2 Kings 5 - 6
Naaman Cleansed from Leprosy
5Now aNaaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man 1with his master, and 2highly respected, because by him Yahweh had given salvation to Aram. The man was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2Now the Arameans had gone out ain marauding bands and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she 1waited on Naaman’s wife. 3And she said to her mistress, “I wish that my master were before the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy.” 4Then 1Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus spoke the girl who is from the land of Israel.” 5Then the king of Aram said, “Go 1now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he went and atook in his hand 2ten talents of silver and 3six thousand shekels of gold and ten bchanges of clothes.
6And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying,
7Now it happened that when the king of Israel read the letter, ahe tore his clothes and said, “bAm I God, to put to death and to make alive, that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? But cknow now, and see how he is seeking 1a quarrel against me.”
8Now it happened when Elisha athe man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent word to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Now let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots and stood at the doorway of the house of Elisha. 10And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “aGo and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean.” 11But Naaman was furious and went away and said, “Behold, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.’ 12“Are not 1Abanah 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 awent away in wrath. 13aThen his servants approached and spoke to him and said, “bMy father, had the prophet spoken with you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and ahis flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy and bhe was clean.
Gehazi’s Leprosy
15Then he returned to the man of God 1with all his camp, and came and stood before him, and said, “Behold now, aI know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel; so now please btake a blessing from your servant.” 16But he said, “aAs Yahweh lives, before whom I stand, bI will take nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. 17So Naaman said, “If not, please let your servant at least be given two mules’ load of aearth; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering nor will he sacrifice to other gods, but to Yahweh. 18“In this matter may Yahweh pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and ahe leans on my hand and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, Yahweh pardon your servant in this matter.” 19And he said to him, “aGo in peace.” So he went from him some distance.
20Then aGehazi, the young man of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Aramean, 1by not receiving from his hands what he brought. bAs Yahweh lives, I will run after him and take something from him.” 21So Gehazi pursued Naaman. And Naaman saw one running after him, so he came down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is all at peace?” 22And he said, “aAll is at peace. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Behold, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from bthe hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and ctwo changes of clothes.’” 23Then Naaman said, “aBe pleased to take two talents.” And he urged him and bound two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes and gave them to two of his young men; and they carried them before him. 24So he came to the 1hill, and he took them from their hand and adeposited them in the house. Then he sent the men away, and they departed. 25But he came in and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” And he said, “aYour servant went nowhere.”
26Then he said to him, “Did not my heart go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? aIs it a time to receive money and to receive clothes and olive groves and vineyards and sheep and oxen and male and female slaves? 27“Thus the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your seed forever.” So he went out from his presence aa leper as white as snow.
The Axe Head Floats
6And athe sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Behold now, the place before you where we are living is too limited for us. 2“Please let us go to the Jordan and each of us take from there a beam, and let us make a place there for ourselves where we may live.” So he said, “Go.” 3Then one said, “Please be willing to go with your servants.” And he 1answered, “I shall go.” 4So he went with them; and they came to the Jordan and cut down trees. 5Now it happened that as one was felling a beam, 1the axe head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.” 6Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And when he showed him the place, ahe cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. 7And he said, “Take it up for yourself.” So he sent forth his hand and took it.
Horses and Chariots of Fire Around Elisha
8Now the king of Aram was warring against Israel; and he 1counseled with his servants saying, “In such and such a place shall be my camp.” 9aAnd the man of God sent word to the king of Israel saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Arameans are coming down there.” 10And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God had told him; thus he warned him, so that he guarded himself there, 1more than once or twice.
11Then the heart of the king of Aram was enraged over this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?” 12And one of his servants said, “No, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” 13So he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and take him.” And it was told to him, saying, “Behold, he is in aDothan.” 14So he sent horses and chariots and a heavy military force there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.
15Then the attendant of the man of God arose early and went out, and behold, a military force with horses and chariots was all around the city. And his young man said to him, “Alas, my master! 1What shall we do?” 16So he said, “aDo not fear, for bthose who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17Then Elisha prayed and said, “aO Yahweh, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And Yahweh opened the eyes of the young man and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of bhorses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18And they came down to him, and Elisha prayed to Yahweh and said, “Strike this 1people with blindness, I pray.” So He astruck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. 19Then Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city; walk after me and I will walk you over to the man whom you seek.” And he walked them over to Samaria.
20Now it happened that when they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “O aYahweh, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So Yahweh opened their eyes and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. 21Then the king of Israel when he saw them, said to Elisha, “aMy father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?” 22And he said, “You shall not strike them down. Would you astrike down those you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? bSet bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and walk back to their master.” 23So he prepared a great feast for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And athe marauding bands of Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel.
Aram’s Siege of Samaria
24Now it happened afterwards, that aBen-hadad king of Aram gathered all his military camp and went up and besieged Samaria. 25Now there was a great afamine in Samaria. And behold, they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for 1eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a 2kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver. 26As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Save, my lord, O king!” 27He said, “1If Yahweh does not save you, from where shall I save you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?” 28And the king said to her, “aWhat 1is the matter with you?” And she said, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 29“aSo we boiled my son and ate him; and I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him’; but she has hidden her son.” 30Now it happened that when the king heard the words of the woman, ahe tore his clothes—now he was passing by on the wall—and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth 1beneath on his 2body. 31Then he said, “May aGod do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat 1remains on him today.”
Flour and Barley in Samaria
32Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and athe elders were sitting with him. And the king sent a man from his presence; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you bsee how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and 1hold the door shut against him. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?” 33While he was still speaking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him and he said, “aBehold, this evil is from Yahweh; why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?”