2 Kings 5

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.	1 Naaman, army commander to the king of Aram, was a man who enjoyed his master's respect andfavour, since through him Yahweh had granted victory to the Aramaeans.
2 Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little maid from the land of Israel, and she waited on Naaman's wife.	2 But the man suffered from a virulent skin-disease. Now, on one of their raids into Israelite territory, theAramaeans had carried off a little girl, who became a servant of Naaman's wife.
3 She said to her mistress, "Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."	3 She said to her mistress, 'If only my master would approach the prophet of Samaria! He would cure himof his skin-disease.'
4 So Naaman went in and told his lord, "Thus and so spoke the maiden from the land of Israel."	4 Naaman went and told his master. 'This and this', he reported, 'is what the girl from Israel has said.'
5 And the king of Syria said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten festal garments.	5 'Go by al means,' said the king of Aram, 'I shal send a letter to the king of Israel.' So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten festal robes.
6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy."	6 He presented the letter to the king of Israel. It read, 'With this letter, I am sending my servant Naaman toyou for you to cure him of his skin-disease.'
7 And when the king of Israel read the letter, he rent his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me."	7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes. 'Am I a god to give death and life,' he said,'for him to send a man to me and ask me to cure him of his skin-disease? Listen to this and take note of it andsee how he intends to pick a quarrel with me.'
8 But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, "Why have you rent your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel."	8 When Elisha heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent word to the king, 'Why have youtorn your clothes? Let him come to me, and he wil find there is a prophet in Israel.'
9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the door of Elisha's house.	9 So Naaman came with his team and chariot and drew up at the door of Elisha's house.
10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean."	10 And Elisha sent him a messenger to say, 'Go and bathe seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh wilbecome clean once more.'
11 But Naaman was angry, and went away, saying, "Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and cure the leper.	11 But Naaman was indignant and went off, saying, 'Here was I, thinking he would be sure to come out tome, and stand there, and cal on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the spot and cure thepart that was diseased.
12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage.	12 Surely, Abana and Parpar, the rivers of Damascus, are better than any water in Israel? Could I notbathe in them and become clean?' And he turned round and went off in a rage.
13 But his servants came near and said to him, "My father, if the prophet had commanded you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much rather, then, when he says to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?"	13 But his servants approached him and said, 'Father, if the prophet had asked you to do somethingdifficult, would you not have done it? Al the more reason, then, when he says to you, "Bathe, and you wilbecome clean." '
14 So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.	14 So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, as Elisha had told him to do. Andhis flesh became clean once more like the flesh of a little child.
15 Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him; and he said, "Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant."	15 Returning to Elisha with his whole escort, he went in and, presenting himself, said, 'Now I know thatthere is no God anywhere on earth except in Israel. Now, please, accept a present from your servant.'
16 But he said, "As the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will receive none." And he urged him to take it, but he refused.	16 But Elisha replied, 'As Yahweh lives, whom I serve, I wil accept nothing.' Naaman pressed him toaccept, but he refused.
17 Then Naaman said, "If not, I pray you, let there be given to your servant two mules' burden of earth; for henceforth your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the LORD.	17 Then Naaman said, 'Since your answer is "No," al ow your servant to be given as much earth as twomules may carry, since your servant wil no longer make burnt offerings or sacrifice to any god except Yahweh.
18 In this matter may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon your servant in this matter."	18 Only -- and may Yahweh forgive your servant for this -- when my master goes to the temple of Rimmonto worship there, he leans on my arm, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon when he does; may Yahwehforgive your servant for doing this!'
19 He said to him, "Go in peace." But when Naaman had gone from him a short distance,	19 'Go in peace,' Elisha replied.
20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, "See, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not accepting from his hand what he brought. As the LORD lives, I will run after him, and get something from him."	20 Naaman had gone a smal distance, when Gehazi, Elisha's servant, said to himself, 'My master has letthis Aramaean Naaman off lightly, by not accepting what he offered. As Yahweh lives, I will run after him and getsomething out of him.'
21 So Gehazi followed Naaman. And when Naaman saw some one running after him, he alighted from the chariot to meet him, and said, "Is all well?"	21 So Gehazi set off in pursuit of Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he jumped downfrom his chariot to meet him. 'Is all well?' he asked.
22 And he said, "All is well. My master has sent me to say, 'There have just now come to me from the hill country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets; pray, give them a talent of silver and two festal garments.'"	22 'All is well,' he said. 'My master has sent me to say, "This very moment two young men of the propheticbrotherhood have arrived from the highlands of Ephraim. Be kind enough to give them a talent of silver and twofestal robes." '
23 And Naaman said, "Be pleased to accept two talents." And he urged him, and tied up two talents of silver in two bags, with two festal garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they carried them before Gehazi.	23 'Please accept two talents,' Naaman replied, and pressed him, tying up the two talents of silver in twobags with the two festal robes and consigning them to two of his servants who carried them ahead of Gehazi.
24 And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and put them in the house; and he sent the men away, and they departed.	24 When he reached Ophel, he took these from them and put them away in the house. He then dismissedthe men, who went away.
25 He went in, and stood before his master, and Elisha said to him, "Where have you been, Gehazi?" And he said, "Your servant went nowhere."	25 He, for his part, went and presented himself to his master. Elisha said, 'Gehazi, where have you been?''Your servant has not been anywhere,' he replied.
26 But he said to him, "Did I not go with you in spirit when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Was it a time to accept money and garments, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, menservants and maidservants?	26 But Elisha said to him, 'Was not my heart present there when someone left his chariot to meet you?Now you have taken the money, you can buy gardens with it, and olive groves, sheep and oxen, male andfemale slaves.
27 Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cleave to you, and to your descendants for ever." So he went out from his presence a leper, as white as snow.	27 But Naaman's disease of the skin wil cling to you and your descendants for ever.' And Gehazi left hispresence white as snow from skin-disease.