him and said, “See now, I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. And now, please accept a gift from your servant.”

16But he said, “As Yahweh lives, before whom I stand, I will not take it.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused.

17Then Naaman said, “If not, please let your servant be given a load of soil, a pair of mules' burden; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but only to Yahweh.”

18In this matter, may Yahweh pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to bow down there, and he is leaning on my hand, so that I also bow down in the house of Rimmon—when I bow down in the house of Rimmon, may Yahweh please pardon your servant in this matter.

19And he said to him, “Go in peace.” So he went from him some distance.

20But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared Naaman this Aramean by not taking from his hand what he brought. As Yahweh lives, I will run after him and take something from him.”

21So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is all well?”

22And he said, “All is well. My master has sent me to say, ‘Look, just now two young men from the hill country of Ephraim, from among the sons of the prophets, have come to me. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothes.’”

23Naaman said, “Please, take two talents.” And he urged him, and tied up two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothes, and gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them before him.

24When he came to the hill, he took them from their hands and deposited them in the house. Then he sent the men away, and they went.

25But he went in and stood before his master, and Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant did not go anywhere.”

26But he said to him, “Did not my heart go when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take silver, and to take garments, and olive orchards and vineyards, and sheep and cattle, and male servants and female servants?”

27So Naaman’s skin disease will cling to you and to your offspring forever.” And he went out from his presence diseased, white as snow.