2Kings 5
5Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army, was highly respected and esteemed by the king of Syria, because through Naaman the LORD had given victory to the Syrian forces. He was a great soldier, but he suffered from a dreaded skin disease.H5283H8269H6635H4428H758H1419H376H6440H113H5375H3068H5414H8668H758H1368H376H2428H68792In one of their raids against Israel, the Syrians had carried off a little Israelite girl, who became a servant of Naaman's wife.H758H3318H1416H7617H776H3478H6996H5291H6440H5283H8023One day she said to her mistress, "I wish that my master could go to the prophet who lives in Samaria! He would cure him of his disease."H559H1404H305H113H6440H5030H8111H227H622H68834When Naaman heard of this, he went to the king and told him what the girl had said.H935H5046H113H559H1696H5291H776H34785The king said, "Go to the king of Israel and take this letter to him." So Naaman set out, taking thirty thousand pieces of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of fine clothes.H4428H758H559H3212H935H7971H5612H4428H3478H3212H3947H3027H6235H3603H3701H8337H505H2091H6235H2487H8996The letter that he took read: "This letter will introduce my officer Naaman. I want you to cure him of his disease."H935H5612H4428H3478H559H5612H935H7971H5283H5650H622H68837When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and exclaimed, "How can the king of Syria expect me to cure this man? Does he think that I am God, with the power of life and death? It's plain that he is trying to start a quarrel with me!"H4428H3478H7121H5612H7167H899H559H430H4191H2421H2088H7971H622H376H6883H389H3045H7200H5798When the prophet Elisha heard what had happened, he sent word to the king: "Why are you so upset? Send the man to me, and I'll show him that there is a prophet in Israel!"H477H376H430H8085H4428H3478H7167H899H7971H4428H559H7167H899H935H3045H3426H5030H34789So Naaman went with his horses and chariot and stopped at the entrance to Elisha's house.H5283H935H5483H7393H5975H6607H1004H47710Elisha sent a servant out to tell him to go and wash himself seven times in the Jordan River, and he would be completely cured of his disease.H477H7971H4397H559H1980H7364H3383H7651H6471H1320H7725H289111But Naaman left in a rage, saying, "I thought that he would at least come out to me, pray to the LORD his God, wave his hand over the diseased spot, and cure me!H5283H7107H3212H559H559H3318H3318H5975H7121H8034H3068H430H5130H3027H4725H622H687912Besides, aren't the rivers Abana and Pharpar, back in Damascus, better than any river in Israel? I could have washed in them and been cured!"H71H549H6554H5104H1834H2896H4325H3478H7364H2891H6437H3212H253413His servants went up to him and said, "Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it. Now why can't you just wash yourself, as he said, and be cured?"H5650H5066H1696H559H1H5030H1696H1419H1697H6213H637H559H7364H289114So Naaman went down to the Jordan, dipped himself in it seven times, as Elisha had instructed, and he was completely cured. His flesh became firm and healthy like that of a child.H3381H2881H7651H6471H3383H1697H376H430H1320H7725H1320H6996H5288H289115He returned to Elisha with all his men and said, "Now I know that there is no god but the God of Israel; so please, sir, accept a gift from me."H7725H376H430H4264H935H5975H6440H559H3045H430H776H3478H3947H1293H565016Elisha answered, "By the living LORD, whom I serve, I swear that I will not accept a gift." Naaman insisted that he accept it, but he would not.H559H3068H2416H6440H5975H3947H6484H3947H398517So Naaman said, "If you won't accept my gift, then let me have two mule-loads of earth to take home with me, because from now on I will not offer sacrifices or burnt offerings to any god except the LORD.H5283H559H5414H5650H6776H6505H4853H127H5650H6213H5930H2077H312H430H306818So I hope that the LORD will forgive me when I accompany my king to the temple of Rimmon, the god of Syria, and worship him. Surely the LORD will forgive me!"H1697H3068H5545H5650H113H935H1004H7417H7812H8172H3027H7812H1004H7417H7812H1004H7417H3068H5545H5650H169719"Go in peace," Elisha said. And Naaman left. He had gone only a short distance,H559H3212H7965H3212H3530H77620when Elisha's servant Gehazi said to himself, "My master has let Naaman get away without paying a thing! He should have accepted what that Syrian offered him. By the living LORD I will run after him and get something from him."H1522H5288H477H376H430H559H113H2820H5283H761H3947H3027H935H3068H2416H7323H310H3947H397221So he set off after Naaman. When Naaman saw a man running after him, he got down from his chariot to meet him, and asked, "Is something wrong?"H1522H7291H310H5283H5283H7200H7323H310H5307H4818H7125H559H796522"No," Gehazi answered. "But my master sent me to tell you that just now two members of the group of prophets in the hill country of Ephraim arrived, and he would like you to give them three thousand pieces of silver and two changes of fine clothes."H559H7965H113H7971H559H935H2022H669H8147H5288H1121H5030H5414H3603H3701H8147H2487H89923"Please take six thousand pieces of silver," Naaman replied. He insisted on it, tied up the silver in two bags, gave them and two changes of fine clothes to two of his servants, and sent them on ahead of Gehazi.H5283H559H2974H3947H3603H6555H6696H8147H3603H3701H8147H2754H8147H2487H899H5414H8147H5288H5375H644024When they reached the hill where Elisha lived, Gehazi took the two bags and carried them into the house. Then he sent Naaman's servants back.H935H6076H3947H3027H6485H1004H582H7971H321225He went back into the house, and Elisha asked him, "Where have you been?" "Oh, nowhere, sir," he answered.H935H5975H113H477H559H370H1522H559H5650H1980H57526But Elisha said, "Wasn't I there in spirit when the man got out of his chariot to meet you? This is no time to accept money and clothes, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and cattle, or servants!H559H1980H3820H376H2015H4818H7125H6256H3947H3701H3947H899H2132H3754H6629H1241H5650H819827And now Naaman's disease will come upon you, and you and your descendants will have it forever!" When Gehazi left, he had the disease - his skin was as white as snow.H6883H5283H1692H2233H5769H3318H6440H6879H7950
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