2 Kings 5

1 Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him Yahweh had given victory to Syria; he was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.

And Naaman, head of the host of the king of Aram, was a great man before his lord, and accepted of face, for YHWH had given salvation to Aram by him, and the man was mighty in valor, [but] leprous.

2 The Syrians had gone out in bands, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little girl, and she waited on Naaman’s wife.

And the Arameans have gone out [by] troops, and they take a little girl captive out of the land of Israel, and she is before the wife of Naaman,

3 She said to her mistress, “I wish that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would heal him of his leprosy.”

and she says to her mistress, “O that my lord [were] before the prophet who [is] in Samaria; then he recovers him from his leprosy.”

4 Someone went in and told his lord, saying, “The girl who is from the land of Israel said this.”

And [one] goes in and declares [it] to his lord, saying, “Thus and thus the girl who [is] from the land of Israel has spoken.”

5 The king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” He departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of clothing.

And the king of Aram says, “Go, enter, and I send a letter to the king of Israel”; and he goes and takes in his hand ten talents of silver, and six thousand [pieces] of gold, and ten changes of garments.

6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, “Now when this letter has come to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy.”

And he brings in the letter to the king of Israel, saying, “And now, at the coming in of this letter to you, behold, I have sent my servant Naaman to you, and you have recovered him from his leprosy.”

7 When the king of Israel had read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me to heal a man of his leprosy? But please consider and see how he seeks a quarrel against me.”

And it comes to pass, at the king of Israel’s reading the letter, that he tears his garments and says, “Am I God, to put to death and to keep alive, that this [one] is sending to me to recover a man from his leprosy? For surely know now, and see, for he is presenting himself to me.”

8 It was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

And it comes to pass, at Elisha the man of God’s hearing that the king of Israel has torn his garments, that he sends to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your garments? Please let him come to me, and he knows that there is a prophet in Israel.”

9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

And Naaman comes, with his horses and with his chariot, and stands at the opening of the house for Elisha;

10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall come again to you, and you shall be clean.”

and Elisha sends a messenger to him, saying, “Go, and you have washed seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh turns back to you—and be clean.”

11 But Naaman was angry, and went away and said, “Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leper.’

And Naaman is angry, and goes on and says, “Behold, I said, He certainly comes out to me, and has stood and called in the Name of his God YHWH, and waved his hand over the place, and recovered the leper.

12 Aren’t Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.

Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Do I not wash in them and I have been clean?” And he turns and goes on in fury.

13 His servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had asked you do some great thing, wouldn’t you have done it? How much rather then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”

And his servants come near, and speak to him, and say, “My father, the prophet had spoken a great thing to you—do you not do [it]? And surely, when he has said to you, Wash, and be clean.”

14 Then went he down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

And he goes down and dips in the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh turns back as the flesh of a little youth, and is clean.

15 He returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him; and he said, “See now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel. Now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.”

And he turns back to the man of God, he and all his camp, and comes in, and stands before him, and says, “Now behold, I have known that there is not a God in all the earth except in Israel; and now, please take a blessing from your servant.”

16 But he said, “As Yahweh lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none.” He urged him to take it; but he refused.

And he says, “YHWH lives, before whom I have stood—if I take [it]”; and he presses on him to take, and he refuses.

17 Naaman said, “If not, then, please let two mules’ load of earth be given to your servant; for your servant will from now on offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice to other gods, but to Yahweh.

And Naaman says, “If not, please let a couple of mules’ burden of earth be given to your servant, for your servant makes no more burnt-offering and sacrifice to other gods, but [only sacrifices] to YHWH.

18 In this thing may Yahweh pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon. When I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, may Yahweh pardon your servant in this thing.”

For in this thing may YHWH be propitious to your servant, in the coming in of my lord into the house of Rimmon to bow himself there, and he was supported by my hand, and I bowed myself [in] the house of Rimmon; for my bowing myself in the house of Rimmon, may YHWH now be propitious to your servant in this thing.”

19 He said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him a little way.

And he says to him, “Go in peace.” And he goes from him a distance of land,

20 But Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought. As Yahweh lives, I will run after him, and take something from him.”

and Gehazi, servant of Elisha the man of God, says, “Behold, my lord has spared this Aramean Naaman, not to receive from his hand that which he brought; for YHWH lives; if I have run after him, then I have taken something from him.”

21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. When Naaman saw one running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is all well?”

And Gehazi pursues after Naaman, and Naaman sees one running after him, and comes down off the chariot to meet him, and says, “Is there peace?”

22 He said, “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Behold, even now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.’”

And he says, “Peace; my lord has sent me, saying, Behold, now, this, two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill-country of Ephraim; please give a talent of silver and two changes of garments to them.”

23 Naaman said, “Be pleased to take two talents.” He urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and laid them on two of his servants; and they carried them before him.

And Naaman says, “Be pleased, take two talents”; and he urges him, and binds two talents of silver in two purses, and two changes of garments, and gives [them] to two of his young men, and they carry [them] before him;

24 When he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and stored them in the house. Then he let the men go, and they departed.

and he comes to the high place, and takes [them] out of their hand, and lays [them] up in the house, and sends the men away, and they go.

25 But he went in, and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, “Where did you come from, Gehazi?” He said, “Your servant went nowhere.”

And he has come in, and stands by his lord, and Elisha says to him, “From where—Gehazi?” And he says, “Your servant did not go here or there.”

26 He said to him, “Didn’t my heart go with you when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and olive groves and vineyards, and sheep and cattle, and male servants and female servants?

And he says to him, “My heart did not go when the man turned from off his chariot to meet you; is it a time to take silver, and to take garments, and olives, and vines, and flock, and herd, and menservants, and maidservants?

27 Therefore the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and to your offspring forever.” He went out from his presence a leper, as white as snow.

Indeed, the leprosy of Naaman cleaves to you and to your seed for all time”; and he goes out from before him—leprous as snow.