Second Book of Kings 5

¹ Naaman, army commander to the king of Aram, was a man who enjoyed his master’s respect and favour, since through him Yahweh had granted victory to the Aramaeans. But the man was a leper.

² Now on one of their raids, the Aramaeans had carried off from the land of Israel a little girl who had become a servant of Naaman’s wife.

³ She said to her mistress, ‘If only my master would approach the prophet of Samaria. He would cure him of his leprosy.’

⁴ Naaman went and told his master. ‘This and this’ he reported ‘is what the girl from the land of Israel said.’

⁵ ‘Go by all means,’ said the king of Aram ‘I will send a letter to the king of Israel.’ So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten festal robes.

⁶ He presented the letter to the king of Israel. It read: ‘With this letter, I am sending my servant Naaman to you for you to cure him of his leprosy’.

⁷ When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his garments. ‘Am I a god to give death and life,’ he said ‘that he sends a man to me and asks me to cure him of his leprosy? Listen to this, and take note of it and see how he intends to pick a quarrel with me.’

⁸ When Elisha heard that the king of Israel had torn his garments, he sent word to the king, ‘Why did you tear your garments? Let him come to me, and he will find there is a prophet in Israel.’

⁹ So Naaman came with his team and chariot and drew up at the door of Elisha’s house.

¹⁰ And Elisha sent him a messenger to say, ‘Go and bathe seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will become clean once more’.

¹¹ But Naaman was indignant and went off, saying, ‘Here was I thinking he would be sure to come out to me, and stand there, and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the spot and cure the leprous part.

¹² Surely Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, are better than any water in Israel? Could I not bathe in them and become clean?’ And he turned round and went off in a rage.

¹³ But his servants approached him and said, ‘My father, if the prophet had asked you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? All the more reason, then, when he says to you, “Bathe, and you will become clean”.’

¹⁴ So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, as Elisha had told him to do. And his flesh became clean once more like the flesh of a little child.

¹⁵ Returning to Elisha with his whole escort, he went in and stood before him. ‘Now I know’ he said ‘that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. Now, please, accept a present from your servant.’

¹⁶ But Elisha replied, ‘As Yahweh lives, whom I serve, I will accept nothing’. Naaman pressed him to accept, but he refused.

¹⁷ Then Naaman said, ‘Since your answer is “No”, allow your servant to be given as much earth as two mules may carry, because your servant will no longer offer holocaust or sacrifice to any god except Yahweh.

¹⁸ Only – and may Yahweh forgive your servant – when my master goes to the temple of Rimmon to worship there, he leans on my arm, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon when he does;[*a] may Yahweh forgive your servant this act!’

¹⁹ ‘Go in peace’ Elisha answered. Naaman had gone a small distance,

²⁰ when Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, said to himself, ‘My master has let this Aramaean Naaman off lightly, by not accepting what he offered. As Yahweh lives, I will run after him and get something out of him.’

²¹ So Gehazi set off in pursuit of Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he jumped down from his chariot to meet him. ‘Is all well?’ he asked.

²² ‘All is well’ he said. ‘My master has sent me to say, “This very moment two young men of the prophetic brotherhood have arrived from the highlands of Ephraim. Be kind enough to give them a talent of silver.”‘

²³ ‘Please accept two talents’ Naaman replied, and pressed him, tying up the two talents of silver in two bags and consigning them to two of his servants who carried them in front of Gehazi.

²⁴ When he reached Ophel, he took them from their hands and put them away in the house. He then dismissed the men, who went away.

²⁵ He, for his part, went and presented himself to his master. Elisha said, ‘Gehazi, where have you been?’ ‘Your servant has not been anywhere’ he replied.

²⁶ But Elisha said to him, ‘Was not my heart present there when someone left his chariot to meet you? Now you have taken the money, you can buy gardens with it, and olive groves, sheep and oxen, male and female slaves.

²⁷ But Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants for ever.’ And Gehazi left his presence a leper, white as snow.