2 Reyes 5

Naaman is healed

¹Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. His master regarded him as a great man and held him in high honor, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a mighty warrior, but he had a serious skin disease.^{a 2}Raiding parties from Aram had gone out and had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. ³She said to her mistress, “If only my master could stand before the prophet in Samaria! Then he would free him from his skin disease.” ⁴Naaman went in and told his master, “This is what the girl from the land of Israel said.” ⁵The king of Aram said, “Go at once, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman went, taking with him about 750 pounds of silver, about 150 pounds of gold and ten sets of fine clothes. ⁶He brought the letter to the king of Israel. It said, “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you, so that you may cure him of his skin disease.” ⁷The king of Israel read the letter and at once tore his clothes. “Am I God,” he said, “to put to death and to give life, that this man sends someone to me to be cured of his skin disease? Think about it and see: he is looking for a reason to quarrel with me.” ⁸Elisha the man of God learned that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, and he sent this word to the king: “Why have you torn your clothes? Let the man come to me, and he will find out that Israel has a prophet.” ⁹So Naaman came with his horses and his chariot and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. ¹⁰Elisha sent a messenger out to him to say, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan. Your flesh will be restored, and you will be clean.” ¹¹But Naaman went away angry. He said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me, stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of the disease. ¹²Are not the rivers of Damascus, Abana and Pharpar, better than any of the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be made clean?” Then he turned and went off in a fury.^{b 13}His servants came up to him and said, “My father, had the prophet asked you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more, then, should you obey when he tells you only, ‘Wash and be clean’!”^{c 14}So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, as the man of God had said. His flesh was restored and became like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean. ¹⁵Then he went back to the man of God with all his company. He came and stood before him and said, “Now I know that in all the earth there is no God except in Israel. So now, please accept a gift from your servant.” ¹⁶But Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will accept nothing.” Naaman pressed him to take it, but he refused. ¹⁷Then Naaman said, “If not, then please let your servant be given a load of earth, as much as a pair of mules can carry, because your servant will never again offer burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but only to the LORD. ¹⁸But in one matter may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to bow down there, he leans on my arm, and I too bow down in the temple of Rimmon. When I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD pardon your servant in this matter.”^{d 19}Elisha said to him, “Go in peace.” So Naaman left him and went some distance.

Gehazi’s greed

²⁰Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master has let this Aramean Naaman off without taking any of the things he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will chase after him and take something from him.” ²¹So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he got down from his chariot to meet him and asked, “Is everything all right?” ²²He answered, “All is well. My master has sent me to say, ‘Two young men of the company of prophets have just arrived from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them about 75 pounds of silver and two sets of clothes.’” ²³Naaman said, “Please, take about 150 pounds.” He pressed Gehazi to take them, and tied up about 150 pounds of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothes. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi. ²⁴When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from them and put them away in the house. Then he sent the men off, and they left. ²⁵Then he went in and stood before his master. Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” He said, “Your servant has not gone anywhere.” ²⁶But Elisha said to him, “Was not my heart there with you when a man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is this a time for taking money and taking clothes, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and cattle, male slaves and female slaves?^{e 27}So Naaman’s skin disease will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” And Gehazi went out from his presence with a serious skin disease, as white as snow.