Naaman Cured of Leprosy (Luke 17:11–19)
1 UST A certain man whose name was Naaman was the commander of the Aramean army. Yahweh had enabled him to win many victories for Aram, and so the king of Aram admired and honored him. Naaman was a great warrior. Unfortunately, he also 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 UST Some groups of Aramean soldiers went on raids into the land of Israel. They captured a young girl and brought her back to Aram. She became a servant of 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 UST One day that girl told her,“I wish that my master Naaman could go to the prophet who lives in the city of Samaria. That prophet would heal him of 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 UST { Naaman’ s wife told her husband} what the girl from Israel had said. So Naaman went and reported that to the king. BSB BSB: And Naaman went and told his master what the girl from the land of Israel had said.
5 UST The king told him,“Very well, go right away to the land of Israel. I will write a letter for you to bring to the king of Israel{ in which I will ask him to help you}.” So Naaman went to Israel. He brought with him{ as a gift} 330 kilograms of silver, 66 kilograms of gold, and 10 sets of expensive clothing. 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.
6 UST When Naaman arrived, he gave the king of Israel the letter. The king of Aram had written in it,“I am writing this letter to introduce my army commander Naaman. I want you to heal him of his leprosy.” BSB BSB: And the letter that he took to the king of Israel stated: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman, so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
7 UST When the king read the letter, he tore his clothes{ to show his distress}. He told his officials,“I am not God! I am not able to cause people to live or to die! So this man should not be asking me to cure someone of leprosy. If you think about it, the king of Aram must want a reason to attack us{ and he will pretend to be offended if I do not do what he asks}.” 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 UST The prophet Elisha heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes. So he sent a message to the king. He told him,“You did not need to feel such distress that you tore your clothes. Send Naaman to me. He will learn that there is a prophet in Israel{ through whom Yahweh can heal him}.” 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 UST So Naaman went with his horses and chariots to Elisha’ s house, He waited outside the door. BSB BSB: So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house.
10 UST But{ rather than coming out to speak to Naaman,} Elisha sent a messenger to tell him,“Go to the Jordan River. Go down into its water seven times to wash yourself. Then your skin will become healthy again. 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 UST But this made Naaman furious, and he left Elisha’ s house. He{ stopped and} told his servants,“I expected him to come out of his house and stand in front of me. I was sure that he would ask Yahweh his God to heal me. I expected him to wave his hand over the area where I have leprosy 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 UST Surely the Abanah River and the Pharpar River in Damascus have better water than any river in Israel! The prophet should have told me to wash in those rivers in order to become healthy again!” Naaman was so furious that he started to leave again. 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 UST 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 you should certainly be willing to do a simple thing such as he described when he told you to wash yourself in the Jordan River in order to become 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 UST So Naaman went to the Jordan River and went down into its water seven times, as the prophet had instructed him to do. Then his skin became smooth once again, like the skin of a young child. He no longer had leprosy. 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.
Gehazi’s Greed and Leprosy 15 UST Then Naaman and the soldiers who were with him returned to Elisha’ s house. This time Elisha met with them personally. Naaman told him,“Now I know that the God whom you Israelites worship is the only true God anywhere. Please accept these gifts that I have brought 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 UST But Elisha replied,“I swear by Yahweh, the God whom I serve, that I will not accept any gifts from you.” Naaman urged him to accept something, but Elisha refused to accept anything. 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 UST Then Naaman said,“All right, but I have one request. From now on, I am going to offer sacrifices only to Yahweh, not to any other god. So please allow me to take back with me as much soil from Israel as two mules can carry{ so that I can spread out that soil to make a place where I can worship Yahweh}. 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 UST But there is one thing{ I will have to do} for which I ask Yahweh to forgive me. When my master,{ the king of Aram,} goes into the temple of Rimmon and bows down{ to the idol} there, he needs to lean on my arm for support. That requires me to bow down as well{, but I will not intend that as an act of worship}. I ask Yahweh to forgive me for bowing down{ to the idol of Rimmon}.” 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 UST Elisha replied,“{ Yahweh will forgive you, so} you may return home without worrying 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 UST But then Elisha’ s servant Gehazi said{ to himself},“My master Elisha should have accepted the gifts that this Aramean man Naaman brought. I swear by Yahweh that I am going to catch up with him 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 UST So Gehazi ran to catch up with Naaman. When Naaman saw that a man was running after him, he stopped the chariot in which he was riding and climbed down from it in order to speak with the man.{ When Gehazi arrived,} 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 UST Gehazi replied,“Yes, everything is all right. But two young prophets from the hilly area where the descendants of Ephraim live have just arrived to stay with Elisha for a while. He wants to give them something. So he sent me to ask you for a disk of{ 33 kilograms of} silver and two sets of clothing.” 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 UST Naaman replied,“Certainly, and I hope you will accept two silver disks{, one for each of those prophets}.”{ Gehazi pretended to be reluctant, but} Naaman urged him to accept the second disk{, and Gehazi agreed}. So Naaman had his servants tie up a silver disk and a set of clothing in each of two bags. He instructed two of his servants to carry these bags back to Elisha, and they walked ahead of Gehazi as they returned. 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 UST When they arrived at a certain hill{ in Samaria}, Gehazi took the bags from the servants and sent them back to Naaman. He brought the bags into his own house{ and hid them there}. 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 UST Then he went to Elisha{ and acted as if nothing had happened}. 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 UST Elisha told him,“You must realize that my spirit was there with you when Naaman got out of his chariot to talk with you! This is certainly no time to accept gifts of silver or clothing and{ sell them to buy} olive groves or vineyards or sheep or oxen or male and female 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 UST Because you have done this, you and all of your future descendants will have leprosy just as Naaman did!” Before Gehazi even left the room, he became a leper. His skin became 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.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.