Chapter 5

Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable,^{7 6440} because by him the LORD had given¹ deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, [but he was] a leper.³⁰

And the Syrians had gone out¹ by companies, and had brought away captive⁴ out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife.

And she said⁴ unto her mistress, Would God my lord [were] with the prophet that [is] in Samaria! for he would recover⁴ him of his leprosy.

And [one] went in,⁴ and told⁵⁵ his lord, saying,² Thus and thus said¹⁴ the maid that [is] of the land of Israel.

And the king of Syria said,⁴ Go to,³ go,³ and I will send⁴ a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed,⁴ and took⁴ with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand [pieces] of gold, and ten changes of raiment.

And he brought⁵⁵ the letter to the king of Israel, saying,² Now when this letter is come² unto thee, behold, I have [therewith] sent¹ Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover¹ him of his leprosy.

And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read² the letter, that he rent⁴ his clothes, and said,⁴ [Am] I God, to kill⁵³ and to make alive,⁵³ that this man doth send⁶ unto me to recover² a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider,³ I pray you, and see³ how he seeketh a quarrel¹⁰² against me.

And it was [so], when Elisha the man of God had heard² that the king of Israel had rent¹ his clothes, that he sent⁴ to the king, saying,² Wherefore hast thou rent¹ thy clothes? let him come⁴ now to me, and he shall know⁴ that there is a prophet in Israel.

So Naaman came⁴ with his horses and with his chariot, and stood⁴ at the door of the house of Elisha.

And Elisha sent⁴ a messenger unto him, saying,² Go² and wash¹ in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again⁴ to thee, and thou shalt be clean.³

But Naaman was wroth,⁴ and went away,⁴ and said,⁴ Behold, I thought,¹ He will surely² come out⁴ to me, and stand,¹ and call¹ on the name of the LORD his God, and strike⁵² his hand over the place, and recover¹ the leper.³⁰

[Are] not Abana ⁵⁴⁹ and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash⁴ in them, and be clean?¹ So he turned⁴ and went away⁴ in a rage.

And his servants came near,⁴ and spake¹⁷ unto him, and said,⁴ My father, [if] the prophet had bid¹⁴ thee [do some] great thing, wouldest thou not have done⁴ [it]? how much rather then, when he saith¹ to thee, Wash,³ and be clean?³

Then went he down,⁴ and dipped⁴ himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again⁴ like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.⁴

And he returned⁴ to the man of God, he and all his company, and came,⁴ and stood⁴ before him: and he said,⁴ Behold, now I know¹ that [there is] no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take³ a blessing of thy servant.

But he said,⁴ [As] the LORD liveth, before whom I stand,¹ I will receive⁴ none. And he urged⁴ him to take² [it]; but he refused.¹⁷

And Naaman said,⁴ Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given⁹³ to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer⁴ neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD.

In this thing the LORD pardon⁴ thy servant, [that] when my master goeth² into the house of Rimmon to worship⁹⁹ there, and he leaneth¹² on my hand, and I bow⁹⁸ myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down⁹⁹ myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon⁴ thy servant in this thing.

And he said⁴ unto him, Go³ in peace. So he departed⁴ from him a little way.

But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said,⁴ Behold, my master hath spared¹ Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving² at his hands that which he brought:⁵² but, [as] the LORD liveth, I will run¹ after him, and take¹ somewhat of him.

So Gehazi followed⁴ after Naaman. And when Naaman saw⁴ [him] running⁵ after him, he lighted down⁴ from the chariot to meet² him, and said,⁴ [Is] all well?

And he said,⁴ All [is] well. My master hath sent¹ me, saying,² Behold, even now there be come¹ to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give³ them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.

And Naaman said,⁴ Be content,⁵⁴ take³ two talents. And he urged⁴ him, and bound⁴ two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid⁴ [them] upon two of his servants; and they bare⁴ [them] before him.

And when he came⁴ to the tower, he took⁴ [them] from their hand, and bestowed⁴ [them] in the house: and he let the men go,¹⁷ and they departed.⁴

But he went in,⁶ and stood⁴ before his master. And Elisha said⁴ unto him, Whence [comest thou], Gehazi? And he said,⁴ Thy servant went¹ no whither.

And he said⁴ unto him, Went¹ not mine heart [with thee], when the man turned¹ again from his chariot to meet² thee? [Is it] a time to receive² money, and to receive² garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?

The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave⁴ unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out⁴ from his presence a leper³⁰ [as white] as snow.