¶ Now Naaman¹, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great² man with³ his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance⁴ unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.

And the Syrians had gone out by companies⁵, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on⁶ Naaman's wife.

And she said unto her mistress, Would God⁷ my lord were with⁸ the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of⁹ his leprosy.

And one went in, and told his lord¹⁰, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.

And the king of Syria said, Go to, go¹¹, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took¹² with him¹³ ten talents of silver, and six thousand¹⁴ pieces of gold, and ten changes¹⁵ of raiment.

And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.

And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent¹⁶ his clothes, and said, Am I God¹⁷, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how¹⁸ he seeketh a quarrel against me.

And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes¹⁹, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come²⁰ now to me, and he shall²¹ know that there is a prophet in Israel.

¶²²So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

¶ And Elisha sent a messenger²³ unto him, saying, Go and wash²⁴ in Jordan seven times²⁵, and thy flesh²⁶ shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

But Naaman²⁷ was wroth, and went away²⁸, and said, Behold,²⁹ I thought³⁰, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

Are not Abana and Pharpar³¹, rivers of Damascus, better³² than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.

And his servants³³ came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father³⁴, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather³⁵ then, when he saith to thee, Wash³⁶, and be clean?

Then went he down³⁷, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to³⁸ the saying of the man of God: and his flesh³⁹ came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean⁴⁰.

¶ And he returned⁴¹ to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know⁴² that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing⁴³ of thy servant.

But he said, As the LORD⁴⁴ liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive⁴⁵ none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.

And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth⁴⁶? for thy servant will henceforth⁴⁷ offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD.

In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth⁴⁸ on my hand, and I bow⁴⁹ myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon⁵⁰ thy servant in this thing.

And he said⁵¹ unto him, Go in peace⁵². So he departed from him a little way⁵³.

¶ But Gehazi⁵⁴, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master⁵⁵ hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth⁵⁶, I will run after him, and take⁵⁷ somewhat of him.

So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted⁵⁸ down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well⁵⁹?

And he said, All is well. My master⁶⁰ hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons⁶¹ of the prophets: give them,⁶² I pray thee, a talent⁶³ of silver, and two changes of garments.

And Naaman said, Be content⁶⁴, take two talents. And he urged him,⁶⁵ and bound⁶⁶ two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare⁶⁷ them before him.

And when he came to the tower⁶⁸, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.

But he went in, and stood before⁶⁹ his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence⁷⁰ comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant⁷¹ went no whither⁷².

And he said⁷³ unto him, Went⁷⁴ not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time⁷⁵ to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?

The leprosy⁷⁶ therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed⁷⁷ for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper⁷⁸ as white as snow.