Naaman Is Healed

5 Now ^(A)Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man ^[a]in the view of his master, and eminent, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man was also a valiant warrior, but afflicted with leprosy. ² Now the Arameans had gone out ^(B)in bands and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she ^[b]waited on Naaman’s wife. ³ And she said to her mistress, “If only my master were ^[c]with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy.” ⁴ And ^[d]Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “The girl who is from the land of Israel spoke such and such.” ⁵ Then the king of Aram said, “Go ^[e]now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he departed and ^(C)took with him ten ^[f]talents of silver, six thousand ^[g]shekels of gold, and ten ^(D)changes of clothes.

⁶ And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, ^[h]which said, “And now as this letter comes to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, so that you may cure him of his leprosy.” ⁷ But when the king of Israel read the letter, ^(E)he tore his clothes and said, “^(F)Am I God, to kill and to keep alive, that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? But ^(G)consider now, and see how he is seeking ^[i]a quarrel against me.”

⁸ Now it happened, when Elisha ^(H)the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent word to the king, saying, “Why did you tear your clothes? Just have him come to me, and he shall learn that there is a prophet in Israel.” ⁹ So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots, and stood at the doorway of Elisha’s house. ¹⁰ And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “^(I)Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean.” ¹¹ But Naaman was furious and went away, and he said, “Behold, I ^[j]thought, ‘He will certainly come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the site and cure the ^[k]leprosy.’ ¹² Are ^[l]Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, not better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and ^(J)went away in a rage. ^13 (K)Then his servants approached and spoke to him, ^[m]saying, “^(L)My 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’?” ¹⁴ So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, in accordance with the word of the man of God; and ^(M)his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and ^(N)he was clean.

Gehazi’s Greed

¹⁵ Then he returned to the man of God ^[n]with all his company, and came and stood before him. And he said, “Behold now, ^(O)I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; so please ^(P)accept a ^[o]gift from your servant now.” ¹⁶ But he said, “^(Q)As surely as the Lord lives, before whom I stand, ^(R)I will accept nothing.” And he urged him to accept it, but he refused. ¹⁷ Then Naaman said, “If not, please let your servant be given two mules’ load of ^(S)earth; for your servant will no longer offer a burnt offering nor a sacrifice to other gods, but to the Lord. ¹⁸ Regarding this matter may the Lord forgive your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and ^(T)he leans on my hand and I bow down in the house of Rimmon, when I bow down in the house of Rimmon, may the Lord please forgive your servant in this matter.” ¹⁹ He said to him, “^(U)Go in peace.” So he went some distance from him.

²⁰ But ^(V)Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, ^[p]thought, “Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Aramean, ^[q]by not accepting from his hand what he brought. ^(W)As the Lord lives, I will run after him and take something from him.” ²¹ So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is everything well?” ²² And he said, “^(X)Everything 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 ^(Y)the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and ^(Z)two changes of clothes.’” ²³ Naaman said, “^(AA)Be sure to 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. ²⁴ When he came to the ^[r]hill, he took them from their hand and ^(AB)deposited them in the house, and he sent the men away, and they departed. ²⁵ But he went in and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” And he said, “^(AC)Your servant went nowhere.”

²⁶ Then he said to him, “Did my heart not go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? ^(AD)Is it a time to accept money and to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, sheep, oxen, and male and female slaves? ²⁷ Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your ^[s]descendants forever.” So he went out from his presence ^(AE)afflicted with leprosy, as white as snow.

Correcting False Teaching

1 Paul, ^(A)an apostle of ^(B)Christ Jesus ^(C)according to the commandment of ^(D)God our Savior, and of ^(E)Christ Jesus, who is our ^(F)hope,

² To ^(G)Timothy, ^(H)my true ^[a]son in the faith: ^(I)Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and ^(J)Christ Jesus our Lord.

³ Just as I urged you ^[b]upon my departure for ^(K)Macedonia, to remain on at ^(L)Ephesus so that you would instruct certain people not to ^(M)teach strange doctrines, ⁴ nor to ^[c]pay attention to ^(N)myths and endless ^(O)genealogies, which give rise to useless ^(P)speculation rather than ^(Q)advance ^[d]the plan of God, which is by faith, so I urge you now. ⁵ But the goal of our ^[e](R)instruction is love ^(S)from a pure heart, from a ^(T)good conscience, and from a sincere ^(U)faith. ⁶ Some people have strayed from these things and have turned aside to ^(V)fruitless discussion, ^7 (W)wanting to be ^(X)teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.

⁸ But we know that ^(Y)the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, ⁹ realizing the fact that ^(Z)law is not made for a righteous person but for those who are lawless and ^(AA)rebellious, for the ^(AB)ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and ^(AC)worldly, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, ¹⁰ for the ^[f](AD)sexually immoral, ^(AE)homosexuals, ^[g](AF)slave traders, ^(AG)liars, ^(AH)perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to ^(AI)sound teaching, ¹¹ according to ^(AJ)the glorious gospel of ^(AK)the blessed God, with which I have been ^(AL)entrusted.

