Naaman’s Disease Healed

5 Naaman,^(A) commander of the army for the king of Aram, was a man important to his master and highly regarded^(B) because through him, the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man was a valiant warrior, but he had a skin disease.^(C)

² Aram had gone on raids^(D) and brought back from the land of Israel a young girl who served Naaman’s wife. ³ She said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria, he would cure him of his skin disease.”

⁴ So Naaman went and told his master what the girl from the land of Israel had said. ⁵ Therefore, the king of Aram said, “Go, and I will send a letter with you to the king of Israel.”

So he went and took with him 750 pounds^[a] of silver, 150 pounds^[b] of gold, and ten sets of clothing.^{(E) 6} He brought the letter to the king of Israel, and it read:

When this letter comes to you, note that I have sent you my servant Naaman for you to cure him of his skin disease.

⁷ When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes^(F) and asked, “Am I God,^(G) killing and giving life, that this man expects me to cure a man of his skin disease? Recognize^[c] that he is only picking a fight with me.”^(H)

⁸ When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king: “Why have you torn your clothes? Have him come to me, and he will know there is a prophet in Israel.”^{(I) 9} So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house.

¹⁰ Then Elisha sent him a messenger,^(J) who said, “Go wash^(K) seven times^(L) in the Jordan and your skin will be restored and you will be clean.”

¹¹ But Naaman got angry and left, saying, “I was telling myself: He will surely come out, stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand^(M) over the place and cure the skin disease. ¹² Aren’t Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?^(N) Couldn’t I wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and left in a rage.^(O)

¹³ But his servants approached and said to him, “My father,^(P) if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more should you do it when he only tells you, ‘Wash and be clean’?” ¹⁴ So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the command of the man of God. Then his skin was restored and became like the skin of a small boy, and he was clean.^(Q)

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.^(R) Therefore, please accept a gift^(S) from your servant.”

¹⁶ But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives,^(T) in whose presence I stand, I will not accept it.”^(U) 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,^(V) for your servant will no longer offer a burnt offering or a sacrifice to any other god but the Lord.^{(W) 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,^[d](X) and I have to bow in the temple of Rimmon—when I bow^[e] in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord pardon your servant in this matter.”

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

Gehazi’s Greed Punished

After Naaman had traveled a short distance from Elisha, ²⁰ Gehazi,^(Z) 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,^(AA) 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.^(AB) 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^[f] of silver and two sets of clothing.’”^(AC)

²³ But Naaman insisted, “Please, accept one hundred fifty pounds.”^[g] 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,^[h](AD) 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^[i](AE) 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.^[j](AF)

Instructions on Prayer

2 First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, ² for kings and all those who are in authority,^(A) so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness^(B) and dignity.^{(C) 3} This is good, and it pleases God our Savior,^{(D) 4} who wants everyone^(E) to be saved^(F) and to come to the knowledge of the truth.^(G)

⁵ For there is one God^(H) and one mediator^(I) between God and mankind, the man^(J) Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself as a ransom for all,^(K) a testimony at the proper time.

⁷ For this I was appointed a herald, an apostle^(L) (I am telling the truth;^[a] I am not lying), and a teacher of the Gentiles^(M) in faith and truth.

Instructions to Men and Women

⁸ Therefore, I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.^{(N) 9} Also, the women are to dress themselves in modest clothing,^(O) with decency and good sense, not with elaborate hairstyles, gold,^(P) pearls, or expensive apparel, ¹⁰ but with good works,^(Q) as is proper for women who profess to worship God. ¹¹ A woman is to learn quietly with full submission.^{(R) 12} I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; instead, she is to remain quiet. ¹³ For Adam was formed first, then Eve.^{(S) 14} And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and transgressed.^{(T) 15} But she will be saved through childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and holiness,^(U) with good sense.

Daniel’s Prayer

9 In the first year of Darius,^(A) the son of Ahasuerus, a Mede by birth, who was made king over the Chaldean kingdom— ² in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the books according to the word of the Lord to the prophet Jeremiah that the number of years for the desolation of Jerusalem would be seventy.^{(B) 3} So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek him by prayer and petitions, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.^(C)

⁴ I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:

Ah, Lord—the great and awe-inspiring God^(D) who keeps his gracious covenant^(E) with those who love him^(F) and keep his commands^(G)— ⁵ we have sinned,^(H) done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled,^(I) and turned away from your commands and ordinances.^{(J) 6} We have not listened to your servants the prophets,^(K) who spoke in your name to our kings, leaders, ancestors, and all the people of the land.

⁷ Lord, righteousness belongs to you,^(L) but this day public shame belongs to us: the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all Israel—those who are near and those who are far, in all the countries where you have banished them because of the disloyalty they have shown toward you. ⁸ Lord, public shame^(M) belongs to us, our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors, because we have sinned against you.^{(N) 9} Compassion and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God, though we have rebelled against him ¹⁰ and have not obeyed the Lord our God by following his instructions that he set before us through his servants^(O) the prophets.

¹¹ All Israel has broken your law and turned away,^(P) refusing to obey you. The promised curse^[a] written in the law of Moses,^(Q) the servant of God, has been poured out on us because we have sinned against him. ¹² He has carried out his words^(R) that he spoke against us and against our rulers^[b](S) by bringing on us a disaster that is so great that nothing like what has been done to Jerusalem has ever been done^(T) under all of heaven. ¹³ Just as it is written in the law of Moses,^(U) all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of^(V) the Lord our God by turning from our iniquities and paying attention to your truth.^{(W) 14} So the Lord kept the disaster in mind and brought it on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all he has done. But we have not obeyed him.

¹⁵ Now, Lord our God—who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand^(X) and made your name renowned^(Y) as it is this day—we have sinned, we have acted wickedly. ¹⁶ Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, may your anger and wrath^(Z) turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain;^(AA) for because of our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people have become an object of ridicule to all those around us.

¹⁷ Therefore, our God, hear the prayer and the petitions of your servant. Make your face shine^(AB) on your desolate sanctuary^(AC) for the Lord’s sake. ¹⁸ Listen closely,^[c] my God, and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations and the city that bears your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before you based on our righteous acts, but based on your abundant compassion. ¹⁹ Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and act! My God, for your own sake, do not delay,^(AD) because your city and your people bear your name.

The Seventy Weeks of Years

²⁰ While I was speaking, praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel,^(AE) and presenting my petition before the Lord my God concerning the holy mountain of my God— ²¹ while I was praying, Gabriel,^(AF) the man I had seen in the first vision,^(AG) reached me in my extreme weariness, about the time of the evening offering.^{(AH) 22} He gave me this explanation: “Daniel, I’ve come now to give you understanding.^{(AI) 23} At the beginning of your petitions an answer went out, and I have come to give it, for you are treasured by God.^[d](AJ) So consider the message and understand the vision:^(AK)

Psalm 117

Universal Call to Praise

Psalm 118

Thanksgiving for Victory