THE ORIGINAL BIBLE for Modern Readers
a copyright-free Bible in the public domain
OLD TESTAMENT
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
NEW TESTAMENT
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
2 KINGS chapter
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
< previous 2 KINGS - CHAPTER FIVE next >
1 Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of
Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him Jehovah
had given victory to Syria: he was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a
leper. 2 The Syrians had gone out in bands, and had brought away captive
out of the land of Israel a little maiden; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. 3 She
said to her mistress, “I wish that my lord were with the prophet who is in
Samaria! Then he would heal him of his leprosy.”
4 Someone went in, and told his lord, saying,
“The maiden who is from the land of Israel said this.”
5 The king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will
send a letter to the king of Israel.”
He departed, and took with him ten talents of silver,
and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6 He brought
the letter to the king of Israel, saying, “Now when this letter has come to
you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his
leprosy.”
7 When the king of Israel had read the letter, he
tore his clothes, and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man
sends to me to heal a man of his leprosy? But please consider and see how he
seeks a quarrel against me.”
8 It was so, when Elisha the man of God heard
that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying,
“Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, and he shall know that
there is a prophet in Israel.”
9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his
chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. 10 Elisha sent a
messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your
flesh shall come again to you, and you shall be clean.”
11 But Naaman was angry, and went away, and said,
“Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the
name of Jehovah his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leper.’
12 Aren’t Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the
waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them, and be clean?” So he turned and went
away in a rage.
13 His servants came near, and spoke to him, and
said, “My father, if the prophet had asked you do some great thing, wouldn’t
you have done it? How much rather then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be
clean?’”
14 Then he went down, and dipped himself seven
times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh
was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 15 He
returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before
him; and he said, “See now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but
in Israel. Now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.”
16 But he said, “As Jehovah lives, before whom I
stand, I will receive none.”
He urged him to take it; but he refused. 17 Naaman
said, “If not, then, please let two mules’ burden of earth be given to your
servant; for your servant will from now on offer neither burnt offering nor
sacrifice to other gods, but to Jehovah. 18 In this thing may Jehovah
pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship
there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon. When I
bow myself in the house of Rimmon, may Jehovah pardon your servant in this
thing.”
19 He said to him, “Go in peace.”
So he departed from him a little way. 20 But
Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Behold, my master has
spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he
brought. As Jehovah lives, I will run after him, and take something from him.”
21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. When Naaman
saw one running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him, and said,
“Is all well?”
22 He said, “All is well. My master has sent me,
saying, ‘Behold, even now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come
to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and
two changes of clothing.’”
23 Naaman said, “Be pleased to take two talents.”
He urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of
clothing, and laid them on two of his servants; and they carried them before
him. 24 When he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and stored
them in the house. Then he let the men go, and they departed. 25 But he
went in, and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, “Where did you come
from, Gehazi?”
He said, “Your servant went nowhere.”
26 He said to him, “Didn’t my heart go with you,
when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to receive
money, and to receive garments, and olive groves and vineyards, and sheep and
cattle, and male servants and female servants? 27 Therefore the leprosy of
Naaman will cling to you and to your offspring forever.”
He went out from his presence a leper, as white as
snow.
< previous next >
|