Now aNaaman, captain
of the army
of the king
of Aram
, was a great
man
1with his master
, and highly respected
, because
by him the LORD
had given
victory
to Aram
. The man
was also a valiant
warrior
, but he was a leper
.
Now the Arameans had gone
out ain bands
and had taken
captive
a little
girl
from the land
of Israel
; and she 1waited
on Naaman's
wife
.
She said to her mistress
, "I wish
that my master
were 1with the prophet
who
is in Samaria
! Then
he would cure
him of his leprosy
."
1Naaman went in and told
his master
, saying
, "Thus
and thus
spoke
the girl
who
is from the land
of Israel
."
Then the king of Aram
said
, "Go
1now
, and I will send
a letter
to the king
of Israel
." He departed
and atook
with him ten
talents
of silver
and six
thousand
shekels of gold
and ten
bchanges
of clothes
.
He brought the letter
to the king
of Israel
, saying
, "And now
as this
letter
comes
to you, behold
, I have sent
Naaman
my servant
to you, that you may cure
him of his leprosy
."
When the king of Israel
read
the letter
, ahe tore
his clothes
and said
, " bAm I God
, to kill
and to make
alive
, that this
man is sending
word to me to cure
a man
of his leprosy
? But cconsider
now
, and see
how
he is seeking
1a quarrel
against me."
It happened when Elisha
athe man
of God
heard
that the king
of Israel
had torn
his clothes
, that he sent
word to the king
, saying
, "Why
have you torn
your clothes
? Now
let him come
to me, and he shall know
that there
is a prophet
in Israel
."
So Naaman came
with his horses
and his chariots
and stood
at the doorway
of the house
of Elisha
.
Elisha sent
a messenger
to him, saying
, " aGo
and wash
in the Jordan
seven
times
, and your flesh
will be restored
to you and you will be clean
."
But Naaman was furious
and went
away and said
, "Behold
, I 1thought
, `He will 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
.'
"Are not 1Abanah 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 awent
away in a rage
.
aThen his servants came
near
and spoke
to him and said
, " bMy father
, had the prophet
told
you to do some great
thing
, would you not have done
it? How
much
more
then, when
he says
to you, `Wash
, and be clean
'?"
So he went down
and dipped
himself seven
times
in the Jordan
, according to the word
of the man
of God
; and ahis flesh
was restored
like the flesh
of a little
child
and bhe was clean
.
When he returned to the man
of God
1with all
his company
, and came
and stood
before
him, he said
, "Behold
now
, aI know
that there
is no
God
in all
the earth
, but in Israel
; so please
btake
a 2present
from your servant
now
."
But he said, " aAs the LORD
lives
, before
whom
I stand
, bI will take
nothing
." And he urged
him to take
it, but he refused
.
Naaman said
, "If not, please
let your servant
at least be given
two
mules'
load
of aearth
; for your servant
will no
longer
offer
burnt
offering
nor
will he sacrifice
to other
gods
, but to the LORD
.
"In this matter
may the LORD
pardon
your servant
: when my master
goes
into the house
of Rimmon
to worship
there
, and ahe leans
on my hand
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
."
He said to him, " aGo
in peace
." So he departed
from him some
distance
.
But aGehazi, the servant
of Elisha
the man
of God
, 1thought
, "Behold
, my master
has spared
this
Naaman
the Aramean
, 2by not receiving
from his hands
what
he brought
. bAs the LORD
lives
, I will run
after
him and take
something
from him."
So Gehazi pursued
Naaman
. When Naaman
saw
one running
after
him, he came
down
from the chariot
to meet
him and said
, "Is all well
?"
He said, " aAll is well
. My master
has sent
me, saying
, `Behold
, just
now
two
young
men
of the sons
of the prophets
have come
to me from bthe hill
country
of Ephraim
. Please
give
them a talent
of silver
and ctwo
changes
of clothes
.' "
Naaman said
, " aBe pleased
to take
two talents
." And he urged
him, and bound
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.
When he came to the 1hill
, he took
them from their hand
and adeposited
them in the house
, and he sent
the men
away
, and they departed
.
But he went in and stood
before
his master
. And Elisha
said
to him, "Where
have you been, Gehazi
?" And he said
, " aYour servant
went
nowhere
."
Then he said to him, "Did not my heart
go
with you, when
the man
turned
from his chariot
to meet
you? aIs it a time
to receive
money
and to receive
clothes
and olive
groves
and vineyards
and sheep
and oxen
and male
and female
servants
?
"Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman
shall cling
to you and to your 1descendants
forever
." So he went
out from his presence
aa leper
as white as snow
.