M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Elisha Heals Naaman

5 Naaman, the commander of the Aramean king’s army, was respected and highly honored by his master. Yahweh had given Aram a victory through Naaman. This man was a good soldier, but he had a skin disease.

² Once, when the Arameans went on raids, they had brought back a little girl from Israel. She became the servant of Naaman’s wife. ³ The girl told her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet in Samaria. Then the prophet could cure him of his skin disease.”

⁴ Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said.

⁵ The king of Aram said, “You may go. I will also send a letter to the king of Israel.” When Naaman left, he took 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and 10 sets of clothing with him. ⁶ He brought the letter to the king of Israel. It read, “I’m sending my officer Naaman with this letter. Cure him of his skin disease.”

⁷ When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in distress. He asked, “Am I Elohim? Can I kill someone and then bring him back to life? This man sends someone to me so that I can cure his skin disease! All of you should realize and understand that he’s trying to pick a fight with me.”

⁸ But when Elisha, the man of Elohim, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a messenger to the king. He asked, “Why did you tear your clothes? Please let Naaman come to me and find out that there is a prophet in Israel.”

⁹ Naaman came with his horses and chariot and stopped at the entrance to Elisha’s home. ¹⁰ Elisha sent a messenger to him. He said, “Wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River, and your skin will be healthy and clean.”^[a]

¹¹ But Naaman became angry and left. He said, “I thought he would at least come out of his house, stand somewhere, call on the name of Yahweh his Elohim, wave his hand over the infected place, and heal the skin disease. ¹² The Abana and Pharpar Rivers in Damascus have better water than any of the rivers in Israel. Couldn’t I wash in them and be clean?” So he turned around and left in anger.

¹³ But Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “Master, if the prophet had asked you to do some extraordinary act, wouldn’t you have done it? Why shouldn’t you do as he said: ‘Wash and be clean’?”

¹⁴ So he went to dip himself in the Jordan River seven times, as the man of Elohim had instructed him. His skin became healthy again like a little child’s skin. ¹⁵ Then he and all his men returned to the man of Elohim. Naaman stood in front of Elisha and said, “Now I know that there’s no god in the whole world, except the Elohim of Israel. So please accept a present from me.”

¹⁶ Elisha said, “I solemnly swear, as Yahweh whom I serve lives, I will not accept it.” Naaman urged him to take it, but he refused.

¹⁷ So Naaman said, “If you won’t take it, please have someone give me as much dirt as a pair of mules can carry. From now on I will sacrifice to Yahweh alone. I will not offer any burnt offering or sacrifice to any other gods. ¹⁸ May Yahweh forgive me when my master goes to the temple of Rimmon to worship, leans on my arm, and I have to bow down in the temple of Rimmon. When I do this, may Yahweh forgive me for this one thing.”

¹⁹ Elisha told Naaman, “Go in peace.”

After Elisha had left him and gone some distance, ²⁰ Gehazi, the servant of Elisha (the man of Elohim), thought, “My master let this Aramean Naaman go without accepting what he had brought. As sure as Yahweh lives, I’ll run after Naaman and get something from him.” ²¹ So Gehazi went after Naaman. When Naaman saw Gehazi running after him, he got down from his chariot to speak to him. “Is something wrong?” he asked.

²² Gehazi answered, “No. My master has sent me. He says, ‘Just now two young men from the disciples of the prophets in the hills of Ephraim have arrived. Please give them 75 pounds of silver and two sets of clothing.’”

²³ Naaman replied, “Please let me give you 150 pounds of silver.” Naaman urged him to take the silver. Naaman tied up 150 pounds of silver in two bags with two sets of clothing. He gave them to a couple of his own servants to carry in front of Gehazi.

²⁴ When Gehazi came to the Ophel in Samaria, he took these things and put them away in the house. Then he dismissed the men, and they left. ²⁵ He went and stood in front of his master.

Elisha asked him, “Where were you, Gehazi?”

“I didn’t go anywhere,” he answered.

²⁶ Then Elisha said to him, “I went with you in spirit when the man turned around in his chariot to speak to you. How could you accept silver, clothes, olive orchards, vineyards, sheep, cattle, or slaves? ²⁷ Naaman’s skin disease will cling to you and your descendants permanently!”

When he left Elisha, Gehazi had a disease that made his skin as flaky as snow.

2 First of all, I encourage you to make petitions, prayers, intercessions, and prayers of thanks for all people, ² for rulers, and for everyone who has authority over us. Pray for these people so that we can have a quiet and peaceful life always lived in a godly and reverent way. ³ This is good and pleases God our Savior. ⁴ He wants all people to be saved and to learn the truth. ⁵ There is one God. There is also one mediator between God and humans—a human, Christ Yeshua. ⁶ He sacrificed himself for all people to free them from their sins.

This message is valid for every era. ⁷ I was appointed to spread this Good News and to be an apostle to teach people who are not Jewish about faith and truth. I’m telling you the truth. I’m not lying.

⁸ I want men to offer prayers everywhere. They should raise their hands in prayer after putting aside their anger and any quarrels they have with anyone.

