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5
Naaman was healed of leprosy
1 A man named Naaman was the commander of the army of Syria. Yahweh had enabled him to win many victories/battles. He was a great warrior, and as a result the king of Syria greatly respected him. But he had ◄leprosy/a dreaded skin disease►.
2 Some time previously, groups of soldiers/marauders from Syria had raided/attacked the land of Israel, and they had captured a young girl and taken her to Syria. She became a servant for Naaman’s wife. 3 One day, that girl said to her, “I wish that ◄my master/your husband► would go to see the prophet in Samaria. That prophet would heal your husband from his leprosy.”
4 Naaman’s wife told her husband what the girl from Israel had said, and Naaman told that to the king. 5-6 The king said to him, “Okay, go and see the prophet. I will write a letter for you to take to the king of Israel, saying that I sent you.” The king wrote in the letter, “I am sending this letter with my army commander Naaman, who serves me faithfully. I want you to heal him of his disease.” So Naaman, assuming/thinking that the king of Israel was the prophet, took the letter and 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing, to give to the king of Israel, and he went to Samaria, taking along several servants.
7 When he arrived in Samaria, he gave the letter to the king of Israel. The king read the letter. Then, being very dismayed, the king tore his clothes and said, “I am not God [RHQ]! I am not able to enable people to live or to die [RHQ]! Why does the king who wrote this letter request me to cure this man of his leprosy? I think that he is just wanting to start a fight with me!”
8 But the prophet Elisha heard that the king of Israel had torn his robe and said that. So he sent a message to the king, saying, “Why are you upset/frustrated [RHQ]? Send Naaman to me, and he will find out that because I am a true prophet here in Israel, I can help/heal him.” 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots to Elisha’s house and waited outside the door. 10 But Elisha did not come to the door. Instead, he sent a messenger to Naaman, to tell him, “Go to the Jordan River and wash yourself seven times in the river. Then your skin will be restored/healed, and you will no longer have leprosy.”
11 But Naaman became very angry. He said, “I thought that surely he would wave his hand over the leprosy, and pray to Yahweh his god, and heal me! 12 Surely the Abana River and the Pharpar River in Damascus in my own country of Syria are [RHQ] better than any of the rivers in Israel! Why can I not wash in those rivers and be healed?” [RHQ] So he turned and walked away with great anger/disgust.
13 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 [RHQ] have done it. So you should certainly do what he says and wash in the Jordan River to be healed!” [RHQ] 14 So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and washed himself seven times, as ◄the prophet/Elisha► told him to do. Then his skin was restored/healed, and it became healthy/smooth, like the skin of a young child.
15 Then Naaman and those who were with him went back to talk to Elisha. They stood in front of him, and Naaman said, “Now I know that there are no real gods anywhere else in the world, but there is a God here in Israel! So now please accept these gifts that I have brought to you!”
16 But Elisha replied, “Just as certainly as Yahweh, the one whom I serve, lives, I will not accept any gifts.” Naaman kept urging him to accept the gifts, but Elisha kept refusing.
17 Then Naaman said, “Okay, but I have one request. This dirt here in Israel is holy, so please allow me to take some dirt from this place and put it in sacks on two mules. Then I will take it back home with me and make an altar on this dirt. From now on, I will offer sacrifices to Yahweh on that altar. I will not offer sacrifices to any other god. 18 However, when my master, the king, goes into the temple of the god Rimmon to worship him/it there, and he is leaning on my arm, I hope/desire that Yahweh will forgive me because I will have to bow down, too.”
19 Elisha replied, “Go home, and do not worry about that.” So Naaman and his servants started to travel home.
Elisha cursed Gehazi for being greedy
20 But then Elisha’s servant Gehazi said to himself, “It is not good that my master allowed this Syrian man to leave like this. He should have accepted his gifts. So just as certainly as Yahweh lives, I will go and catch up with Naaman and get something from him.”
21 So Gehazi hurried to catch up with Naaman. When Naaman saw Gehazi running toward him, he stopped the chariot in which he was riding, jumped out, and went to see what Gehazi wanted. He asked him, “Is everything all right?”
22 Gehazi replied, “Yes, but two young prophets from the hilly area where the descendants of Ephraim live have just arrived. Elisha has sent me to tell you that he would like 75 pounds of silver and two sets of clothing to give to them.”
23 Naaman replied, “Certainly! You can have 150 pounds of silver!” He urged Gehazi to take it. He also gave him two sets of clothing. He tied up the silver in two bags and gave them to two of his servants to carry back to Elisha. 24 But when they arrived at the hill where Elisha lived, Gehazi took the silver and the clothes from Naaman’s servants and sent the servants back to Naaman. Then he took those things into his house and hid them. 25 When he went to Elisha, Elisha asked him, “Where did you go, Gehazi?” Gehazi replied, “I did not go anywhere.”
26 Elisha asked him, “Do you not realize that my spirit was there when Naaman got out of his chariot to talk with you? This is certainly not [RHQ] the time to accept gifts of money and clothes and olive groves and vineyards and sheep and oxen and servants! 27 Because you have done this, you and your children and all your descendants, forever, will have leprosy just like Naaman had!” And when Gehazi left the room, he was a leper! His skin was as white as snow!

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© 2008-2017 Ellis W. Deibler, Jr.