2 Kings 5:1-14

Expanded Bible

Naaman Is Healed

5 Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was ·honored [held in great favor] by his master and much respected, because the Lord used him to give victory to Aram. He was a ·mighty and brave man [valiant soldier], but he had ·a skin disease [^Tleprosy; ^Crefers to a variety of skin diseases; Lev. 13:2].

² The Arameans had gone out to raid the Israelites and had taken a little girl as a captive. This little girl served Naaman’s wife. ³ She said to her mistress, “I wish my ·master [lord] would meet the prophet who lives in Samaria. He would cure him of his ·disease [^Tleprosy; 5:1].”

⁴ Naaman went to the king and told him ·what the girl from Israel had said [^Laccording to this and according to that the girl said]. ⁵ The king of Aram said, “Go ahead, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left and took with him ·about seven hundred fifty pounds [^Lten talents] of silver, as well as ·one hundred fifty pounds [^Lsix thousand shekels] of gold and ten ·changes of clothes [sets of festal/formal robes]. ⁶ He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “I am sending my servant Naaman to you so you can heal him of his ·skin disease [^Tleprosy; 5:1].”

⁷ When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes [^Ca sign of mourning or distress]. He said, “·I’m not God! I can’t kill and make alive again! [^LAm I God, to give life or take it away?] Why does this man send someone with ·a skin disease [^Tleprosy; 5:1] for me to heal? You can see that the king of Aram is trying to ·start trouble [pick a fight/quarrel] with me.”

⁸ When Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent the king this message: “Why have you torn your clothes? Let Naaman come to me. Then he will ·know [learn] there is a prophet in Israel.” ⁹ So Naaman went with his horses and chariots to Elisha’s house and stood outside the door.

¹⁰ Elisha sent Naaman a messenger who said, “Go and wash in the Jordan River seven times. Then your ·skin will be healed [^Lflesh will be restored], and you will be ·clean [cleansed].”

¹¹ Naaman ·became angry [was provoked/aroused to anger] and left. He said, “I thought Elisha would surely come out and stand before me and call on the name of the Lord his God. I thought he would wave his hand over the place and heal the ·disease [^Tleprosy; 5:1]. ¹² ·The [Are not the…?] Abana and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, are better than all the waters of Israel. Why can’t I wash in them and ·become clean [be cleansed; ^Cboth physically healed and ritually clean]?” So Naaman went away ·very angry [in a rage].

¹³ Naaman’s servants came near and said to him, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some ·great [very difficult] thing, wouldn’t you have done it? All the more reason then when he simply says, ‘Wash, and you will be clean [v. 12].’” ¹⁴ So Naaman went down and dipped in the Jordan seven times, ·just as Elisha had said [^Lin accordance with the word of the man of God]. Then his skin ·became new again [was restored], like the skin of a child. And he was clean.