Holy Bible
(King James Version)
Second
Kings: Chapter 5
1. NOW Na-a-man, 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.
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
Na-a-man's wife.
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.
4. And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the
maid that is of the land of Israel.
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.
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 Na-a-man my
servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.
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.
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.
9. So Na-a-man came with his horses and chariot, and stood at the door
of the house of Elisha.
10. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan
seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be
clean.
11. But Na-a-man 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.
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.
13. And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father,
if the prophet had bid thee do some great thin, wouldest thou not have
done it? how much rather then, when he saith to the, Wash, and be clean?
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.
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 the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a
blessing of thy servant.
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.
17. And Na-a-man 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.
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.
19. And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a
little way.
20. But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my
master hath spared Na-a-man 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.
21. So Gehazi followed after Na-a-man. And when Naaman saw him
running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and
said, Is all well?
22. And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying,
Behold, even now there be come to me from mount E-phra-im two young men
of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver,
and two changes of garments.
23. And Na-a-man 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.
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.
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.
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 oliveyards, and vineyards, and
sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?
27. The leprosy therefore of Na-a-man shall cleave unto thee, and unto
thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as
white as snow.
May 8 Daily reading
schedule.. go to chapter 6
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Art by: Penny Parker. Visit her site HERE
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