1 Now ALuke 4:27Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man 1Lit beforewith his master, and highly respected, because by him the Loʀᴅ had given victory to Aram. The man was also a valiant warrior, but he was a leper. 2 Now the Arameans had gone out A2 Kin 6:23; 13:20in bands and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she 1Lit was beforewaited on Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “I wish that my master were 1Lit beforewith the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 1Lit HeNaaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus spoke the girl who is from the land of Israel.” 5 Then the king of Aram said, “Go 1Lit enternow, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” He departed and A1 Sam 9:7; 2 Kin 4:42took with him ten talents of silver and six thousand shekels of gold and ten BJudg 14:12; 2 Kin 5:22, 23changes of clothes.

6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, “And now as this letter comes to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 When the king of Israel read the letter, AGen 37:29he tore his clothes and said, “BGen 30:2; 1 Sam 2:6Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? But C1 Kin 20:7; Luke 11:54consider now, and see how he is seeking 1Lit an occasiona quarrel against me.”

8 It happened when Elisha A1 Kin 12:22the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent word to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Now let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots and stood at the doorway of the house of Elisha. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “AJohn 9:7Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean.” 11 But Naaman was furious and went away and said, “Behold, I 1Lit saidthought, ‘He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Loʀᴅ his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.’ 12  “Are not 1Another reading is AmanahAbanah 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 AProv 14:17; 16:32; 19:11went away in a rage. 13 A1 Sam 28:23Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said, “B2 Kin 2:12; 6:21; 8:9My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and A2 Kin 5:10; Job 33:25his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and BLuke 4:27; 5:13he was clean.

15 When he returned to the man of God 1Lit he andwith all his company, and came and stood before him, he said, “Behold now, AJosh 2:11; 1 Sam 17:46, 47; 2 Kin 5:8I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel; so please B1 Sam 25:27take a 2Lit blessingpresent from your servant now.” 16 But he said, “A2 Kin 3:14As the Loʀᴅ lives, before whom I stand, BGen 14:22, 23; 2 Kin 5:20, 26I will take nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. 17 Naaman said, “If not, please let your servant at least be given two mules’ load of AEx 20:24earth; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering nor will he sacrifice to other gods, but to the Loʀᴅ. 18  “In this matter may the Loʀᴅ pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and A2 Kin 7:2, 17he leans on my hand and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the Loʀᴅ pardon your servant in this matter.” 19 He said to him, “AEx 4:18; 1 Sam 1:17; Mark 5:34Go in peace.” So he departed from him some distance.

20 But A2 Kin 4:12, 31, 36Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, 1Lit saidthought, “Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Aramean, 2Lit fromby not receiving from his hands what he brought. BEx 20:7; 2 Kin 6:31As the Loʀᴅ lives, I will run after him and take something from him.” 21 So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw one running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is all well?” 22 He said, “A2 Kin 4:26All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Behold, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from BJosh 24:33the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and C2 Kin 5:5two changes of clothes.’ ” 23 Naaman said, “A2 Kin 6:3Be pleased to take two talents.” And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes and gave them to two of his servants; and they carried them before him. 24 When he came to the 1Lit Ophelhill, he took them from their hand and AJosh 7:1, 11, 12, 21; 1 Kin 21:16deposited them in the house, and he sent the men away, and they departed. 25 But he went in and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” And he said, “A2 Kin 5:22Your servant went nowhere.”

26 Then he said to him, “Did not my heart go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? A2 Kin 5:16Is it a time to receive money and to receive clothes and olive groves and vineyards and sheep and oxen and male and female servants? 27  “Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your 1Lit seeddescendants forever.” So he went out from his presence AEx 4:6; Num 12:10a leper as white as snow.