Psalm 6^[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith.^[b] A psalm of David.

¹⁹ “Go in peace,”^(A) Elisha said.

After Naaman had traveled some distance, ²⁰ Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord^(B) lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”

²¹ So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. “Is everything all right?” he asked.

²² “Everything is all right,” Gehazi answered. “My master sent me to say, ‘Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent^[a] of silver and two sets of clothing.’”^(C)

²³ “By all means, take two talents,” said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi. ²⁴ When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left.

²⁵ When he went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?”

“Your servant didn’t go anywhere,” Gehazi answered.

²⁶ But Elisha said to him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time^(D) to take money or to accept clothes—or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves?^{(E) 27} Naaman’s leprosy^(F) will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi^(G) went from Elisha’s presence and his skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow.^(H)

²⁸ When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”^{(A) 29} Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius^(B) and Aristarchus,^(C) Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia,^(D) and all of them rushed into the theater together. ³⁰ Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples^(E) would not let him. ³¹ Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.

³² The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another.^(F) Most of the people did not even know why they were there. ³³ The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned^(G) for silence in order to make a defense before the people. ³⁴ But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”^(H)

³⁵ The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Fellow Ephesians,^(I) doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? ³⁶ Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash. ³⁷ You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples^(J) nor blasphemed our goddess. ³⁸ If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen^(K) have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls.^(L) They can press charges. ³⁹ If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. ⁴⁰ As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.” ⁴¹ After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.