Elisha cures Naaman's leprosy
1
Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with
his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance
unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.
2
And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive
out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife.
3
And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet
that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.
4
And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid
that is of the land of Israel.
Naaman was a mighty man and a Syrian captain.
God had helped him conquer his enemies.
But he had leprosy.
5
And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the
king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver,
and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.
6
And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this
letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to
thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.
The king of Syria sent a letter to the king of Israel asking him to cure Naaman's leprosy.
7
And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that
he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this
man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I
pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.
When the king of Israel read the letter,
he tore his clothes, and said,
I can't cure leprosy.
He's just trying to pick a fight with me.
8
And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of
Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore
hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that
there is a prophet in Israel.
When Elisha heard that the king had
torn his clothes, he said to him,
Why did you tear your clothes? [1]
Let Naaman come to me.
I'll show him what a great prophet I am.
9
So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door
of the house of Elisha.
So Naaman came to the door of Elisha's house.
10
And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven
times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
Elisha sent a messenger to Naaman, saying,
Go wash in the Jordan River seven times.
That'll cure you.
11
But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will
surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God,
and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
That made Naaman angry. He said,
I thought he'd at least come out and talk to me.
And then ask God to cure me of my leprosy.
12
Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters
of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away
in a rage.
We have rivers that are better than the ones in Israel.
Couldn't I just wash in them and get clean?
13
And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if
the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done
it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
But Naaman's servants said to him,
What's the big deal?
Just wash yourself in the Jordan and see what happens.
14Then went he down, and
dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of
God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he
was clean.
So Naaman washed himself seven times in the Jordan.
And that cured him of his leprosy. [2]
15
And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and
stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in
all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of
thy servant.
16
But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none.
And he urged him to take it; but he refused.
17
And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy
servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer
neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD.
18
In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into
the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow
myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of
Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing.
19
And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.
Naaman returned to Elisha and said,
Now I know that the god of Israel is the only god.
Let me pay you something for curing me.
But Elisha wouldn't accept any payment.
Elisha gives Gehazi and his descendants leprosy
20
But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master
hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he
brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of
him.
Elisha's servant Gehazi said,
Elisha won't take any payment for Naaman's cure, but I will.
21
So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after
him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?
22
And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now
there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the
prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of
garments.
So Gehazi caught up to Naaman, and said to him,
Elisha sent me to say:
Two sons of prophets will be coming your way.
Give them each a talent of silver and two sets of clothes.
23
And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound
two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid
them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.
24
And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed
them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.
Naaman said,
Sure. I'll give twice as much as you asked for.
25
But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him,
Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.
The next time Elisha saw Gehazi, he said, "Where have you been?"
Gehazi answered, "Nowhere in particular."
26
And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned
again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to
receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and
menservants, and maidservants?
Elisha said,
I know where you were.
You received a payment from Naaman for curing his leprosy.
27The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever.
And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.
So now you and your descendants will have leprosy forever. [3]
And Gehazi's skin immediately became leprous.
5:1-19
