2Kgs 5
1
Now Naiman, the captain of the host of Syria, was a great man before his master, and
Gr. wondered at in countenance highly respected, because by him the Lord had given deliverance to Syria, and the
man was mighty in strength, but a leper.
2
And the Syrians went forth Gr. light armed, etc. in small bands, and took captive out of the land of Israel a little maid:
and she
Gr. was before waited on Naiman’s wife.
3
And she said to her mistress, O that my lord were before the prophet of God in Samaria;
then he Gr. will detach him would recover him from his leprosy.
4
And she went in and told her lord, and said, Thus and thus spoke the maid from the
land of Israel.
5
And the king of Syria said to Naiman, Go to, go, and I will send a letter to the king
of Israel. And he went, and took in his hand ten talents of silver, and six thousand
pieces of gold, and ten Gr. changing robes changes of raiment.
6
And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now then, as soon as this
letter shall reach you, behold, I have sent to you my servant Naiman, and you shall
recover him from his leprosy.
7
And it came to pass, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he rent his garments,
and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me to recover
a man of his leprosy? consider, however, I pray you, and see that this man seeks an
occasion against me.
8
And it came to pass, when Elisaie heard that the king of Israel had rent his garments,
that he sent to the king of Israel, saying, Wherefore have you rent your garments?
Let Naiman, I pray you, come to me, and let him know that there is a prophet in Israel.
9
So Naiman came with horse and chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisaie.
10
And Elisaie sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash seven times in Jordan, and
your flesh shall return to you, and you shall be cleansed.
11
And Naiman was angry, and departed, and said, Behold, I said, He will by all means
come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of his God, and lay his hand upon
the place, and recover the leper.
12
Are not the Abana and Pharphar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of
Israel? Gr. shall I not, etc. may I not go and wash in them, and be cleansed? and he turned and went away in a
rage.
13
And his servants came near and said to him, Suppose the prophet had spoken a great
thing to you, Gr. will you would you not perform it? yet he has but said to you, Wash, and be cleansed.
14
So Naiman went down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the word
of Elisaie: and his flesh returned to him as the flesh of a little child, and he was
cleansed.
15
And he and all his Gr. army or camp company returned to Elisaie, and he came and stood before him, and said, Behold,
I know that there is no God in all the earth, save only in Israel: and now receive
a blessing of your servant.
16
And Elisaie said, As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will not take one. And
he pressed him to take one: but he would not.
17
And Naiman said, Well then, if not, let there be given to your servant, I pray you,
the load of a yoke of mules; and you shall give me of the red earth: for henceforth
your servant will not offer whole-burnt-offering or sacrifice to other gods, but only
to the Lord Probably this last clause belongs to verse 18 by reason of this thing.
18
And l Or, The Lord shall be, etc. let the Lord be propitious to your servant when my master goes into the house of
Remman to worship there, and he shall lean on my hand, and I shall bow down in the
house of Remman when he bows down in the house of Remman; even let the Lord, I pray,
be merciful to your servant in this matter.
19
And Elisaie said to Naiman, Go in peace. And he departed from him a little way.
20
And Giezi the servant of Elisaie said, Behold, my Lord has spared this Syrian Naiman,
so as not to take of his hand what he has brought: as the Lord lives, I will surely
run after him, and take somewhat of him.
21
So Giezi followed after Naiman: and Naiman saw him running after him, and turned back
from his chariot to meet him. Alex. +’Is all well?’
22
And Giezi said, All is well: my master has sent me, saying, Behold, now are there
come to me two young men of the sons of the prophets from mount Ephraim; give them,
I pray you, a talent of silver, and two Gr. changing robes changes of raiment.
23
And Naiman said, Take two talents of silver. And he took two talents of silver in
two bags, and two changes of raiment, and Gr. gave put them upon two of his servants, and they bore them before him.
24
And he came to Gr. a dark place, or the dark a secret place, and took them from their hands, and laid them up in the house,
and
dismissed the men.
25
And he went in himself and stood before his master; and Elisaie said to him,
26
Whence come you, Giezi? and Giezi said, Your servant has not been here or there. And
Elisaie said to him, Went not my heart with you, when the man returned from his chariot
to meet you? and now you have received silver, and now you have received raiment,
and olive yards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants.
27
The leprosy also of Naiman shall cleave to you, and to your seed for ever. And he
went out from his presence leprous, like snow.