1Naaman was the commander of the army of the king of Syria. He was a great man in his master's eyes, and highly honoured, because through him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a brave soldier, but he was a leper.
2The Syrians had gone out in raiding bands, and they had carried off a young girl from the land of Israel. She served Naaman's wife.
3She said to her mistress, "If only my master would go to the prophet who is in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy."
4So someone went in and told his lord, "This is what the girl from the land of Israel said."
5The king of Syria said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman set out. He took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten sets of clothing.
6He brought the letter to the king of Israel. It said, "Now when this letter comes to you, look, I have sent my servant Naaman to you with it, so that you may heal him of his leprosy."
7When the king of Israel had read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive? Why does this man send someone to me to be healed of his leprosy? Think about it, and see how he is looking for a quarrel with me."
8When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent word to the king, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let the man come to me now, and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel."
10Elisha sent a messenger out to him to say, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times. Your flesh will come back to you, and you will be clean."
11But Naaman was angry, and he went away. He said, "I thought he would surely come out to me. I thought he would stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leper."
12"Are not 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 went away in a rage.
13But his servants came near and spoke to him. They 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 says to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?"
14So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, just as the man of God had said. His flesh came back like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
15Then he went back to the man of God with all his company. He came and stood before him and said, "Look, now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. So now, please accept a gift from your servant."
16But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will accept nothing." Naaman urged him to take it, but he refused.
17Then Naaman said, "If you will not, then please let your servant be given as much earth as two mules can carry. For your servant will never again offer a burnt offering or a sacrifice to any other gods, but only to the LORD."
18"May the LORD pardon your servant in this one thing. When my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the house of Rimmon. When I bow down in the house of Rimmon, may the LORD pardon your servant in this thing."
20But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, "Look, my master has let Naaman the Syrian off, by not taking from him what he brought. As the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him."
21So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and said, "Is all well?"
22He said, "All is well. My master has sent me to say, 'Look, just now two young men from the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.'"
23Naaman said, "Please take two talents." He urged him, and he tied up two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing, and gave them to two of his servants. They carried them ahead of Gehazi.
24When he came to the hill, he took the things from their hands and put them away in the house. Then he sent the men away, and they left.
25He went in and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, "Where have you come from, Gehazi?" He said, "Your servant went nowhere."
26Elisha said to him, "Did my heart not go with you, when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is this a time to accept money, and to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, sheep, oxen, male servants and female servants?"
27"So the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and to your descendants for ever." And Gehazi went out from him a leper, as white as snow.