1: Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria,
was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD
had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour,
but he was a leper. |
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2: And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought
away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on
Naaman's wife. |
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3:
And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with
the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.
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4: And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said
the maid that is of the land of Israel. |
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5: And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a
letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten
talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of
raiment. |
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6: And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now
when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman
my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. |
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7: And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the
letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to
make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his
leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a
quarrel against me. |
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8: And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the
king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying,
Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he
shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. |
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9: So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood
at the door of the house of Elisha. |
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10: And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in
the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou
shalt be clean. |
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11: But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I
thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name
of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the
leper. |
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12: Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than
all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he
turned and went away in a rage. |
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13: And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My
father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou
not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and
be clean? |
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14: Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan,
according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like
unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. |
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15: And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company,
and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that
there is no God in all earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee,
take a blessing of thy servant. |
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16: But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will
receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused. |
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17: And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given
to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will
henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods,
but unto the LORD. |
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18: In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my
master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth
on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down
myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this
thing. |
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19: And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a
little way. |
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20: But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said,
Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at
his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run
after him, and take somewhat of him. |
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21: So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him
running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and
said, Is all well? |
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22: And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying,
Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of
the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver,
and two changes of garments. |
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23: And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged
him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of
garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them
before him. |
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24: And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand,
and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they
departed. |
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25: But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said
unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no
whither. |
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26: And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the
man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive
money, and to receive garments, and iveyards, and vineyards, and
sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? |
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27: The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and
unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as
white as snow. |