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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>2 Kings 5 GNT</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/2_kings/5.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/2_kings/5-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">GNT</a> > 2 Kings 5</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../2_kings/4.htm" title="2 Kings 4">◄</a> 2 Kings 5 <a href="../2_kings/6.htm" title="2 Kings 6">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Good News Translation</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s">Naaman Is Cured</h3><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_1"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.1" class="v12_5_1">1</span><a href="#fn" id="link_2Kgs.5.1!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army, was highly respected and esteemed by the king of Syria, because through Naaman the <span class="nd">Lord</span> had given victory to the Syrian forces. He was a great soldier, but he suffered from a dreaded skin disease. </span><span class="v12_5_2"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.2" class="v12_5_2">2</span>In one of their raids against Israel, the Syrians had carried off a little Israelite girl, who became a servant of Naaman's wife. </span><span class="v12_5_3"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.3" class="v12_5_3">3</span>One day she said to her mistress, “I wish that my master could go to the prophet who lives in Samaria! He would cure him of his disease.” </span><span class="v12_5_4"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.4" class="v12_5_4">4</span>When Naaman heard of this, he went to the king and told him what the girl had said. </span><span class="v12_5_5"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.5" class="v12_5_5">5</span>The king said, “Go to the king of Israel and take this letter to him.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_5">So Naaman set out, taking thirty thousand pieces of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of fine clothes. </span><span class="v12_5_6"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.6" class="v12_5_6">6</span>The letter that he took read: “This letter will introduce my officer Naaman. I want you to cure him of his disease.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_7"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.7" class="v12_5_7">7</span>When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and exclaimed, “How can the king of Syria expect me to cure this man? Does he think that I am God,<a href="#fn" id="link_2Kgs.5.7!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> with the power of life and death? It's plain that he is trying to start a quarrel with me!”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_8"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.8" class="v12_5_8">8</span>When the prophet Elisha heard what had happened, he sent word to the king: “Why are you so upset? Send the man to me, and I'll show him that there is a prophet in Israel!”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_9"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.9" class="v12_5_9">9</span>So Naaman went with his horses and chariot and stopped at the entrance to Elisha's house. </span><span class="v12_5_10"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.10" class="v12_5_10">10</span>Elisha sent a servant out to tell him to go and wash himself seven times in the Jordan River, and he would be completely cured of his disease. </span><span class="v12_5_11"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.11" class="v12_5_11">11</span>But Naaman left in a rage, saying, “I thought that he would at least come out to me, pray to the <span class="nd">Lord</span> his God, wave his hand over the diseased spot,<a href="#fn" id="link_2Kgs.5.11!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> and cure me! </span><span class="v12_5_12"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.12" class="v12_5_12">12</span>Besides, aren't the rivers Abana and Pharpar, back in Damascus, better than any river in Israel? I could have washed in them and been cured!”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_13"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.13" class="v12_5_13">13</span>His servants went up to him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it. Now why can't you just wash yourself, as he said, and be cured?” </span><span class="v12_5_14"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.14" class="v12_5_14">14</span>So Naaman went down to the Jordan, dipped himself in it seven times, as Elisha had instructed, and he was completely cured. His flesh became firm and healthy like that of a child. </span><span class="v12_5_15"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.15" class="v12_5_15">15</span>He returned to Elisha with all his men and said, “Now I know that there is no god but the God of Israel; so please, sir, accept a gift from me.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_16"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.16" class="v12_5_16">16</span>Elisha answered, “By the living <span class="nd">Lord</span>, whom I serve, I swear that I will not accept a gift.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_16">Naaman insisted that he accept it, but he would not. </span><span class="v12_5_17"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.17" class="v12_5_17">17</span>So Naaman said, “If you won't accept my gift, then let me have two mule-loads of earth to take home with me,<a href="#fn" id="link_2Kgs.5.17!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> because from now on I will not offer sacrifices or burnt offerings to any god except the <span class="nd">Lord</span>. </span><span class="v12_5_18"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.18" class="v12_5_18">18</span>So I hope that the <span class="nd">Lord</span> will forgive me when I accompany my king to the temple of Rimmon, the god of Syria, and worship him. Surely the <span class="nd">Lord</span> will forgive me!”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_19"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.19" class="v12_5_19">19</span>“Go in peace,” Elisha said. And Naaman left.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_19">He had gone only a short distance, </span><span class="v12_5_20"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.20" class="v12_5_20">20</span>when Elisha's servant Gehazi said to himself, “My master has let Naaman get away without paying a thing! He should have accepted what that Syrian offered him. By the living <span class="nd">Lord</span> I will run after him and get something from him.” </span><span class="v12_5_21"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.21" class="v12_5_21">21</span>So he set off after Naaman. When Naaman saw a man running after him, he got down from his chariot to meet him, and asked, “Is something wrong?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_22"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.22" class="v12_5_22">22</span>“No,” Gehazi answered. “But my master sent me to tell you that just now two members of the group of prophets in the hill country of Ephraim arrived, and he would like you to give them three thousand pieces of silver and two changes of fine clothes.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_23"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.23" class="v12_5_23">23</span>“Please take six thousand pieces of silver,” Naaman replied. He insisted on it, tied up the silver in two bags, gave them and two changes of fine clothes to two of his servants, and sent them on ahead of Gehazi. </span><span class="v12_5_24"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.24" class="v12_5_24">24</span>When they reached the hill where Elisha lived, Gehazi took the two bags and carried them into the house. Then he sent Naaman's servants back. </span><span class="v12_5_25"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.25" class="v12_5_25">25</span>He went back into the house, and Elisha asked him, “Where have you been?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_25">“Oh, nowhere, sir,” he answered.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_26"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.26" class="v12_5_26">26</span>But Elisha said, “Wasn't I there in spirit when the man got out of his chariot to meet you? This is no time to accept money and clothes, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and cattle, or servants! </span><span class="v12_5_27"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.27" class="v12_5_27">27</span>And now Naaman's disease will come upon you, and you and your descendants will have it forever!”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_27">When Gehazi left, he had the disease—his skin was as white as snow.</span></p><a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">5.7: </char><char style="fq" closed="false">God; </char><char style="ft" closed="false">or </char><char style="fq" closed="false">a god.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">5.11: </char><char style="fq" closed="false">the diseased spot; </char><char style="ft" closed="false">or </char><char style="fq" closed="false">this place.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">5.17: </char><char style="fk" closed="false">earth to take home with me: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">It was then believed that a god could be worshiped only on his own land.</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 1992 American Bible Society. 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