5 Now Na’aman was the captain in Aram’s army. He was a highly respected by Aram’s king, and was promoted to a high position because Yahweh had helped Aram (Syria) win many battles because of him. However, despite his military prowess, he suffered from serious skin disease called leprosy.[ref] 2 Previously troops that had been sent out from Aram, had taken a young Israeli girl captive and she had become Na’aman’s wife’s servant. 3 One day she said to her mistress, “I wish that my master would go and see the prophet who lives in Samaria, and then he would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 In due course, Na’aman heard and went and told his master what the young Israeli girl had said. 5 The king of Aram responded, “Ok, I’ll write a letter to the king of Israel for you to take.”
So Na’aman set off, taking along 70kg of gold, 300kg of silver, and ten sets of fine clothes, 6 and he took the letter to the king of Israel. The letter said, “Greetings. When this letter gets to you, see, I’ve sent my servant Na’aman to you so that you can heal his skin disease.”
7 However when the Israel’s king read the letter, he tore his clothes in despair, and he said, “Do they think that I’m God who ends peoples lives and gives life to others? Why’s this person sending a man here for me to take away his skin disease? Surely he must be creating a situation so he has an excuse to attack me!”
8 Later when Elisha the man of God heard that Israel’s king had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, “Why did you tear your clothes? Please, let that man come to me so he can know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 so Na’aman came on his chariots and horses, and he stood at the entrance to Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger out to him to tell him, “Go and wash seven times in the Yordan river, and then you’ll be better and your skin will go back to normal.
11 But Na’aman was furious, and he left, saying, “Listen, I said to myself that he’d surely come out and stand there and call on the name of his God Yahweh, then he’d wave his hand over my body and take away the skin disease. 12 Aren’t the Damascus rivers Abanah and Pharpar better than any river in Israel? Can’t I bathe in them instead and get healed?” So he turned and he went off angrily. 13 Then some of his servants approached him and suggested, “My master, if the prophet had told you to do something more significant, wouldn’t you have done it? So maybe you could do the simple thing that he told you: wash and get better?”
14 So Na’aman went down to the Yordan river and dipped in it Jordan seven times like the man of God had told him to. Then his skin became clear again, like the skin of a young boy, and he was healed. 15 Then he returned to the man of God along with his entire retinue. Standing in front of him, he said, “Look, please. I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. Now, please, accept a blessing from your servant.”
16 “By the life of Yahweh who I serve,” he responded, “I won’t take anything.”
Na’aman urged him to take , but he kept refusing. 17 Then Na’aman said, “Well if not, please, at least may we load of a pair of mules with some soil to take back with us, because from now on, your servant will no longer make a burnt offering or a sacrifice to other gods—only to Yahweh. 18 However, I’ll ask in advance: May Yahweh forgive your servant when my master goes to the house of the god Rimmon to prostrate himself there, and he’s leaning on my hand, and I prostrate myself in the house of Rimmon. When I prostrate myself in the house of Rimmon, please may Yahweh forgive your servant for this one activity.”
19 “Go in peace,” Elisha replied.
After they’d gone a short distance, 20 Elisha’s servant said to himself, “Hmmh, my master wouldn’t take anything from that Na’aman the Aramean. By the life of Yahweh, I think I should run after him and take something that he brought.” 21 So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Na’aman saw a person running after him, he got down from his chariot to meet him, and he said, “Is there a problem?”
22 “Peace,” he said, “My master sent me to tell you that two young prophets-in-training arrived from the hill country of Efraim. Can we please have 30kg of silver and two sets of clothing for them.”
23 “Sure,” said Na’aman. “Take 60kg,” he urged him. Then he separated 60kg of silver into two bags along with two sets of clothes, then he gave them to two of his young men to carry back for him. 24 When Gehazi reached the hill, he sent the men back and they returned to Na’aman. Then he took the sacks that they’d brought and hid them in the house. 25 When he went back in to his master, Elisha asked to him, “Where did you go, Gehazi?”
“Your servant hasn’t been anywhere.” he replied.
26 “Wasn’t I there in spirit when a man turned from on his chariot to meet you?” Elisha said to him, “Is this a time to take silver or clothing, or to take olive trees or vineyards, or sheep or cattle, or male or female servants? 27 Because of that, Na’aman’s leprosy will transfer to you and to your offspring forever.” When Gehazi left the room, his skin and gone white as snow and he was now a leper.
