2 Kings 5

1 Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance to Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.

[A man named] Naaman was the commander of the army of Syria. Yahweh had enabled him to win many victories/battles. He was a great warrior, and as a result the king of Syria greatly respected him. But he had (leprosy/a dreaded skin disease).

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.

[Some time previously, ] groups of soldiers/marauders from Syria had raided/attacked the land of Israel, and they had captured a young girl [and taken her to Syria]. She became a servant for Naaman’s wife.

3 And she said to her mistress, I would that my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would cure him of his leprosy.

One day, that girl said to her, “I wish that (my master/your husband) would go to see the prophet in Samaria. That prophet would heal your husband from 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’s wife told her husband] what the girl from Israel had said, [and] Naaman told [that] to the king.

5 And the king of Syria said, Go, now, and I will send a letter to 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.

The king said to him, “Okay, go [and see the prophet]. I will [write] a letter for you to take to the king of Israel, [saying that I sent you].” The king wrote in the letter, “I am sending this letter with [my army commander] Naaman, who serves me [faithfully]. I want you to heal him of his disease.” So Naaman, [assuming/thinking that the king of Israel was the prophet, took the letter and] 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing, to give to the king of Israel, [and he went to Samaria, taking along several servants].

6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter hath come to thee, behold, with it I have sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest cure him of his leprosy.

7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he tore his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send to me to cure a man of his leprosy? therefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.

[When he arrived in Samaria, he gave the letter to the king] of Israel. The king read the letter. Then, being very dismayed, the king tore his clothes and said, “I am not God [RHQ]! I am not able to enable people to live or to die [RHQ]! Why does [the king] who wrote this letter request me to cure this man of his leprosy? I think that he is just wanting to start a fight with me!”

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

But the prophet Elisha heard that the king of Israel had torn his robe [and said that]. So he sent a message to the king, saying, “Why are you upset/frustrated [RHQ]? Send Naaman to me, and he will find out that [because] I am a true prophet [here] in Israel, [I can help/heal him].”

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

So Naaman went with his horses and chariots to Elisha’s house and waited outside the door.

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

But Elisha [did not come to the door. Instead, he] sent a messenger to Naaman, to tell him, “Go to the Jordan [River] and wash yourself seven times in the river. Then your skin will be restored/healed, and you will no longer have leprosy.”

11 But Naaman was furious, 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 cure the leprosy.

But Naaman became very angry. He said, “I thought that surely he would wave his hand over the leprosy, and pray to Yahweh his god, and heal me!

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.

Surely the Abana River and the Pharpar River in Damascus [in my own country of Syria] are [RHQ] better than any of the rivers in Israel! Why can I not wash in those rivers and be healed?” [RHQ] So he turned and walked away with great anger/disgust.

13 And his servants came near, and spoke to 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 his servants came to him, and [one of them] said, “Sir, if that prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would certainly [RHQ] have done it. So you should certainly do what he says and wash [in the Jordan River] to be healed!” [RHQ]

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

So Naaman went down to the Jordan [River] and washed himself seven times, as (the prophet/Elisha) told him to do. Then his skin was restored/healed, and it became healthy/smooth, like the skin of a young child.

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 from thy servant.

Then Naaman and those who were with him went back to talk to Elisha. They stood in front of him, and Naaman said, “Now I know that there are no real gods anywhere else in the world, but there is a God here in Israel! So now please accept these gifts that I [have brought to you]!”

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.

But Elisha replied, “Just as certainly as Yahweh, the one whom I serve, lives, I will not accept any gifts.” Naaman kept urging him [to accept the gifts], but Elisha kept refusing.

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 to other gods, but to the LORD.

Then Naaman said, “Okay, but [I have one request. This dirt here in Israel is holy, so] please allow me to take some dirt from this place and put it [in sacks] on two mules. Then I will take it back home with me [and make an altar on this dirt]. From now on, I will offer sacrifices to Yahweh [on that altar]. I will not offer sacrifices to any other god.

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.

However, when my master, [the king, ] goes into the temple of the god Rimmon to worship him/it there, and he is leaning on my arm, I hope/desire that Yahweh will forgive me because I will have to bow down, too.”

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

Elisha replied, “Go home, and do not worry about that.” So Naaman [and his servants] started to travel home.

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 from him.

But then Elisha’s servant Gehazi said to himself, “It is not good that my master allowed this Syrian man to leave like this. He should have accepted his gifts. So just as certainly as Yahweh lives, I will go and catch up with Naaman and get something from him.”

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

So Gehazi hurried to catch up with Naaman. When Naaman saw Gehazi running toward him, he [stopped] the chariot [in which he was riding, ] jumped out, and went to see what Gehazi wanted. He asked him, “Is everything all right?”

22 And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there have 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.

Gehazi replied, “Yes, but two young prophets from the hilly area where the descendants of Ephraim live have just arrived. Elisha has sent me to tell you that he would like 75 pounds of silver and two sets of clothing to give to them.”

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 bore them before him.

Naaman replied, “Certainly! You can have 150 pounds of silver!” He urged Gehazi to take it. He also gave him two sets of clothing. He tied up the silver in two bags and gave them to two of his servants to carry back to Elisha.

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.

But when they arrived at the hill [where Elisha lived], Gehazi took the silver and the clothes from Naaman’s servants and sent the servants back to Naaman. Then he took those things into his house and hid them.

25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, From where comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went nowhere.

When he went to Elisha, Elisha asked him, “Where did you go, Gehazi?” Gehazi replied, “I did not go anywhere.”

26 And he said to him, Went not my 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 male and female servants?

Elisha asked him, [“Do you not realize that] my spirit was there when Naaman got out of his chariot to talk with you? This is certainly not [RHQ] the time to accept gifts of money and clothes and olive groves and vineyards and sheep and oxen and servants!

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

Because you have done this, you and your children and all your descendants, forever, will have leprosy just like Naaman had!” And when Gehazi left the room, he was a leper! His skin was as white as snow!