Study Desk

Now, Naaman, general of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man in presence of his lord, and held in honour, because, by him, had Yahweh given deliverance to Syria, - and, the man, was a hero of valour - but , a leper.

Now, the Syrians, had gone out in companies, and had brought back out of the land of Israel, a little maiden, - who became an attendant on the wife of Naaman.

And she said unto her mistress, Ah! would that my lord were before the prophet, who is in Samaria! then, would he set him free from his leprosy.

And he went in and told his lord, saying, - Thus and thus, hath spoken the maiden who is of the land of Israel!

And the king of Syria said - Go, get in, that I may send a letter unto the king of Israel. So he went, and took in his hand ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.

And he brought in the letter unto the king of Israel, saying, Now, therefore, when this letter cometh in unto thee, lo! I have sent unto thee, Naaman my servant, and thou shalt set him free from his leprosy.

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 is sending unto me, to set one free from his leprosy, - but, of a truth, just mark, I pray you, and see, that he, is seeking an occasion, against me.

And it was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent unto the king, saying - Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come, I pray thee, unto me, that he may get to know that there is a prophet in Israel.

So Naaman came, with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the entrance of the house of Elisha;

and Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, - Go and bathe seven times in the Jordan, so shall thy flesh come back to thee, and be thou clean.

But Naaman was wroth, and went away, - and said - Lo! I thought, Unto me, will he, come right out, and take his stand, and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand towards the spot, and so set free the leper.

Are not, Abanah and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not bathe, in them, and be clean? So he turned, and went away in a rage.

Then drew near his servants, and spake unto him, and said - My father! if, some great thing, the prophet had commanded thee, wouldst thou not have done it? then, how much rather, when he hath said unto thee, Bathe and be clean?

Then went he down, and dipped himself in the Jordan, seven times, according to the word of the man of God: and his flesh came back, as the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

And he returned unto the man of God, he and all his company; and came, and took his stand before him, and said - Lo! I pray thee - I know that there is no God in all the earth, save in Israel, - now, therefore, I pray thee, accept a blessing from thy servant.

But he said - By the life of Yahweh, before whom I stand, I will not accept one. And, though he urged him to accept it, yet did he refuse.

Then said Naaman, Shall there not, then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant, two mules' burden of earth? For thy servant will henceforth offer neither ascending-offering nor sacrifice to other gods, save only to Yahweh.

In this thing, Yahweh grant forgiveness to thy servant, - When my lord entereth the house of Rimmon, to bow down therein, he leaning upon my hand, and so I bow down in the house of Rimmon, when he boweth down in the house of Rimmon, Yahweh, I pray, grant forgiveness to thy servant, in this thing.

And he said unto him - Go and prosper! But, when he had gone from him some distance,