Study Desk

But Gechazi the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master has spared this Na`aman the Arammian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: as the LORD lives, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.

Na`aman 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 bore them before him.

But he went in, and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, Whence come you, Gechazi? He said, Your servant went no where.

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 oxen, and men-servants and maid-servants?

The leprosy therefore of Na`aman shall cleave to you, and to your seed forever. He went out from his presence a leper [as white] as snow.

He said, Take it up to you. So he put out his hand, and took it.

Now the king of Aram was warring against Yisra'el; and he took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.

The heart of the king of Aram was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said to them, Won't you show me which of us is for the king of Yisra'el?

One of his servants said, No, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Yisra'el, tells the king of Yisra'el the words that you speak in your bedchamber.

When the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, a host with horses and chariots was round about the city. His servant said to him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?

Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, Please open his eyes, that he may see. The LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

It happened after this, that Ben-Hadad king of Aram gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Shomron.

It happened, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes (now he was passing by on the wall); and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within on his flesh.

But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the Zakenim were sitting with him; and [the king] sent a man from before him: but before the messenger came to him, he said to the Zakenim, See you how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? behold, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold the door fast against him: isn't the sound of his master's feet behind him?

The king arose in the night, and said to his servants, I will now show you what the Aram have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive, and get into the city.

One of his servants answered, Please let some take five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city (behold, they are as all the multitude of Yisra'el who are left in it; behold, they are as all the multitude of Yisra'el who are consumed); and let us send and see.

He settled his gaze steadfastly [on him], until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept.

Then he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to you? He answered, He told me that you would surely recover.

It happened on the next day, that he took the coverlet, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Haza'el reigned in his place.

However the LORD would not destroy Yehudah, for David his servant's sake, as he promised him to give to him a lamp for his children always.