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2 Kings 5
Legacy Standard Bible

Naaman Cleaned from Leprosy

5 Now (A)Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man [a]with his master, and [b]highly respected, because by him Yahweh had given salvation to Aram. The man was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2 Now the Arameans had gone out (B)in marauding bands and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she [c]waited on Naaman’s wife. 3 And she said to her mistress, “I wish that my master were before the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 Then [d]Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus spoke the girl who is from the land of Israel.” 5 Then the king of Aram said, “Go [e]now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he went and (C)took in his hand [f]ten talents of silver and [g]six thousand shekels of gold and ten (D)changes of clothes.

6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying,

“So now as this letter comes to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

7 Now it happened that when the king of Israel read the letter, (E)he tore his clothes and said, “(F)Am I God, to put to death and to make alive, that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? But (G)know now, and see how he is seeking [h]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 have you torn your clothes? Now let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots and stood at the doorway of the house of Elisha. 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 said, “Behold, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.’ 12 Are not [i]Abanah 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 (J)went away in wrath. 13 (K)Then his servants approached and spoke to him and said, “(L)My father, had the prophet spoken with 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 seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and (M)his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy and (N)he was clean.

Gehazi’s Leprosy

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

20 Then (V)Gehazi, the young man of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Aramean, [k]by not receiving from his hands what he brought. (W)As Yahweh lives, I will run after him and take something from him.” 21 So Gehazi pursued Naaman. And Naaman saw one running after him, so he came down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is all at peace?” 22 And he said, “(X)All is at peace. 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 Then Naaman said, “(AA)Be 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 young men; and they carried them before him. 24 So he came to the [l]hill, and he took them from their hand and (AB)deposited them in the house. Then he sent the men away, and they departed. 25 But he came 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 not my heart go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? (AD)Is it a time to receive money and to receive clothes and olive groves and vineyards and sheep and oxen and male and female slaves? 27 Thus the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your seed forever.” So he went out from his presence (AE)a leper as white as snow.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 5:1 Lit before
  2. 2 Kings 5:1 Lit the one whose face is lifted up
  3. 2 Kings 5:2 Lit was before
  4. 2 Kings 5:4 Lit He
  5. 2 Kings 5:5 Lit enter
  6. 2 Kings 5:5 Approx. 750 lb. or 340 kg, a talent was approx. 75 lb. or 34 kg
  7. 2 Kings 5:5 Approx. 150 lb. or 66 kg, a shekel was approx. 0.4 oz. or 11 gm
  8. 2 Kings 5:7 Lit an occasion
  9. 2 Kings 5:12 Or Amanah
  10. 2 Kings 5:15 Lit he and
  11. 2 Kings 5:20 Lit from
  12. 2 Kings 5:24 Heb ophel
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2 Kings 5
Revised Standard Version

The Healing of Naaman

5 Na′aman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2 Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little maid from the land of Israel, and she waited on Na′aman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samar′ia! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 So Na′aman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the maiden from the land of Israel.” 5 And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”

So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten festal garments. 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Na′aman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 And when the king of Israel read the letter, he rent his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.”

8 But when Eli′sha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you rent your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Na′aman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the door of Eli′sha’s house. 10 And Eli′sha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Na′aman was angry, and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would 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. 12 Are not Aba′na[a] 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 went away in a rage. 13 But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, if the prophet had commanded you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much rather, then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

15 Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him; and he said, “Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant.” 16 But he said, “As the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will receive none.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. 17 Then Na′aman said, “If not, I pray you, let there be given to your servant two mules’ burden of earth; for henceforth your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the Lord. 18 In this matter may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, 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.” 19 He said to him, “Go in peace.”

Gehazi’s Greed

But when Na′aman had gone from him a short distance, 20 Geha′zi, the servant of Eli′sha the man of God, said, “See, my master has spared this Na′aman the Syrian, in not accepting from his hand what he brought. As the Lord lives, I will run after him, and get something from him.” 21 So Geha′zi followed Na′aman. And when Na′aman saw some one running after him, he alighted from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is all well?” 22 And he said, “All is well. My master has sent me to say, ‘There have just now come to me from the hill country of E′phraim two young men of the sons of the prophets; pray, give them a talent of silver and two festal garments.’” 23 And Na′aman said, “Be pleased to accept two talents.” And he urged him, and tied up two talents of silver in two bags, with two festal garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they carried them before Geha′zi. 24 And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and put them in the house; and he sent the men away, and they departed. 25 He went in, and stood before his master, and Eli′sha said to him, “Where have you been, Geha′zi?” And he said, “Your servant went nowhere.” 26 But he said to him, “Did I not go with you in spirit when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Was it a time to accept money and garments, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, menservants and maidservants? 27 Therefore the leprosy of Na′aman shall cleave to you, and to your descendants for ever.” So he went out from his presence a leper, as white as snow.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 5:12 Another reading is Amana
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