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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 CEV</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="../">CEV</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">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">Elisha Heals Naaman</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 was the commander of the Syrian army. The <span class="nd">Lord</span> had helped him and his troops defeat their enemies, so the king of Syria respected Naaman very much. Naaman was a brave soldier, but he had leprosy.<a href="#fn" id="link_2Kgs.5.1!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_2"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.2" class="v12_5_2">2</span>One day while the Syrian troops were raiding Israel, they captured a girl, and she 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>Some time later the girl said, “If your husband Naaman would go to the prophet in Samaria, he would be cured of his leprosy.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_4"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.4" class="v12_5_4">4</span>When Naaman told the king 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 replied, “Go ahead! I will give you a letter to take to the king of Israel.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_5">Naaman left and took along 30,000 pieces of silver, 6,000 pieces of gold, and 10 new outfits. </span><span class="v12_5_6"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.6" class="v12_5_6">6</span>He also carried the letter to the king of Israel. It said, “I am sending my servant Naaman to you. Would you cure him of his leprosy?”</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 fear and shouted, “That Syrian king believes I can cure this man of leprosy! Does he think I'm God with power over life and death? He must be trying to pick a fight 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>As soon as Elisha the prophet<a href="#fn" id="link_2Kgs.5.8!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> heard what had happened, he sent the Israelite king this message: “Why are you so afraid? Send the man to me, so that he will know 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>Naaman left with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. </span><span class="v12_5_10"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.10" class="v12_5_10">10</span>Elisha sent someone outside to say to him, “Go wash seven times in the Jordan River. Then you'll be completely cured.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_11"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.11" class="v12_5_11">11</span>But Naaman stormed off, grumbling, “Why couldn't he come out and talk to me? I thought for sure he would stand in front of me and pray to the <span class="nd">Lord</span> his God, then wave his hand over my skin and cure me. </span><span class="v12_5_12"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.12" class="v12_5_12">12</span>What about the Abana River<a href="#fn" id="link_2Kgs.5.12!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> or the Pharpar River? Those rivers in Damascus are just as good as 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 over to him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it. So why don't you do what he said? Go wash and be cured.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_14"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.14" class="v12_5_14">14</span>Naaman walked down to the Jordan; he waded out into the water and stooped down in it seven times, just as Elisha had told him. At once, he was cured, and his skin became as smooth as a child's.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_15"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.15" class="v12_5_15">15</span>Naaman and his officials went back to Elisha. Naaman stood in front of him and announced, “Now I know that the God of Israel is the only God in the whole world. Sir, would you please 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>“I am a servant of the living <span class="nd">Lord</span>,” Elisha answered, “and I swear that I will not take anything from you.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_16">Naaman kept begging, but Elisha kept refusing. </span><span class="v12_5_17"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.17" class="v12_5_17">17</span>Finally Naaman said, “If you won't accept a gift, then please let me take home as much soil as two mules can pull in a wagon. Sir, from now on I will offer sacrifices only to the <span class="nd">Lord</span>.<a href="#fn" id="link_2Kgs.5.17!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span><span class="v12_5_18"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.18" class="v12_5_18">18</span>But I pray that the <span class="nd">Lord</span> will forgive me when I go into the temple of the god Rimmon and bow down there with the king of Syria.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_19"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.19" class="v12_5_19">19</span>“Go on home, and don't worry about that,” Elisha replied. Then Naaman left.</span></p><h3 class="s1">Elisha Places a Curse on Gehazi</h3><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_19">After Naaman 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>Gehazi said to himself, “Elisha let that Syrian off too easy. He should have taken Naaman's gift. I swear by the living <span class="nd">Lord</span> that I will talk to Naaman myself 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 hurried after Naaman.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_21">When Naaman saw Gehazi running after him, he got out of his chariot to meet him. Naaman asked, “Is everything all right?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_22"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.22" class="v12_5_22">22</span>“Yes,” Gehazi answered. “But my master has sent me to tell you about two young prophets from the hills of Ephraim. They came asking for help, and now Elisha wants to know if you would give them 3,000 pieces of silver and some new clothes?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_23"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.23" class="v12_5_23">23</span>“Sure,” Naaman replied. “But why don't you take twice that amount of silver?” He convinced Gehazi to take it all, then put the silver in two bags. He handed the bags and the clothes to his two servants, and they carried them for Gehazi.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_24"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.24" class="v12_5_24">24</span>When they reached the hill where Gehazi lived, he took the bags from the servants and placed them in his house, then sent the men away. After they had gone, </span><span class="v12_5_25"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.25" class="v12_5_25">25</span>Gehazi went in and stood in front of Elisha, who asked, “Gehazi, where have you been?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_25">“Nowhere, sir,” Gehazi answered.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_26"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.26" class="v12_5_26">26</span>Elisha asked, “Don't you know that my spirit was there when Naaman got out of his chariot to talk with you? Gehazi, you have no right to accept money or clothes, olive orchards or vineyards, sheep or cattle, or servants. </span><span class="v12_5_27"><span class="reftext" id="2Kgs.5.27" class="v12_5_27">27</span>Because of what you've done, Naaman's leprosy<a href="#fn" id="link_2Kgs.5.27!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> will now be on you and your descendants forever!”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v12_5_27">Suddenly, Gehazi's skin became white with leprosy, and he left.</span></p> <a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">5.1 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">leprosy: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">The word translated “leprosy” was used for many different kinds of skin diseases.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">5.8 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">the prophet: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Hebrew “the man of God.”</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">5.12 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Abana River: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts and two ancient translations “Amana River.”</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">5.17 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">let me take … the <char style="nd">Lord</char>: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">It was believed that the <char style="nd">Lord</char> had to be worshiped in Israel or on soil taken from Israel.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">5.27 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">leprosy: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">See the note at 5.1.</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. 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