以利沙醫治乃縵

乃縵是亞蘭王的元帥,甚得亞蘭王器重,因為耶和華藉他使亞蘭人打了許多勝仗。他是英勇的戰士,只是患了痲瘋病。 亞蘭人襲擊以色列時,曾擄回一個以色列少女,這少女做了乃縵妻子的婢女。 有一天,她對主母說:「要是我主人去見撒瑪利亞的那位先知就好了!他一定能治好我主人的痲瘋病。」 乃縵把這以色列少女的話告訴亞蘭王。 亞蘭王說:「你去吧。我會寫信給以色列王的。」於是,乃縵帶了三百四十公斤銀子、七十公斤金子和十套衣服,啟程前往以色列。 他帶給以色列王的信上寫著:「謹以此信介紹我的臣僕乃縵到你那裡,你要醫好他的痲瘋病。」 以色列王讀完信後,就撕裂衣服說:「難道我是上帝嗎?我能操縱人的生死嗎?這人竟叫我醫好一個人的痲瘋病!他只是想找藉口攻打我。」

上帝的僕人以利沙聽說以色列王撕裂了衣服,便派人去對王說:「你為什麼撕裂衣服呢?讓那人到我這裡來,我要讓他知道以色列有先知。」 乃縵帶領車輛和馬匹到了以利沙的家,站在門口。 10 以利沙派使者出去對乃縵說:「你到約旦河裡洗七次,你的皮膚就會復原,並得到潔淨。」 11 乃縵卻怒沖沖地走了。他說:「我以為他一定會出來見我,為我站著求告他的上帝耶和華,用手在我的患處晃一晃,醫好我的痲瘋病。 12 大馬士革的亞波納河和法爾法河不比以色列所有的河都好嗎?難道我在那裡洗就不能得到潔淨嗎?」於是,他怒沖沖地轉身走了。 13 他的僕人上前對他說:「我父啊,先知若吩咐你做一件大事,難道你會不去做嗎?何況他只是說你去洗洗就可以潔淨!」 14 乃縵就去約旦河,照上帝僕人的話在河裡洗了七次,便潔淨了,皮膚變得像小孩子的一樣。

15 乃縵率領全體隨從回到上帝的僕人那裡,站在他面前說:「如今我才知道,除了以色列,普天下沒有上帝。請你收下僕人的禮物。」 16 以利沙說:「我憑我事奉的永活上帝起誓,我決不接受。」乃縵再三請求,他仍不肯接受。 17 乃縵說:「如果你不肯接受禮物,請你容許僕人用兩頭騾子馱些泥土回去。從此以後,我不再獻燔祭或平安祭給其他神明,只獻給耶和華。 18 但有一件事,願耶和華饒恕僕人。我主人進入臨門廟祭拜時,他會扶著我的手,這樣我也得隨著他彎腰。若我在臨門廟裡彎腰,願耶和華饒恕我。」 19 以利沙對他說:「你安心地走吧。」

20 乃縵剛走不遠,上帝僕人以利沙的僕人基哈西心想:「我主人沒有收亞蘭人乃縵帶來的禮物就讓他走了。我憑永活的耶和華起誓,我一定要追上去,向他要點東西。」 21 他便去追趕乃縵。乃縵見後面有人趕來,就下車迎接他,問他:「一切都好嗎?」 22 基哈西答道:「一切都好。我主人派我來告訴你,剛才有兩位年輕的先知從以法蓮山區來見他,請你賜給他們三十四公斤銀子和兩套衣服。」 23 乃縵說:「請你拿走六十八公斤銀子吧!」並再三請他接受,然後把六十八公斤銀子裝進兩個袋子,連同兩套衣服,交給他的兩個僕人抬走,基哈西跟在他們後面。 24 到了山岡,基哈西接過銀子和衣服,放進屋裡,便讓他們回去了。 25 基哈西進去侍立在以利沙面前,以利沙問他:「基哈西,你剛才去哪裡了?」基哈西答道:「僕人哪裡也沒有去。」 26 以利沙對他說:「那人下車回頭迎接你的時候,我的心不也在那裡嗎?現在豈是接受人家銀子、衣服、橄欖園、葡萄園、牛羊和僕婢的時候? 27 因此,你和你的後代會永遠沾染乃縵的痲瘋病。」基哈西離開以利沙時,患了痲瘋病,皮膚像雪一樣白。

Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.

And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife.

And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.

And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.

And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.

And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.

And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.

And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.

So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.

13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?

14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.

16 But he said, As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.

17 And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord.

18 In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing.

19 And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.

20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.

21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?

22 And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.

23 And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.

24 And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.

25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.

26 And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?

27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.