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2 Kings 5:1-19
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

The Healing of Naaman

5 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from a skin disease.(A) 2 Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his skin disease.” 4 So Naaman[a] went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. 5 And the king of Aram said, “Go, then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.”

He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments.(B) 6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his skin disease.” 7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his skin disease? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.”(C)

8 But 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? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel.”(D) 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.”(E) 11 But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, “I thought that for me he would surely come out and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God and would wave his hand over the spot and cure the skin disease! 12 Are not Abana[b] and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” He turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants approached and said to him, “Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”(F) 14 So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.(G)

15 Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company; he came and stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel; please accept a present from your servant.”(H) 16 But he said, “As the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will accept nothing!” He urged him to accept, but he refused.(I) 17 Then Naaman said, “If not, please let two mule loads of earth be given to your servant, for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god except the Lord. 18 But may the Lord pardon your servant on one count: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow down in the house of Rimmon, when I do bow down in the house of Rimmon, may the Lord pardon your servant on this one count.”(J) 19 He said to him, “Go in peace.”

Gehazi’s Greed

But when Naaman had gone from him a short distance,

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Footnotes

  1. 5.4 Heb he
  2. 5.12 Another reading is Amana
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2 Kings 5:1-19
International Standard Version

The Healing of Naaman

5 Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram,[a] was a great man in the opinion[b] of his master. He was highly favored, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. Though he was a mighty and valiant man, he was suffering from leprosy. 2 On one of their raids to the territory of Israel, Aram had taken captive a young girl when she was an infant,[c] who had eventually become an attendant to[d] Naaman’s wife. 3 She mentioned to her mistress, “If only my master were to visit the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

4 Later, Naaman[e] went to inform his master and told him something like this: “Thus and so spoke the young woman from the territory of Israel.”

5 The king of Aram replied, “Go now, and I’ll send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he left and took with him ten talents[f] of silver and 6,000 units[g] of gold, along with ten sets[h] of clothing. 6 He also brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read as follows: “…and now as this letter finds its way to you, look! I’ve sent my servant Naaman to you so you may heal him of his leprosy.”

7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he ripped his clothes and cried out, “Am I God? Can I kill and give life? Is this man sending me a request[i] to heal a man’s leprosy? Let’s think about this—he’s looking for a reason to start a fight[j] with me!”

8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message[k] to the king and asked, “Why did you tear your clothes? Please, let the man come visit me and he will learn that there is a prophet in Israel!”

9 So Naaman arrived with his horses and chariots and stood in front of the door to Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger out to him, who told him, “Go bathe in the Jordan River[l] seven times. Your flesh will be restored for you. Now stay clean!”

11 But Naaman flew into a rage and left, telling himself, “Look! I thought ‘He’s surely going to come out to me, stand still, call out in the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the infection,[m] and cure the leprosy!’ 12 Aren’t the Abana and Pharpar rivers in Damascus better than all of the water in Israel? Couldn’t I just bathe in them and become clean?” So he turned away and left, filled with anger.

13 But then his servants approached him and spoke with him. They said, “My father, had the prophet only asked of you something great, you would have done it, wouldn’t you? Yet he told you, ‘Bathe, and be clean…!’” 14 So he went down and plunged himself into the Jordan River[n] seven times, just as the man of God had said, and his flesh rejuvenated like the flesh of a newborn child. And he was clean.

Gehazi’s Greed is Punished

15 Naaman[o] went back to the man of God, along with his entire entourage, and stood before him. “Please look!” he said. “I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel! So please, take a present from your servant.”

16 But Elisha[p] replied, “As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will not receive anything from you.” Though Naaman[q] urged him to take it, Elisha[r] declined.

17 So Naaman asked, “No? Then please let your servant load two mules with dirt from Israel,[s] because your servant will no longer offer any burnt offering or sacrifice to any other god but the Lord. 18 In this one area may the Lord pardon your servant: Whenever my master enters the temple of Rimmon to worship there, he will lean on my hand while I bow down in the temple of Rimmon. So may the Lord pardon your servant in this one area.”

19 “Go in peace,” he said. So Naaman[t] left.

After Naaman had gone only a short distance,

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 5:1 I.e., ancient Assyria, and so throughout the book
  2. 2 Kings 5:1 Lit. eyes
  3. 2 Kings 5:2 Or young little girl; cf. v. 14; i.e., a young girl of small size
  4. 2 Kings 5:2 Lit. girl, and she was in the presence of
  5. 2 Kings 5:4 Lit. he
  6. 2 Kings 5:5 I.e. about 750 pounds; a talent weighed about 75 pounds
  7. 2 Kings 5:5 The unit of weight is unspecified.
  8. 2 Kings 5:5 So MT; LXX reads changes
  9. 2 Kings 5:7 The Heb. lacks a request
  10. 2 Kings 5:7 The Heb. lacks to start a fight
  11. 2 Kings 5:8 The Heb. lacks a message
  12. 2 Kings 5:10 The Heb. lacks River
  13. 2 Kings 5:11 Lit. place
  14. 2 Kings 5:14 The Heb. lacks River
  15. 2 Kings 5:15 Lit. He
  16. 2 Kings 5:16 Lit. he
  17. 2 Kings 5:16 Lit. he
  18. 2 Kings 5:16 Lit. he
  19. 2 Kings 5:17 The Heb. lacks from Israel
  20. 2 Kings 5:19 Lit. he
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2 Kings 4
2 Kings 6
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