2 Reyes 5
Reina Valera Contemporánea
Eliseo y Namán
5 Cierto general del ejército del rey de Siria, llamado Namán,(A) era un hombre muy importante. Su señor lo tenía en alta estima porque, por medio de él, que era un guerrero muy valiente, el Señor había dado la victoria a Siria. Pero Namán era leproso. 2 Un día, una joven israelita que las bandas de sirios habían hecho cautiva y la habían puesto al servicio de la esposa de Namán, 3 le dijo a su señora:
«Si mi señor acudiera al profeta que está en Samaria, él lo sanaría de su lepra.»
4 Cuando Namán fue a ver al rey de Siria, le contó lo que la joven israelita le había dicho a su esposa, 5 y el rey le dijo:
«Pues ve a ver a ese profeta. Yo le enviaré cartas al rey de Israel.»
Namán se puso en marcha, llevando consigo treinta mil monedas de plata, y seis mil monedas de oro, y diez mudas de vestidos. 6 También llevó consigo cartas para el rey de Israel, las cuales decían:
«Cuando estas cartas lleguen a tus manos, por ellas sabrás que yo estoy enviándote a mi siervo Namán, para que lo sanes de su lepra.»
7 En cuanto el rey de Israel leyó las cartas, se rasgó las vestiduras y dijo:
«¿Acaso soy Dios, capaz de dar la vida y de quitarla, para que éste me envíe un hombre para que lo sane de su lepra? Como pueden ver, sólo está buscando un pretexto para atacarme.»
8 Como Eliseo, el varón de Dios, se enteró de que el rey de Israel se había rasgado las vestiduras, mandó a decirle:
«¿Por qué te has rasgado las vestiduras? ¡Deja que venga a verme! ¡Así sabrá que en Israel hay profeta!»
9 Y Namán fue a ver a Eliseo, y al llegar a la puerta de su casa se detuvo, con sus caballos y con su carro de guerra. 10 Entonces Eliseo mandó un mensajero a que le dijera:
«Ve y lávate siete veces en el Jordán, y tu carne volverá a ser como antes era, y quedarás limpio de tu lepra.»
11 Pero Namán se enojó y se fue, mientras decía:
«¿Cómo? Yo pensaba que ese profeta saldría a verme, y que de pie invocaría el nombre del Señor, su Dios, y luego alzaría la mano y tocaría la parte enferma, y me sanaría de la lepra. 12 ¿Acaso los ríos Abana y Farfar, de Damasco, no son mejores que todas las aguas de Israel? ¿Y acaso no quedaré también limpio si me lavo en ellos?»
Y muy enojado se fue de allí. 13 Pero sus criados se le acercaron y le dijeron:
«¡Ay, señor! Si el profeta te hubiera mandado hacer algo más impresionante, ¿acaso no lo habrías hecho? ¡Pues con más razón si te ha dicho: “Lávate, y quedarás limpio!”»
14 Namán fue al Jordán y se zambulló siete veces, conforme a la palabra del varón de Dios, y al instante quedó limpio: Su piel se volvió tan suave como la de un niño. 15 Entonces él y toda su compañía volvieron a donde estaba el varón de Dios, y una vez delante de él dijo:
«Ahora reconozco que no hay más Dios en toda la tierra, que en Israel. Por favor, acepta algún presente de este siervo tuyo.»
16 Pero Eliseo dijo:
«Juro por el Señor, en cuya presencia estoy, que no lo voy a aceptar.»
Namán insistía en que Eliseo aceptara alguna cosa, pero él no accedió. 17 Entonces Namán dijo:
«Entonces voy a pedirte concedas a este siervo tuyo llevarme de esta tierra la carga de un par de mulas. Porque de aquí en adelante este siervo tuyo no ofrecerá holocaustos ni sacrificios a otros dioses, sino sólo al Señor. 18 Y anticipadamente pido al Señor perdonar a este siervo suyo si, cuando mi señor el rey entre en el templo de Rimón para adorar allí, y se apoye en mi brazo, yo también llego a inclinarme en ese templo. Si llego a hacerlo, ¡que el Señor me perdone!»
19 Eliseo le dijo que podía irse tranquilo. Y Namán se fue. Pero apenas habría recorrido una distancia de media legua 20 cuando Guejazí, el criado de Eliseo, varón de Dios, pensó: «¡Vaya! Mi señor no permitió que este sirio, Namán, le regalara lo que trajo. ¡Pues juro por el Señor, que ahora mismo voy a ir tras él para pedirle que me dé algo!»
21 Y Guejazí corrió para alcanzar a Namán. Y cuando Namán vio que Guejazí venía corriendo tras él, se bajó del carro para recibirlo, y le preguntó si todo estaba bien. 22 Guejazí dijo que sí, y añadió:
«Mi señor me envía a decirte que del monte de Efraín acaban de llegar dos profetas jóvenes, y te ruega darle para ellos tres mil monedas de plata y dos vestidos nuevos.»
23 Namán contestó:
«No sólo tres mil. Te ruego que le lleves seis mil.»
Y Namán insistió en que Guejazí aceptara dos bolsas, cada una con tres mil monedas de plata, y dos vestidos nuevos; luego ordenó a dos de sus criados echarse todo esto a cuestas y llevarlo delante de Guejazí. 24 Pero al llegar a cierto lugar, Guejazí les pidió que le entregaran lo que llevaban, y lo guardó todo en su casa; luego ordenó a los hombres que se fueran. 25 Después de eso, se presentó ante su señor. Y Eliseo le dijo:
«¿De dónde vienes, Guejazí?»
Y él contestó:
«Yo no he ido a ninguna parte.»
26 Entonces Eliseo le dijo:
«¿Crees que yo no estaba allí, en espíritu, cuando aquel hombre bajó de su carro a recibirte? Pero éste no es el momento de recibir plata y vestidos, ni olivares, viñas, ovejas, bueyes, siervos y siervas. 27 Por lo tanto, la lepra de Namán se te pegará a ti y a tu descendencia para siempre.»
Y cuando Guejazí salió de la presencia de Eliseo, estaba blanco como la nieve.
2 Kings 5
Contemporary English Version
Elisha Heals Naaman
5 (A) Naaman was the commander of the Syrian army. The Lord had helped him and his troops defeat their enemies, so the king of Syria respected Naaman very much. Naaman was a brave soldier, but he had leprosy.[a]
2 One day while the Syrian troops were raiding Israel, they captured a girl, and she became a servant of Naaman's wife. 3 Some time later the girl said, “If your husband Naaman would go to the prophet in Samaria, he would be cured of his leprosy.”
4 When Naaman told the king what the girl had said, 5 the king replied, “Go ahead! I will give you a letter to take to the king of Israel.”
Naaman left and took along 30,000 pieces of silver, 6,000 pieces of gold, and 10 new outfits. 6 He also carried the letter to the king of Israel. It said, “I am sending my servant Naaman to you. Would you cure him of his leprosy?”
7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in fear and shouted, “That Syrian king believes I can cure this man of leprosy! Does he think I'm God with power over life and death? He must be trying to pick a fight with me.”
8 As soon as Elisha the prophet[b] heard what had happened, he sent the Israelite king this message: “Why are you so afraid? Send the man to me, so that he will know there is a prophet in Israel.”
9 Naaman left with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. 10 Elisha sent someone outside to say to him, “Go wash seven times in the Jordan River. Then you'll be completely cured.”
11 But Naaman stormed off, grumbling, “Why couldn't he come out and talk to me? I thought for sure he would stand in front of me and pray to the Lord his God, then wave his hand over my skin and cure me. 12 What about the Abana River[c] or the Pharpar River? Those rivers in Damascus are just as good as any river in Israel. I could have washed in them and been cured.”
13 His servants went over to him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it. So why don't you do what he said? Go wash and be cured.”
14 Naaman walked down to the Jordan; he waded out into the water and stooped down in it seven times, just as Elisha had told him. At once, he was cured, and his skin became as smooth as a child's.
15 Naaman and his officials went back to Elisha. Naaman stood in front of him and announced, “Now I know that the God of Israel is the only God in the whole world. Sir, would you please accept a gift from me?”
16 “I am a servant of the living Lord,” Elisha answered, “and I swear that I will not take anything from you.”
Naaman kept begging, but Elisha kept refusing. 17 Finally Naaman said, “If you won't accept a gift, then please let me take home as much soil as two mules can pull in a wagon. Sir, from now on I will offer sacrifices only to the Lord.[d] 18 But I pray that the Lord will forgive me when I go into the temple of the god Rimmon and bow down there with the king of Syria.”
19 “Go on home, and don't worry about that,” Elisha replied. Then Naaman left.
Elisha Places a Curse on Gehazi
After Naaman had gone only a short distance, 20 Gehazi said to himself, “Elisha let that Syrian off too easy. He should have taken Naaman's gift. I swear by the living Lord that I will talk to Naaman myself and get something from him.” 21 So he hurried after Naaman.
When Naaman saw Gehazi running after him, he got out of his chariot to meet him. Naaman asked, “Is everything all right?”
22 “Yes,” Gehazi answered. “But my master has sent me to tell you about two young prophets from the hills of Ephraim. They came asking for help, and now Elisha wants to know if you would give them 3,000 pieces of silver and some new clothes?”
23 “Sure,” Naaman replied. “But why don't you take twice that amount of silver?” He convinced Gehazi to take it all, then put the silver in two bags. He handed the bags and the clothes to his two servants, and they carried them for Gehazi.
24 When they reached the hill where Gehazi lived, he took the bags from the servants and placed them in his house, then sent the men away. After they had gone, 25 Gehazi went in and stood in front of Elisha, who asked, “Gehazi, where have you been?”
“Nowhere, sir,” Gehazi answered.
26 Elisha asked, “Don't you know that my spirit was there when Naaman got out of his chariot to talk with you? Gehazi, you have no right to accept money or clothes, olive orchards or vineyards, sheep or cattle, or servants. 27 Because of what you've done, Naaman's leprosy[e] will now be on you and your descendants forever!”
Suddenly, Gehazi's skin became white with leprosy, and he left.
