1 ARST A man named Naaman was the commander of the army of Aram. Yahweh had enabled him to win many victories, and the king of Aram admired and honored him. Naaman was also a strong and brave soldier, but he had leprosy. BSB BSB: Now Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man in his master’s sight and highly regarded, for through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. And he was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.
2 ARST Some time previously, groups of soldiers had invaded the land of Israel, and they had captured a young girl and taken her to Aram. She became a servant for Naaman’ s wife. BSB BSB: At this time the Arameans had gone out in bands and had taken a young girl from the land of Israel, and she was serving Naaman’s wife.
3 ARST One day, that girl said to her,“I wish that my master would go to see the prophet in the city of Samaria. That prophet would heal your husband from his leprosy.” BSB BSB: She said to her mistress, “If only my master would go to the prophet who is in Samaria, he would cure him of his leprosy.”
4 ARST Naaman’ s wife told her husband what the girl from Israel had said, and Naaman told that to the king. BSB BSB: And Naaman went and told his master what the girl from the land of Israel had said.
5 ARST The king said to him, “Very well, go and see the prophet. I will write a letter for you to take to the king of Israel, saying that I sent you.” The king wrote in the letter, “I am sending this letter with my army commander Naaman, who serves me faithfully. I want you to heal him of his disease.” So Naaman, assuming that the king of Israel was the prophet, took the letter and 330 kilograms of silver, 66 kilograms of gold, and ten sets of clothing, to give to the king of Israel, and he went to Samaria, taking along several servants. BSB BSB: “Go now,” said the king of Aram, “and I will send you with a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman departed, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of clothing.
7 ARST When he arrived in Samaria, he gave the letter to the king of Israel. The king read the letter. Then, being very dismayed, the king tore his clothes and said,“I am not God! I am not able to cause people to live or to die! Why does the one who wrote this letter request me to cure this man of his leprosy? I do not have power to cure leprosy. The king of Aram is merely looking for an excuse to attack us!” BSB BSB: When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and asked, “Am I God, killing and giving life, that this man expects me to cure a leper? Surely you can see that he is seeking a quarrel with me!”
8 ARST The prophet Elisha heard why the king of Israel had torn his robe, so he sent a message to the king, saying,“Why are you upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will find out that I am a true prophet in Israel.” BSB BSB: Now when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king: “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let the man come to me, and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
9 ARST So Naaman went with his horses and chariots to Elisha’ s house and waited outside the door. BSB BSB: So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house.
10 ARST But Elisha did not come to the door. Instead, he sent a messenger to Naaman to tell him,“Go to the Jordan River and go down seven times into the water. Then your skin will be well, and you will no longer have leprosy.” BSB BSB: Then Elisha sent him a messenger, who said, “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored, and you will be clean.”
11 ARST But Naaman became very angry. He said,“I thought that surely he would wave his hand over the leprosy, and pray to Yahweh, and heal me! BSB BSB: But Naaman went away angry, saying, “I thought that he would surely come out, stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the spot to cure my leprosy.
12 ARST Surely the Abana River and the Pharpar River in Damascus in my own country of Aram have better water than any in Israel! Can I not go into my rivers at home and be healed and cleansed?” So he turned and walked away in great disgust. BSB BSB: Are not the Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not have washed in them and been cleansed?” So he turned and went away in a rage.
13 ARST But his servants came to him, and one of them said,“Sir, if that prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would certainly have done it. So why do you refuse to do such a simple thing he asks, when he says,“Go down seven times in the water and be clean?’” BSB BSB: Naaman’s servants, however, approached him and said, “My father, 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 ARST So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and went into the water seven times, as the prophet had instructed, and his skin became healthy, like the smooth skin of a young child. BSB BSB: So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored and became like that of a little child, and he was clean.