Paul’s Testimony

¹² I thank ^(AM)Christ Jesus our Lord, who has ^(AN)strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, ^(AO)putting me into service, ¹³ even though I was previously a blasphemer and a ^(AP)persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was ^(AQ)shown mercy because ^(AR)I acted ignorantly in unbelief; ¹⁴ and the ^(AS)grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the ^(AT)faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. ^15 (AU)It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that ^(AV)Christ Jesus came into the world to ^(AW)save sinners, among whom ^(AX)I am foremost. ¹⁶ Yet for this reason I ^(AY)found mercy, so that in me as the foremost sinner Jesus Christ might ^(AZ)demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those ^[h]who would believe in Him for eternal life. ¹⁷ Now to the ^(BA)King ^[i]eternal, ^(BB)immortal, ^(BC)invisible, the ^(BD)only God, ^(BE)be honor and glory ^[j]forever and ever. Amen.

¹⁸ This ^(BF)command I entrust to you, Timothy, ^(BG)my ^[k]son, in accordance with the ^(BH)prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you ^(BI)fight the good fight, ¹⁹ keeping ^(BJ)faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to ^[l](BK)their faith. ^20 [m]Among these are ^(BL)Hymenaeus and ^(BM)Alexander, whom I have ^(BN)handed over to Satan, so that they will be ^(BO)taught not to blaspheme.

A Call to Prayer

2 First of all, then, I urge that ^(BP)requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made in behalf of all people, ^2 (BQ)for kings and all who are in ^[n]authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and ^[o]dignity. ³ This is good and acceptable in the sight of ^(BR)God our Savior, ^4 (BS)who wants all people to be ^(BT)saved and to ^(BU)come to the ^[p]knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is ^(BV)one God, and ^(BW)one mediator also between God and mankind, the ^(BX)man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who ^(BY)gave Himself as a ransom for all, the ^(BZ)testimony ^[q]given at ^[r](CA)the proper time. ^7 (CB)For this I was appointed as a ^[s]preacher and ^(CC)an apostle (^(CD)I am telling the truth, I am not lying), as a teacher of ^(CE)the Gentiles in faith and truth.

Instructions for Believers

⁸ Therefore ^(CF)I want the men ^(CG)in every place to pray, ^(CH)lifting up ^(CI)holy hands, without anger and dispute. ⁹ Likewise, I want ^(CJ)women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, ^[t]modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or expensive apparel, ¹⁰ but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. ^11 (CK)A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. ^12 (CL)But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. ^13 (CM)For it was Adam who was first ^[u]created, and then Eve. ¹⁴ And it was not Adam who was deceived, but ^(CN)the woman was ^[v]deceived and ^[w]became a wrongdoer. ¹⁵ But ^[x]women will be ^[y]preserved through ^[z]childbirth—if they continue in ^(CO)faith, love, and sanctity, with moderation.

Overseers and Deacons

3 ^(CP)It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the ^(CQ)office of ^[aa]overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. ^2 [ab](CR)An overseer, then, must be above reproach, ^(CS)the husband of one wife, ^[ac](CT)temperate, self-controlled, respectable, ^(CU)hospitable, ^(CV)skillful in teaching, ^3 (CW)not overindulging in wine, not ^[ad]a bully, but gentle, not contentious, ^(CX)free from the love of money. ⁴ He must be one who ^(CY)manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity ⁵ (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of ^(CZ)the church of God?), ⁶ and not a new convert, so that he will not become ^(DA)conceited and fall into ^(DB)condemnation ^[ae]incurred by the devil. ⁷ And he must ^(DC)have a good reputation with ^(DD)those outside the church, so that he will not fall into ^[af]disgrace and ^(DE)the snare of the devil.

^8 (DF)Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not ^[ag]insincere, ^(DG)not prone to drink much wine, ^(DH)not greedy for money, ^9 (DI)but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. ^10 (DJ)These men must also first be tested; then have them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. ^11 [ah]Women must likewise be dignified, ^(DK)not malicious gossips, but ^[ai](DL)temperate, faithful in all things. ^12 (DM)Deacons must be ^(DN)husbands of one wife, and ^[aj](DO)good managers of their children and their own households. ¹³ For those who have served well as deacons ^(DP)obtain for themselves a ^[ak]high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

¹⁴ I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; ¹⁵ but ^[al]in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one should act in ^(DQ)the household of God, which is the ^(DR)church of ^(DS)the living God, the ^(DT)pillar and support of the truth. ¹⁶ Beyond question, great is ^(DU)the mystery of godliness: