2 Kings

2 Kings 5 ©

1 Naaman, captain of the Syrian host, upon the report of a captive maid, cometh to Samaria to be cured of his leprosy. 8 Elisha sendeth him to dip in Jordan, whereby he is healed. 15 Naaman acknowledgeth the true God; cannot prevail on Elisha to accept his presents; asketh for earth; and is sent away in peace. 20 Gehazi, Elisha's servant, by a lie obtaineth a present from Naaman, and is smitten with leprosy.

1

NOW aNaaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a bgreat man 1with his master, and 2honourable, because by him the LORD had given 3deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a cleper.

2

And the Syrians had gone out dby companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she 4waited on Naaman's wife.

3

And eshe said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were 5with fthe prophet that is in Samaria! for he would 6recover him of his leprosy.

4

And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the gmaid that is of the land of Israel.

5

And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, hand took 7with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and iten changes of *raiment.

6

And he brought the letter to jthe 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.

7

And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that khe rent his clothes, and said, lAm 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 msee how he seeketh a quarrel against me.

8

¶And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had nrent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall oknow that there is a prophet in Israel.

9

So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and pstood at the door of the house of Elisha.

10

And Elisha qsent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and rwash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

11

But Naaman was s*wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, 8I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and 9strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

12

Are not 10Abana and Pharpar, rivers of tDamascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and uwent away in a rage.

13

And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, vMy 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?

14

Then wwent he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and xhis flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

15

¶And he yreturned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, znow I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take aa blessing of thy servant.

16

But he said, bAs the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I cwill 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 dwill 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 eRimmon to worship there, and fhe 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.

f ch. 7.2,17.
19

And he said unto him, gGo in peace. So he departed from him 11a little way.

20

¶But hGehazi, 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, iI will run after him, and take somewhat of him.

21

So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he jlighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, 12Is all well?

22

And he said, All is well. kMy master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from lmount Ephraim two young men of mthe sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.

m ch. 2.3.
23

And Naaman said, nBe 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.

n ch. 6.3.
24

And when he came to the 13tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.

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 14*no whither.

26

And he said unto him, Went onot mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it pa time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?

27

The qleprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper ras white as snow.