2 Kings 5:15-27

Christian Standard Bible

¹⁵ Then Naaman and his whole company went back to the man of God, stood before him, and declared, “I know there’s no God in the whole world except in Israel.^(A) Therefore, please accept a gift^(B) from your servant.”

¹⁶ But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives,^(C) in whose presence I stand, I will not accept it.”^(D) Naaman urged him to accept it, but he refused.

¹⁷ Naaman responded, “If not, please let your servant be given as much soil as a pair of mules can carry,^(E) for your servant will no longer offer a burnt offering or a sacrifice to any other god but the Lord.^{(F) 18} However, in a particular matter may the Lord pardon your servant: When my master, the king of Aram, goes into the temple of Rimmon to bow in worship while he is leaning on my arm,^[a](G) and I have to bow in the temple of Rimmon—when I bow^[b] in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord pardon your servant in this matter.”

¹⁹ So he said to him, “Go in peace.”^(H)

Gehazi’s Greed Punished

After Naaman had traveled a short distance from Elisha, ²⁰ Gehazi,^(I) the attendant of Elisha the man of God, thought, “My master has let this Aramean Naaman off lightly by not accepting from him what he brought. As the Lord lives,^(J) I will run after him and get something from him.”

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

²² Gehazi said, “It’s all right.^(K) My master has sent me to say, ‘I have just now discovered that two young men from the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them seventy-five pounds^[c] of silver and two sets of clothing.’”^(L)

²³ But Naaman insisted, “Please, accept one hundred fifty pounds.”^[d] He urged Gehazi and then packed one hundred fifty pounds of silver in two bags with two sets of clothing. Naaman gave them to two of his attendants who carried them ahead of Gehazi. ²⁴ When Gehazi came to the hill,^[e](M) he took the gifts from them and deposited them in the house. Then he dismissed the men, and they left.

²⁵ Gehazi came and stood by his master. “Where did you go, Gehazi?” Elisha asked him.

He replied, “Your servant didn’t go anywhere.”

²⁶ “And my heart didn’t go^[f](N) when the man got down from his chariot to meet you,” Elisha said. “Is this a time to accept silver and clothing, olive orchards and vineyards, flocks and herds, and male and female slaves? ²⁷ Therefore, Naaman’s skin disease will cling to you and your descendants forever.” So Gehazi went out from his presence diseased, resembling snow.^[g](O)