2 Kings 5
New American Standard Bible
Naaman Is Healed
5 Now (A)Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man [a]in the view of his master, and eminent, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man was also a valiant warrior, but afflicted with leprosy. 2 Now the Arameans had gone out (B)in bands and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she [b]waited on Naaman’s wife. 3 And she said to her mistress, “If only my master were [c]with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 And [d]Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “The girl who is from the land of Israel spoke such and such.” 5 Then the king of Aram said, “Go [e]now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he departed and (C)took with him ten [f]talents of silver, six thousand [g]shekels of gold, and ten (D)changes of clothes.
6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, [h]which said, “And now as this letter comes to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, so that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 But when the king of Israel read the letter, (E)he tore his clothes and said, “(F)Am I God, to kill and to keep alive, that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? But (G)consider now, and see how he is seeking [i]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 did you tear your clothes? Just have him come to me, and he shall learn that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots, and stood at the doorway of Elisha’s house. 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 he said, “Behold, I [j]thought, ‘He will certainly come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the site and cure the [k]leprosy.’ 12 Are [l]Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, not better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and (J)went away in a rage. 13 (K)Then his servants approached and spoke to him, [m]saying, “(L)My father, had the prophet told 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 in the Jordan seven times, in accordance with the word of the man of God; and (M)his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and (N)he was clean.
Gehazi’s Greed
15 Then he returned to the man of God [n]with all his company, and came and stood before him. And he said, “Behold now, (O)I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; so please (P)accept a [o]gift from your servant now.” 16 But he said, “(Q)As surely as the Lord lives, before whom I stand, (R)I will accept nothing.” And he urged him to accept it, but he refused. 17 Then Naaman said, “If not, please let your servant be given two mules’ load of (S)earth; for your servant will no longer offer a burnt offering nor a sacrifice to other gods, but to the Lord. 18 Regarding this matter may the Lord forgive your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and (T)he leans on my hand and I bow down in the house of Rimmon, when I bow down in the house of Rimmon, may the Lord please forgive your servant in this matter.” 19 He said to him, “(U)Go in peace.” So he went some distance from him.
20 But (V)Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, [p]thought, “Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Aramean, [q]by not accepting from his hand what he brought. (W)As the Lord lives, I will run after him and take something from him.” 21 So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is everything well?” 22 And he said, “(X)Everything is well. 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 Naaman said, “(AA)Be sure to take two talents.” And he urged him, and tied up two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes, and gave them to two of his servants; and they carried them before him. 24 When he came to the [r]hill, he took them from their hand and (AB)deposited them in the house, and he sent the men away, and they departed. 25 But he went 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 my heart not go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? (AD)Is it a time to accept money and to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, sheep, oxen, and male and female slaves? 27 Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your [s]descendants forever.” So he went out from his presence (AE)afflicted with leprosy, as white as snow.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 5:1 Lit before
- 2 Kings 5:2 Lit was before
- 2 Kings 5:3 Lit before
- 2 Kings 5:4 Lit he
- 2 Kings 5:5 Lit enter
- 2 Kings 5:5 A talent was about 75 lb. or 34 kg
- 2 Kings 5:5 A shekel was about 0.5 oz. or 14 gm
- 2 Kings 5:6 Lit saying
- 2 Kings 5:7 Lit an opportunity
- 2 Kings 5:11 Lit said
- 2 Kings 5:11 Lit one with leprosy
- 2 Kings 5:12 Another reading is Amanah
- 2 Kings 5:13 Lit and said
- 2 Kings 5:15 Lit he and
- 2 Kings 5:15 Lit blessing
- 2 Kings 5:20 Lit said
- 2 Kings 5:20 Lit from
- 2 Kings 5:24 Lit Ophel
- 2 Kings 5:27 Lit seed
2 Kings 5
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 5
Cure of Naaman.[a] 1 There was a certain Naaman, who was the commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was an honorable man, highly esteemed by his master, because it was through him that the Lord had delivered Aram. He was a brave soldier, but he had leprosy.
