2Kings

                                    Chapter 5

  1. Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a
     great man with his master, and honourable, because by him
     the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a
     mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.
  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.
  3. And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with
     the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of
     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.
  5. And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a
     letter unto 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.
  6. 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 recover him
     of his leprosy.
  7. And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the
     letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am 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 seeketh a quarrel against me.
  8. 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, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him
     come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in
     Israel.
  9. So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and
     stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
 10. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in
     Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee,
     and thou shalt be clean.
 11. But Naaman was wroth, 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 recover the leper.
 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.
 13. And his servants came near, and spake unto 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?
 14. Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan,
     according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh
     came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was
     clean.
 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 of thy servant.
 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.
 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
     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 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.
 19. And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a
     little way.
 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 of him.
 21. So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him
     running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet
     him, and said, Is all well?
 22. 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.
 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 bare them before him.
 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.
 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 no whither.
 26. And he said unto him, Went 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, and
     oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and
     menservants, and maidservants?
 27. The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and
     unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a
     leper as white as snow.