15 ARST Then Naaman and those who were with him went back to talk to Elisha. They stood in front of him, and Naaman said,“Now I know that there are no real gods anywhere else in the world, but there is the true God here in Israel! So now please accept these gifts that I have brought to you!” BSB BSB: Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God, stood before him, and declared, “Now I know for sure that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”
16 ARST But Elisha replied,“Just as certainly as Yahweh, the one whom I serve, lives, I will not accept any gifts.” Naaman kept urging him to accept the gifts, but Elisha kept refusing. BSB BSB: But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept it.” And although Naaman urged him to accept it, he refused.
17 ARST Then Naaman said,“Very well, but I have one request. This soil here in Israel is Yahweh’ s soil, so please allow me to take some soil from this place and put it in sacks on two mules. Then I will take it back home with me and make an altar on this soil. From now on, I will offer sacrifices to Yahweh on that altar. I will not offer sacrifices to any other god. BSB BSB: “If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much soil as a pair of mules can carry. For your servant will never again make a burnt offering or a sacrifice to any other god but the LORD.
18 ARST However, when my master, the king, goes into the temple of the god Rimmon to worship him, I ask that Yahweh will forgive me because I will have to bow down, too.” BSB BSB: Yet may the LORD forgive your servant this one thing: When my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my arm, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant in this matter.”
19 ARST Elisha replied,“Go home, and do not worry about that.” So Naaman and his servants started to travel home. BSB BSB: “Go in peace,” said Elisha. But after Naaman had traveled a short distance,
20 ARST But then Elisha’ s servant Gehazi said to himself,“It is not good that my master has allowed this Aramean man to leave like this. He should have accepted his gifts. So just as certainly as Yahweh lives, I will go and catch up with Naaman and get something from him.” BSB BSB: Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared this Aramean, Naaman, by not accepting what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”
21 ARST So Gehazi hurried to catch up with Naaman. When Naaman saw Gehazi running toward him, he stopped the chariot in which he was riding, jumped out, and went to see what Gehazi wanted. He asked him,“Is everything all right?” BSB BSB: So Gehazi pursued Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and asked, “Is everything all right?”
22 ARST Gehazi replied,“Yes, but two young prophets from the hill country where the descendants of Ephraim live have just arrived. Elisha has sent me to tell you that he would like thirty- three kilograms of silver and two sets of clothing to give to them.” BSB BSB: “Everything is all right,” Gehazi replied. “My master has sent me to say, ‘Look, two young men from the sons of the prophets have just now come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.’”
23 ARST Naaman replied,“Certainly! You can have sixty- six kilograms of silver!” He urged Gehazi to take it. He also gave him two sets of clothing. He tied up the silver in two bags and gave them to two of his servants to carry back to Elisha. BSB BSB: But Naaman insisted, “Please, take two talents.” And he urged Gehazi to accept them. Then he tied up two talents of silver in two bags along with two sets of clothing and gave them to two of his servants, who carried them ahead of Gehazi.
24 ARST But when they arrived at the hill where Elisha lived, Gehazi took the silver and the clothes from Naaman’ s servants and sent the servants back to Naaman. Then he took those things into his house and hid them. BSB BSB: When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the gifts from the servants and stored them in the house. Then he dismissed the men, and they departed.
25 ARST When he went to Elisha, Elisha asked him,“Where did you go, Gehazi?” Gehazi replied,“I did not go anywhere.” BSB BSB: When Gehazi went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Gehazi, where have you been?” “Your servant did not go anywhere,” he replied.
26 ARST Elisha asked him,“Do you not realize that my spirit was there when Naaman got out of his chariot to talk with you? This is certainly not the time to accept gifts of money and clothes and olive groves and vineyards and sheep and oxen and servants! BSB BSB: But Elisha questioned him, “Did not my spirit go with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to accept money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, menservants and maidservants?
27 ARST Because you have done this, you and your children and all your descendants, forever, will have leprosy just like Naaman had!” When Gehazi left the room, he was a leper. His skin was as white as snow. BSB BSB: Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and your descendants forever!” And as Gehazi left his presence, he was leprous—as white as snow.
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