THE SECOND BOOK OF
THE KINGS,
2 Kings 5 ©
Naaman comes to Elisha to be healed of his leprosy, v. 1, etc. Being commanded to wash himself in the Jordan, he takes it disdainfully at first, 10. Afterward he does it, 13. He is healed, 14. Takes his leave of Elisha, who refuses to take his gifts, and lets him depart in peace, 15. His servant Gehazi takes gifts from him, 20. For which he is punished with Naaman’s leprosy, 25.
NOW Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a 1great man with his 2master, 3and honourable, because by him the LORD had given 4deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.
5And the Syrians had gone out by 6companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she 7waited on Naaman's wife.
And she said unto her mistress, Would Goda my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would 8recover him of his leprosy.
And 9one went 10in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.
And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and 11took 12with him 13ten talents of silver, and six thousand 14pieces of gold, and ten 15changes of raiment.
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 16recover him of his leprosy.
And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Amb 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 17seeketh a quarrel against me.
¶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, 18Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.
So Naaman came with his horses and with 19his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan 20seven times, and thy flesh shall 21come again to thee, and 22thou shalt be clean.
But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, 23I thought, He 24will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and 25strike his hand over the place, and recover 26the leper.
Are not 27Abana and 28Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? 29may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, 30My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some 31great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: andc his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
¶And he returned to the man of God, he and 32all 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 33blessing of thy servant.
But he said, As the LORD liveth, 34before whom I stand, 35I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.
And Naaman said, 36Shall there not then, I pray thee, be 37given to 38thy servant 39two mules’ burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD.
In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when 40my master goeth into the house of 41Rimmon to 42worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I 43bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD 44pardon thy servant in this thing.
And he said unto him, 45Go in peace. So he departed from him a 46little way.
¶But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, 47said, 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.
So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he 48lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, 49Is all well?
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.
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.
And when he came 50to the tower, he took them from their hand, and 51bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.
But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went nod whither.
And he said unto him, 52Went 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, 53and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?
54The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he wente out from his presence a leper as white 55as snow.