5Naaman, commander of the army for the king of Aram, was a great man in his master's sight and highly regarded because through him, the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man was a brave warrior, but he had a skin disease.H5283H8269H6635H4428H758H1419H376H6440H113H5375H3068H5414H8668H758H1368H376H2428H68792Aram had gone on raids and brought back from the land of Israel a young girl who served Naaman's wife.H758H3318H1416H7617H776H3478H6996H5291H6440H5283H8023She said to her mistress, "If only my master would go to the prophet who is in Samaria, he would cure him of his skin disease."H559H1404H305H113H6440H5030H8111H227H622H68834So Naaman went and told his master what the girl from the land of Israel had said.H935H5046H113H559H1696H5291H776H34785Therefore, the king of Aram said, "Go and I will send a letter [with you] to the king of Israel." So he went and took with him 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and 10 changes of clothes.H4428H758H559H3212H935H7971H5612H4428H3478H3212H3947H3027H6235H3603H3701H8337H505H2091H6235H2487H8996He brought the letter to the king of Israel, and it read: When this letter comes to you, note that I have sent you my servant Naaman for you to cure him of his skin disease.H935H5612H4428H3478H559H5612H935H7971H5283H5650H622H68837When 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 man of his skin disease? Think it over and you will see that he is only picking a fight with me."H4428H3478H7121H5612H7167H899H559H430H4191H2421H2088H7971H622H376H6883H389H3045H7200H5798When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel tore his clothes, he sent [a message] to the king, "Why have you torn your clothes? Have him come to me, and he will know there is a prophet in Israel."H477H376H430H8085H4428H3478H7167H899H7971H4428H559H7167H899H935H3045H3426H5030H34789So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha's house.H5283H935H5483H7393H5975H6607H1004H47710Then Elisha sent him a messenger, who said, "Go wash seven times in the Jordan and your flesh will be restored and you will be clean."H477H7971H4397H559H1980H7364H3383H7651H6471H1320H7725H289111But Naaman got angry and left, saying, "I was telling myself: He will surely come out, stand and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and will wave his hand over the spot and cure the skin disease.H5283H7107H3212H559H559H3318H3318H5975H7121H8034H3068H430H5130H3027H4725H622H687912Aren't 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 left in a rage.H71H549H6554H5104H1834H2896H4325H3478H7364H2891H6437H3212H253413But his servants approached and said to him, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more [should you do it] when he tells you, 'Wash and be clean'?"H5650H5066H1696H559H1H5030H1696H1419H1697H6213H637H559H7364H289114So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the command of the man of God. Then his skin was restored [and became] like the skin of a small boy, and he was clean.H3381H2881H7651H6471H3383H1697H376H430H1320H7725H1320H6996H5288H289115Then Naaman and his whole company went back to the man of God, stood before him, and declared, "I know there's no God in the whole world except in Israel. Therefore, please accept a gift from your servant."H7725H376H430H4264H935H5975H6440H559H3045H430H776H3478H3947H1293H565016But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, I stand before Him. I will not accept it." Naaman urged him to accept it, but he refused.H559H3068H2416H6440H5975H3947H6484H3947H398517Naaman responded, "If not, please let two mule-loads of dirt be given to your servant, for your servant will no longer offer a burnt offering or a sacrifice to any other god but Yahweh.H5283H559H5414H5650H6776H6505H4853H127H5650H6213H5930H2077H312H430H306818However, in a particular matter may the LORD pardon your servant: When my master, [the king of Aram], goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship and I, as his right-hand man, bow in the temple of Rimmon— when I bow in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD pardon your servant in this matter."H1697H3068H5545H5650H113H935H1004H7417H7812H8172H3027H7812H1004H7417H7812H1004H7417H3068H5545H5650H169719So he said to him, "Go in peace." After Naaman had traveled a short distance from Elisha,H559H3212H7965H3212H3530H77620Gehazi, the attendant of Elisha the man of God, thought: My master has let this Aramean Naaman off lightly by not accepting from him what he brought. As the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him.H1522H5288H477H376H430H559H113H2820H5283H761H3947H3027H935H3068H2416H7323H310H3947H397221So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and asked, "Is everything all right?"H1522H7291H310H5283H5283H7200H7323H310H5307H4818H7125H559H796522Gehazi said, "It's all right. My master has sent me to say, 'I have just now discovered that two young men from the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them 75 pounds of silver and two changes of clothes.'"H559H7965H113H7971H559H935H2022H669H8147H5288H1121H5030H5414H3603H3701H8147H2487H89923But Naaman insisted, "Please, accept 150 pounds." He urged Gehazi and then packed 150 pounds of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes. Naaman gave them to two of his young men who carried them ahead of Gehazi.H5283H559H2974H3947H3603H6555H6696H8147H3603H3701H8147H2754H8147H2487H899H5414H8147H5288H5375H644024When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the gifts from them and stored them in the house. Then he dismissed the men, and they left.H935H6076H3947H3027H6485H1004H582H7971H321225Gehazi came and stood by his master. "Where did you go, Gehazi?" Elisha asked him. "Your servant didn't go anywhere," he replied.H935H5975H113H477H559H370H1522H559H5650H1980H57526But Elisha questioned him, "Wasn't my spirit there when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to accept money and clothes, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, and male and female slaves?H559H1980H3820H376H2015H4818H7125H6256H3947H3701H3947H899H2132H3754H6629H1241H5650H819827Therefore, Naaman's skin disease will cling to you and your descendants forever." So Gehazi went out from his presence diseased— [white] as snow.H6883H5283H1692H2233H5769H3318H6440H6879H7950
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