⁹ I want women to show their beauty by dressing in appropriate clothes that are modest and respectable. Their beauty will be shown by what they do,^[a] not by their hair styles or the gold jewelry, pearls, or expensive clothes they wear. ¹⁰ This is what is proper for women who claim to have reverence for God.

¹¹ A woman must learn in silence, in keeping with her position. ¹² I don’t allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man. Instead, she should be quiet. ¹³ After all, Adam was formed first, then Eve. ¹⁴ Besides that, Adam was not deceived. It was the woman who was deceived and sinned. ¹⁵ However, she and all women will be saved through the birth of the child,^[b] if they lead respectable lives in faith, love, and holiness.

Daniel’s Prayer about Jerusalem Is Answered

9 Xerxes’ son Darius, who was a Mede by birth, was made ruler of the kingdom of Babylon. ² In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, learned from the Scriptures the number of years that Jerusalem would remain in ruins. Yahweh had told the prophet Jeremiah that Jerusalem would remain in ruins for 70 years. ³ So I turned to Adonay Elohim and looked to him for help. I prayed, pleaded, and fasted in sackcloth and ashes.

⁴ I prayed to Yahweh my Elohim. I confessed and said, “Adonay, you are great and deserve respect as the only God. You keep your promise^[a] and show mercy to those who love you and obey your commandments. ⁵ We have sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled, and turned away from your commandments and laws. ⁶ We haven’t listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, leaders, ancestors, and all the common people. ⁷ You, Adonay, are righteous. But we—the men of Judah, the citizens of Jerusalem, and all the Israelites whom you scattered in countries near and far—are still ashamed because we have been unfaithful to you. ⁸ We, our kings, leaders, and ancestors are ashamed because we have sinned against you, Yahweh.

⁹ “But you, Adonay our Elohim, are compassionate and forgiving, although we have rebelled against you. ¹⁰ We never listened to Yahweh our Elohim or lived by the teachings you gave us through your servants the prophets. ¹¹ All Israel has ignored your teachings and refused to listen to you. So you brought on us the curses you swore in an oath, the curses written in the Teachings of Elohim’s servant Moses. We sinned against you. ¹² So you did what you said you would do to us and our rulers by bringing a great disaster on us. Nowhere in the world has anything ever happened like what has happened to Jerusalem. ¹³ This entire disaster happened to us, exactly as it was written in Moses’ Teachings. Yahweh our Elohim, we never tried to gain your favor by turning from our wrongs and dedicating ourselves to your truth. ¹⁴ So Yahweh was prepared to bring this disaster on us. Yahweh our Elohim, you are righteous in everything you do. But we never listened to you.

¹⁵ “Adonay our Elohim, you brought your people out of Egypt with your strong hand and made yourself famous even today. We have sinned and done evil things. ¹⁶ Adonay, since you are very righteous, turn your anger and fury away from your city, Jerusalem, your holy mountain. Jerusalem and your people are insulted by everyone around us because of our sins and the wicked things our ancestors did.

¹⁷ “Our Elohim, listen to my prayer and request. For your own sake, Adonay, look favorably on your holy place, which is lying in ruins. ¹⁸ Open your ears and listen, my Elohim. Open your eyes and look at our ruins and at the city called by your name. We are not requesting this from you because we are righteous, but because you are very compassionate. ¹⁹ Listen to us, Adonay. Forgive us, Adonay. Pay attention, and act. Don’t delay! Do this for your sake, my Elohim, because your city and your people are called by your name.”

²⁰ I continued to pray, confessing my sins and the sins of my people Israel. I humbly placed my request about my Elohim’s holy mountain in front of Yahweh my Elohim. ²¹ While I was praying, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the first vision, came to me about the time of the evening sacrifice. He was exhausted. ²² He informed me, “Daniel, this time I have come to give you insight. ²³ As soon as you began to make your request, a reply was sent. I have come to give you the reply because you are highly respected. So study the message, and understand the vision.

²⁴ “Seventy sets of seven time periods have been assigned for your people and your holy city. These time periods will serve to bring an end to rebellion, to stop sin, to forgive wrongs, to usher in everlasting righteousness, to put a seal on a prophet’s vision, and to anoint the Most Holy One. ²⁵ Learn, then, and understand that from the time the command is given to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the anointed prince comes, seven sets of seven time periods and sixty-two sets of seven time periods will pass. Jerusalem will be restored and rebuilt with a city square and a moat during the troubles of those times. ²⁶ But after the sixty-two sets of seven time periods, the Mashiach^[b] will be cut off and have nothing. The city and the holy place will be destroyed with the prince who is to come.^[c] His end will come with a flood until the end of the destructive war that has been determined. ²⁷ He will confirm his promise with many for one set of seven time periods. In the middle of the seven time periods, he will stop the sacrifices and food offerings. This will happen along with disgusting things that cause destruction until those time periods come to an end. It has been determined that this will happen to those who destroy the city.”

Psalm 117

Psalm 118