Footnotes
- 5.1 leprosy: The word translated “leprosy” was used for many different kinds of skin diseases.
- 5.8 the prophet: Hebrew “the man of God.”
- 5.12 Abana River: Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts and two ancient translations “Amana River.”
- 5.17 let me take … the Lord: It was believed that the Lord had to be worshiped in Israel or on soil taken from Israel.
- 5.27 leprosy: See the note at 5.1.
2 Kings 5
Young's Literal Translation
5 And Naaman, head of the host of the king of Aram, was a great man before his lord, and accepted of face, for by him had Jehovah given salvation to Aram, and the man was mighty in valour -- leprous.
2 And the Aramaeans have gone out [by] troops, and they take captive out of the land of Israel a little damsel, and she is before the wife of Naaman,
3 and she saith unto her mistress, `O that my lord [were] before the prophet who [is] in Samaria; then he doth recover him from his leprosy.'
4 And [one] goeth in and declareth to his lord, saying, `Thus and thus she hath spoken, the damsel who [is] from the land of Israel.'
5 And the king of Aram saith, `Go thou, enter, and I send a letter unto the king of Israel;' and he goeth and taketh in his hand ten talents of silver, and six thousand [pieces] of gold, and ten changes of garments.
6 And he bringeth in the letter unto the king of Israel, saying, `And now, at the coming in of this letter unto thee, lo, I have sent unto thee Naaman my servant, and thou hast recovered him from his leprosy.'
7 And it cometh to pass, at the king of Israel's reading the letter, that he rendeth his garments, and saith, `Am I God, to put to death and to keep alive, that this [one] is sending unto me to recover a man from his leprosy? for surely know, I pray you, and see, for he is presenting himself to me.'
8 And it cometh to pass, at Elisha the man of God's hearing that the king of Israel hath rent his garments, that he sendeth unto the king, saying, `Why hast thou rent thy garments? let him come, I pray thee, unto me, and he doth know that there is a prophet in Israel.'
9 And Naaman cometh, with his horses and with his chariot, and standeth at the opening of the house for Elisha;
10 and Elisha sendeth unto him a messenger, saying, `Go, and thou hast washed seven times in Jordan, and thy flesh doth turn back to thee -- and be thou clean.
11 And Naaman is wroth, and goeth on, and saith, `Lo, I said, Unto me he doth certainly come out, and hath stood and called in the name of Jehovah his God, and waved his hand over the place, and recovered the leper.
12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? do I not wash in them and I have been clean?' and he turneth and goeth on in fury.
13 And his servants come nigh, and speak unto him, and say, `My father, a great thing had the prophet spoken unto thee -- dost thou not do [it]? and surely, when he hath said unto thee, Wash, and be clean.'
14 And he goeth down and dippeth in Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh doth turn back as the flesh of a little youth, and is clean.
15 And he turneth back unto the man of God, he and all his camp, and cometh in, and standeth before him, and saith, `Lo, I pray thee, I have known that there is not a God in all the earth except in Israel; and now, take, I pray thee, a blessing from thy servant.'
16 And he saith, `Jehovah liveth, before whom I have stood -- if I take [it];' and he presseth on him to take, and he refuseth.
17 And Naaman saith, `If not -- let be given, I pray thee, to thy servant, a couple of mules' burden of earth, for thy servant doth make no more burnt-offering and sacrifice to other gods, but to Jehovah.
18 For this thing Jehovah be propitious to thy servant, in the coming in of my lord into the house of Rimmon to bow himself there, and he was supported by my hand, and I bowed myself [in] the house of Rimmon; for my bowing myself in the house of Rimmon Jehovah be propitious, I pray thee, to thy servant in this thing.'
19 And he saith to him, `Go in peace.' And he goeth from him a kibrath of land,
20 And Gehazi, servant of Elisha the man of God, saith, `Lo, my lord hath spared Naaman this Aramaean, not to receive from his hand that which he brought; Jehovah liveth; surely if I have run after him, then I have taken from him something.'
21 And Gehazi pursueth after Naaman, and Naaman seeth one running after him, and alighteth from off the chariot to meet him, and saith, `Is there peace?'
22 And he saith, `Peace; my lord hath sent me, saying, Lo, now, this, come unto me have two young men from the hill-country of Ephraim, of the sons of the prophets; give, I pray thee, to them, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.'
23 And Naaman saith, `Be pleased, take two talents;' and he urgeth on him, and bindeth two talents of silver in two purses, and two changes of garments, and giveth unto two of his young men, and they bear before him;
24 and he cometh in unto the high place, and taketh out of their hand, and layeth up in the house, and sendeth away the men, and they go.
25 And he hath come in, and doth stand by his lord, and Elisha saith unto him, `Whence -- Gehazi?' and he saith, `Thy servant went not hither or thither.'
26 And he saith unto him, `My heart went not when the man turned from off his chariot to meet thee; is it a time to take silver, and to take garments, and olives, and vines, and flock, and herd, and men-servants, and maid-servants?
27 yea, the leprosy of Naaman doth cleave to thee, and to thy seed, -- to the age;' and he goeth out from before him -- leprous as snow.
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