¹⁷ Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you?

¹⁸ I urged^(A) Titus^(B) to go to you and I sent our brother^(C) with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?

⁵ So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers^(A) to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift,^(B) not as one grudgingly given.^(C)

¹⁰ When Timothy^(A) comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord,^(B) just as I am.

¹⁷ For this reason I have sent to you^(A) Timothy,^(B) my son^(C) whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.^(D)

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^(A) 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.’”^(B)

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^(C) to take money or to accept clothes—or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves?^{(D) 27} Naaman’s leprosy^(E) will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi^(F) went from Elisha’s presence and his skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow.^(G)

¹⁶ The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.^(A)