2 KingsChapter 5

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¹Naaman was the commander of the army of the king of Aram. His master thought he was a great man and respected him highly. That was because the LORD had used Naaman to give Aram victory. He was a brave and mighty soldier, but he had leprosy. ²At this time, groups of Aramean raiders had gone out. They had taken a young girl from the land of Israel. She became a servant to Naaman's wife. ³She said to her mistress, "I wish my master would go to the prophet who is in Samaria! He would heal him of his leprosy." ⁴So Naaman went and told his master what the girl from the land of Israel had said. ⁵"Go now," said the king of Aram. "I will send a letter with you to the king of Israel." So Naaman left. He took with him about 750 pounds of silver, about 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothes.a ⁶He brought the letter to the king of Israel. It said, "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you. I want you to heal him of his leprosy." ⁷When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes. He said, "Am I God? Can I kill and give life? Why does this man expect me to heal someone of leprosy? You can see he's just trying to start a fight with me!" ⁸Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes. So he sent the king a message. It said, "Why have you torn your clothes? Please let the man come to me. Then he will know there is a prophet in Israel." ⁹So Naaman came with his horses and chariots. He stopped at the door of Elisha's house. ¹⁰Elisha sent a messenger out to him. The messenger said, "Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan. Then your skin will be healed, and you will be clean." ¹¹But Naaman went away angry. He said, "I thought he would surely come out to me. I thought he would stand there and call on the name of the LORD his God. I thought he would wave his hand over the spot and heal my leprosy. ¹²Aren't the Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be made clean?" So he turned and went away very angry. ¹³But Naaman's servants came up to him. They said, "Father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, wouldn't you have done it? So you should surely do it when he simply tells you, 'Wash and be clean'!" ¹⁴So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had said. Then his skin was healed. It became like the skin of a little child, and he was clean. ¹⁵Then Naaman and all his people went back to the man of God. He stood in front of him and said, "Now I know for sure there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. So please accept a gift from me, your servant." ¹⁶But Elisha answered, "I serve the LORD. As surely as he lives, I will not accept it." Naaman pushed him to take it, but he refused. ¹⁷"If you won't," Naaman said, "then please let me, your servant, have as much soil as two mules can carry. For I, your servant, will never again offer a burnt offering or a sacrifice to any other god except the LORD. ¹⁸But may the LORD forgive me, your servant, for this one thing. My master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there. He leans on my arm, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon. When I do that, may the LORD forgive your servant for it." ¹⁹"Go in peace," Elisha said. But after Naaman had gone a short way, ²⁰Gehazi spoke up. He was the servant of Elisha the man of God. He said, "Look, my master let this Aramean, Naaman, off too easy. He didn't take what Naaman brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I'll run after him and get something from him." ²¹So Gehazi chased after Naaman. Naaman saw him running toward him. He got down from his chariot to meet him. He asked, "Is everything all right?" ²²"Everything is all right," Gehazi answered. "My master sent me to say, 'Two young men from the sons of the prophets just came to me. They came from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothes.'"b ²³But Naaman said, "Please, take two talents." He kept urging Gehazi to take them. Then he tied up two talents of silver in two bags, along with two sets of clothes. He gave them to two of his servants. They carried them ahead of Gehazi. ²⁴When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the gifts from the servants. He put them away in the house. Then he sent the men away, and they left. ²⁵Then Gehazi went in and stood in front of his master. Elisha asked him, "Gehazi, where have you been?" "Your servant didn't go anywhere," he answered. ²⁶But Elisha said to him, "Wasn't my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money and clothes? Is it the time for olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, and men and women servants? ²⁷So Naaman's leprosy will stick to you and your descendants forever!" Gehazi left Elisha's presence with leprosy. His skin was as white as snow.