2 Aramean raiders had gone out into the land of Israel and had taken a young girl captive who served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my lord would present himself to the prophet who is in Samaria. He would cure him of his leprosy.”
4 He went to his lord and said, “This is what the young girl from the land of Israel said.”
5 The king of Aram said, “Go! I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”
He went on his way, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel which said, “With this letter I am sending you my servant Naaman so that you might cure him of his leprosy.”
7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, with the power to kill and give life, that he sends me a man to heal him of his leprosy? Think of it, see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.”
8 When Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me so that he might know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
9 So Naaman went with his horses and his chariot, and he stood at the door to Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, wash seven times in the Jordan, and your skin will be restored, and you will be clean.”
11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “Behold, I thought he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord, his God, and wave his hand over the place and heal the leprosy. 12 Are not the Abana and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all of the rivers of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be made clean?”
So he turned away and left in a rage. 13 His servants approached him and spoke to him saying, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more should you do it when he said, ‘Wash and be made clean.’ ”
14 He went down and he bathed himself in the Jordan seven times as the man of God had instructed him to do. His skin became like the skin of a little child, and he was clean.
15 He and all of his attendants returned to the man of God. He came and he stood before him and said, “Behold, I now know that there is no God upon the earth except in Israel. Please accept a gift from your servant.” 16 He answered, “As the Lord lives before whom I stand, I will not accept it.” Even though he urged him to take it, he refused.[b]
17 [c]Naaman said, “If not, then let your servant be given two donkey loads of dirt, for your servant will never again offer burnt offerings or sacrifices to any other god but the Lord. 18 Only may the Lord forgive me this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand and I also bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant this thing.”
19 He said to him, “Go in peace.” He left and traveled a little way. 20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, the man of God, said, “Behold, my master has spared Naaman the Aramean by not accepting from his hands what he brought. As the Lord lives, I will run after him and take something from him.”
21 So Gehazi followed Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he got off the chariot to greet him and he said, “Is all well?” 22 He answered, “All is well. My master sent me, saying, ‘Two young men from among the sons of the prophets have now come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.’ ”
23 Naaman said, “Please take two talents.” He urged it on him, and he bound up two talents of silver in two bags along with two changes of clothing. He entrusted it to two of his servants who carried it before him. 24 When he came to the tower, he took it from their hands and he placed it in the house. He then dismissed the men and they left.
25 He went in and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, “Where are you coming from, Gehazi?” He answered, “Your servant has not gone anywhere.” 26 He said to him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got off of his chariot to meet you? Is this now the time to receive money, or clothing, or olive orchards, or vineyards, or sheep, or oxen, or menservants, or maidservants? 27 On account of this, Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and your descendants forever.” He went out from his presence, and he was a leper, as white as snow.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 5:1 The story is highly instructive (see Lk 4:27). The episode of the bathing has been seen as prefigurative of baptism, the waters of which cleanse from sin. Naaman was probably suffering from a simple skin disease; otherwise he would have been kept apart as a leper.
- 2 Kings 5:16 Given the time and place, the prophet’s disinterestedness is admirable. He anticipates the command of Jesus to the apostles that they should not take pay for their ministry (Mt 10:8). Elijah’s action stands out even more clearly in contrast to his servant, who is so greedy that he is willing even to slander his master (vv. 20-21).
- 2 Kings 5:17 Rimmon or Hadad-rimmon was the principal divinity of Damascus (Zec 12:11). Naaman asks for a little earth from the land of the true God in order to make for himself a sacred place in which he may pray. He thereby becomes a model for converted pagans. But he is faced with a difficult matter of conscience and he asks that he not be forbidden outward participation in the false worship that is forced upon him. The prophet leaves the convert in his state of good faith, without expressly giving his approval.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
