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Now Na’aman, Sar Tzeva Melech Aram, was an ish gadol before his adon and highly honored, because by him Hashem had given deliverance unto Aram; he was also a gibbor chayil, but metzorah (having leprosy)

And Aram (the Syrians) had gone out gedudim (in bands of soldiers), and had taken away captive out of Eretz Yisroel a na’arah ketanah; and she waited on Na’aman’s isha.

And she said unto her gevirah, If only adoni were before the navi that is in Shomron! For he would recover him of his tzara’at.

And one went in, and told his adon, saying, Thus and thus said the na’arah that is of Eretz Yisroel.

And Melech Aram said, Go to, go, and I will send a sefer (letter) unto Melech Yisroel. And he [Na’aman] departed, and took with him ten talents of kesef, and six thousand pieces of zahav, and ten changes of begadim.

And he brought the sefer (letter) to Melech Yisroel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, hinei, I have therewith sent Na’aman avdi to thee, that thou mayest of his tzara’at recover him.

And it came to pass, when Melech Yisroel had read the sefer, that he tore his begadim, and said, Am I HaElohim, to kill and to make alive, that this doth send unto me to recover an ish of his tzara’at? Wherefore consider, now, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.

And it was so, when Elishah Ish HaElohim had heard that Melech Yisroel had torn his beged, that he sent to HaMelech, saying, Why hast thou torn thy beged? Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a navi in Yisroel.

So Na’aman came with his susim and with his merkavah, and stood at the petach of the bais Elishah.

10 And Elishah sent a malach unto him, saying, Go and wash sheva times in the Yarden, and thy basar shall come back to thee, and thou shalt be tahor.

11 But Na’aman was in wrath, and went away, and said, Hinei, I thought that he will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the Shem Hashem Elohav, and wave his yad over the makom, and give recovery from the metzorah (leprosy, leprous area).

12 Are not Avana and Parpar, naharot of Damascus, better than all the mayim of Yisroel? May I not wash in them, and be tahor? So he turned and went away in chemah (anger, hot temper).

13 And his avadim came near, and spoke unto him, and said, Avi, if the navi had bid thee do some davar gadol, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be tahor?

14 Then went he down, and did undergo tevilah (dipped himself, immersed himself) sheva times in the Yarden, according to the devar of the Ish HaElohim; his basar came back like unto the basar of a na’ar katan; he was tahor.

15 He returned to the Ish HaElohim, he and all his machaneh came, stood before him; and he said, Hinei, now I know that there is no Elohim in kol ha’aretz, but in Yisroel; now therefore, please, take a brocha of thy eved.

16 But he said, As Hashem liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.

17 And Na’aman said, Shall there not then, please, be given to thy eved two mules’ massa (burden) of adamah? For thy eved will henceforth offer neither olah nor zevach unto elohim acherim, but unto Hashem.

18 In this thing Hashem pardon thy eved, that when adoni goeth into the Bais Rimmon to bow down there, and he leaneth on my yad, and I bow myself in the Bais Rimmon; when I bow down myself in the Bais Rimmon, Hashem pardon thy eved in this thing.

19 And he said unto him, Go in shalom. So he departed from him some distance.

20 But Geichazi, the na’ar Elishah the Ish HaElohim, said, Hinei, adoni hath spared Na’aman HaArami hazeh by not accepting at his hands that which he brought: but, as Hashem liveth, I will run after him, and take something of him.

21 So Geichazi pursued after Na’aman. And when Na’aman saw him running after him, he got down from the merkavah to meet him, and said, HaShalom (is all well)?

22 And he said, Shalom (all is well). Adoni hath sent me, saying, Hinei, even now there came to me from har Ephrayim two ne’arim of the Bnei HaNevi’im; give them, now, a talent of kesef, and two changes of begadim.

23 And Na’aman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of kesef in two bags, with two changes of begadim, and laid them upon two of his ne’arim; and they bore them before him.

24 And when he came to a secluded spot, he took them from their yad, and put them away in the bais; and he let the anashim go, and they departed.

25 But he went in, and stood before his adon. And Elishah said unto him, From where comest thou, Geichazi? And he said, Thy eved went nowhere.

26 And he said unto him, Went not mine lev (spirit) with thee, when the ish turned again from his merkavah to meet thee? Is it a time to receive kesef, and to receive begadim, and zeitim (olive groves), and kramim, and tzon, and bakar, and avadim, and shefachot?

27 The tzara’at therefore of Na’aman shall make its deveykus unto thee, and unto thy zera l’olam. And he went out from his presence metzorah, like sheleg (snow).

Naaman Healed of Leprosy

Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram.(A) He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.[a](B)

Now bands of raiders(C) from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet(D) who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents[b] of silver, six thousand shekels[c] of gold and ten sets of clothing.(E) The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

As soon as the king of Israel read the letter,(F) he tore his robes and said, “Am I God?(G) Can I kill and bring back to life?(H) Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel(I) with me!”

When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet(J) in Israel.” So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash(K) yourself seven times(L) in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”

11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand(M) over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters(N) of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.(O)

13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father,(P) 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’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times,(Q) as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored(R) and became clean like that of a young boy.(S)

15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God(T). He stood before him and said, “Now I know(U) that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift(V) from your servant.”

16 The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.(W)

17 “If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much earth(X) as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord. 18 But may the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning(Y) on my arm and I have to bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this.”

19 “Go in peace,”(Z) Elisha said.

After Naaman had traveled some distance, 20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord(AA) lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”

21 So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. “Is everything all right?” he asked.

22 “Everything is all right,” Gehazi answered. “My master sent me to say, ‘Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent[d] of silver and two sets of clothing.’”(AB)

23 “By all means, take two talents,” said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi. 24 When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left.

25 When he went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?”

“Your servant didn’t go anywhere,” Gehazi answered.

26 But Elisha said to him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time(AC) to take money or to accept clothes—or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves?(AD) 27 Naaman’s leprosy(AE) will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi(AF) went from Elisha’s presence and his skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow.(AG)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 5:1 The Hebrew for leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin; also in verses 3, 6, 7, 11 and 27.
  2. 2 Kings 5:5 That is, about 750 pounds or about 340 kilograms
  3. 2 Kings 5:5 That is, about 150 pounds or about 69 kilograms
  4. 2 Kings 5:22 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms