Now Naaman , the commander of the army of the king of Aram , was a great man in his master’s sight and highly regarded ... , for the LORD had given victory to Aram. And he was a mighty man of valor , (but he was) a leper.
At this time the Arameans had gone out in bands and had taken a young girl from the land of Israel , and she was serving ... Naaman’s wife.
She said to her mistress , “ If only my master vvv would go to the prophet who is in Samaria , - he would cure him of his leprosy. ”
And Naaman went and told his master ... what ... the girl - from the land of Israel had said.
“ Go now ... , ” said the king of Aram , “ and I will send you with a letter to the king of Israel. ” So (Naaman) departed , taking with him ten talents of silver , six thousand (shekels) of gold , and ten sets of clothing.
And the letter that he took to the king of Israel stated : “ With this ... letter I am sending - my servant Naaman , so that you may cure him of his leprosy. ”
- When the king of Israel - read the letter , he tore his clothes and asked , “ Am I God , killing and giving life , that this (man) expects me to cure vvv a leper ? - Surely you can ... see that he is seeking a quarrel
Now when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel - had torn his clothes , he sent a message to the king ... : “ Why have you torn your clothes ? Please let (the man) come to me , and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel. ”
So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house.
Then Elisha sent him a messenger , who said , “ Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan , and your flesh will be restored , and you will be clean. ”
But Naaman went away angry , saying , ... “ I thought that he would surely come out ... , stand and call on the name of the LORD his God , and wave his hand over the spot to cure my leprosy.
(Are) not the Abanah and Pharpar , the rivers of Damascus , better than all the waters of Israel ? Could I not have washed and been cleansed ? ” So he turned and went away in a rage.
Naaman’s servants, however , approached him and said - , - “ My father , if the prophet had told you to do some great thing , would you not have done (it) ? How much more, then , when he tells you , ‘ Wash and be cleansed ’? ”
So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times , according to the word of the man of God , and his flesh was restored and became like (that) of a little child , and he was clean.
Then Naaman and all his attendants ... went back to the man of God , stood before him , and declared , “ Now I know for sure that there is no God in all the earth except ... in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant. ”
But Elisha replied , “ As surely as the LORD - lives , before whom I stand , I will not accept it. ” And although Naaman urged to accept it , he refused.
“ If you will not , ” said Naaman , “ please let me, your servant, be given as much soil as a pair of mules can carry. For your servant will never again make a burnt offering or a sacrifice to any other god but the LORD.
Yet may the LORD forgive your servant this one thing : When my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there , and he leans on my arm , and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon - - - , may the LORD forgive your servant in this matter. ”
“ Go in peace , ” said (Elisha) But after (Naaman) had traveled ... a short distance ,
Gehazi , the servant of Elisha the man of God , said , “ Look , my master - has spared this Aramean , Naaman , while not accepting ... - what he brought. As surely as the LORD ... ... lives , I will run after him and get something from him. ”
So Gehazi pursued Naaman. And when Naaman saw (him) running toward him , he got down from the chariot to meet him and asked , “ Is everything all right ? ”
“ Everything (is) all right , ” Gehazi replied. “ My master has sent me to say , ‘ I have just now ... discovered that two young men from the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give a talent of silver and two sets of clothing. ’”
But Naaman insisted , “ Please , take two talents. ” And he urged Then he tied up two talents of silver in two bags along with two sets of clothing and gave them to two of his servants , who carried them ahead of Gehazi.
When Gehazi came to the hill , he took the gifts from (the servants) and stored them in the house. Then he dismissed - the men , and they departed.
When Gehazi went in and stood before his master , Elisha asked him , “ Gehazi , where (have you been) ? ” “ Your servant did not go anywhere , ” ... he replied.
But Elisha questioned him , ... “ Did not my spirit go (with you) when the man got down from his chariot to meet you ? Is this the time to accept - money ... and clothing , olive groves and vineyards , sheep and oxen , menservants and maidservants ?
Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman will cling and your descendants forever ! ” And as Gehazi left his presence , (he was) leprous — (as white) as snow.