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2 Kings 5
Naaman Has a Skin Disease
Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man before his lord and highly regarded, for by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man was a mighty warrior, but he had a skin disease. Now Aramean raiding bands had gone out and had taken captive from the land of Israel a little girl, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my lord were before the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his skin disease.” Naaman went and told his lord, saying, “Thus and thus spoke the girl who is from the land of Israel.” The king of Aram said, “Go, go, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he went and took in his hand ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. He brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, “And now, when this letter comes to you, look, I have sent to you Naaman my servant, so that you may cure him of his skin disease.” When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends to me to cure a man of his skin disease? But surely know and see that he is seeking a quarrel with me.”
Elisha Sends Naaman to the Jordan
When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots and stood at the entrance of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will return to you, and you will be clean.” But Naaman became angry and went away. He said, “Look, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, stand, call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the place, and cure the skin disease.’ Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in fury. But his servants came near and spoke to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had spoken to you a great thing, would you not have done it? How much more when he said to you, ‘Wash and be clean’?” So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times according to the word of the man of God. His flesh returned like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
Naaman Confesses the God of Israel
Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his camp, and came and stood before him. He said, “Look, now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. And now, please take a gift from your servant.” But he said, “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will not take it.” Naaman urged him to take it, but he refused. Then Naaman said, “If not, please let there be given to your servant two mule-loads of earth, for your servant will no longer make burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD. In this matter may the LORD pardon your servant: when my lord goes into the house of Rimmon to bow down there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the house of Rimmon—when I bow down in the house of Rimmon, may the LORD please pardon your servant in this matter.” He said to him, “Go in peace.” And he went from him a short distance.
Gehazi Takes Payment
But Gehazi, servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master spared Naaman this Aramean by not taking from his hand what he brought. As the LORD lives, I will run after him and take something from him.” So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is all well?” He said, “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Look, just now two young men from the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.’” Naaman said, “Please, take two talents.” He urged him and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and gave them to two of his young men, and they carried them before him. When he came to the hill, he took them from their hand and deposited them in the house. Then he sent the men away, and they departed.
Gehazi Receives Naaman’s Disease
He went in and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, “From where, Gehazi?” He said, “Your servant went nowhere.” He said to him, “Did not my heart go when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to take silver, to take garments, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and cattle, male servants and female servants? Therefore Naaman’s skin disease shall cling to you and to your offspring forever.” Then he went out from before him diseased, like snow.