Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, November 23rd, 2024
the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Updated Bible Version

2 Kings 5

1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him Yahweh had given victory to Syria: he was also a mighty man of valor, [but he was] a leper.2 And 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 And she said to her mistress, Oh that my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! then he would recover him of his leprosy.4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maiden that is of the land of Israel.5 And the king of Syria said, Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand [pieces] of gold, and ten changes of raiment.6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, And now when this letter has come to you, look, I have sent Naaman my slave to you, that you may recover him of his leprosy.7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me to recover a man of his leprosy? but consider, I pray you, and see how he seeks a quarrel against me.8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Why have you rent 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 And 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, Look, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the place, and recover the leper.12 Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.13 And his slaves came near, and spoke to him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid 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 came again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him; and he said, Look now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray you, take a present of your slave.16 But he said, As Yahweh lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.17 And Naaman said, If not, yet, I pray you, let there be given to your slave two mules' burden of earth; for your slave will from now on offer neither burnt-offering nor sacrifice to other gods, but to Yahweh.18 In this thing Yahweh pardon your slave: 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, Yahweh pardon your slave in this thing.19 And he said to him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.

20 But Gehazi the attendant of Elisha the man of God, said, Look, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: as Yahweh lives, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw one running after him, he dismounted from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?22 And he said, All is well. My master has sent me, saying, Look, even now there have come to me from the hill-country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets; give them, I pray you, a talent of silver, and two changes of raiment.23 And Naaman said, Be pleased to take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of raiment, and laid them on two of his attendants; and they bore them before him.24 And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house; and he let the men go, and they departed.25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, Where did you come from, Gehazi? And he said, Your slave went no where.26 And 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 oliveyards and vineyards, and sheep and oxen, and male slaves and female slaves?27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave to you, and to your seed forever. And he went out from his presence a leper [as white] as snow.

 
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