2 Kings 5:7-6:18

⁷ But when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to keep alive, that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? But consider now, and see how he is seeking ^[a]a quarrel against me.”

⁸ Now it happened, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent word to the king, saying, “Why did you tear your clothes? Just have him come to me, and he shall learn that there is a prophet in Israel.” ⁹ So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots, and stood at the doorway of Elisha’s house. ¹⁰ And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean.” ¹¹ But Naaman was furious and went away, and he said, “Behold, I ^[b]thought, ‘He will certainly come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the site and cure the ^[c]leprosy.’ ¹² Are ^[d]Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, not 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. ¹³ Then his servants approached and spoke to him, ^[e]saying, “My father, had the prophet told 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’?” ¹⁴ So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, in accordance with the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

¹⁵ Then he returned to the man of God ^[f]with 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, except in Israel; so please accept a ^[g]gift from your servant now.” ¹⁶ But he said, “As surely as the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will accept nothing.” And he urged him to accept it, but he refused. ¹⁷ Then Naaman said, “If not, please let your servant be given two mules’ load of earth; for your servant will no longer offer a burnt offering nor a sacrifice to other gods, but to the Lord. ¹⁸ Regarding this matter may the Lord forgive your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand and I bow down in the house of Rimmon, when I bow down in the house of Rimmon, may the Lord please forgive your servant in this matter.” ¹⁹ He said to him, “Go in peace.” So he went some distance from him.

²⁰ But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, ^[h]thought, “Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Aramean, ^[i]by not accepting from his hand what he brought. As the Lord lives, I will run after him and take something from him.” ²¹ So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is everything well?” ²² And he said, “Everything is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Behold, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothes.’” ²³ Naaman said, “Be sure to take two talents.” And he urged him, and tied up two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes, and gave them to two of his servants; and they carried them before him. ²⁴ When he came to the ^[j]hill, he took them from their hand and deposited them in the house, and he sent the men away, and they departed. ²⁵ But 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.”

²⁶ Then he said to him, “Did my heart not go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to accept money and to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, sheep, oxen, and male and female slaves? ²⁷ Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your ^[k]descendants forever.” So he went out from his presence afflicted with leprosy, as white as snow.

Chapter 6:1-18

1 Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Behold now, the place ^[l]before you where we are living is too cramped for us. ² Please let us go to the Jordan, and let us each take from there a beam, and let us construct a place there for ourselves, to live there.” So he said, “Go.” ³ Then one of them said, “Please agree and go with your servants.” And he said, “I will go.” ⁴ So he went with them; and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. ⁵ But it happened that as one of them was ^[m]cutting down a beam, ^[n]the axe head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Oh, my master! It was borrowed!” ⁶ Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And when he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there, and made the iron float. ⁷ Then he said, “Pick it up for yourself.” So he reached out his hand and took it.

⁸ Now the king of Aram was making war against Israel; and he consulted with his servants, saying, “In such and such a place shall be my camp.” ⁹ But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, saying, “Be careful that you do not pass this place, because the Arameans are coming down there.” ¹⁰ And the king of Israel sent scouts to the place about which the man of God had told him; so he warned him, so that he was on his guard there, ^[o]more than once or twice.

¹¹ Now the heart of the king of Aram was enraged over this matter; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?” ¹² One of his servants said, “No, my lord, the king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” ¹³ So he said, “Go and see where he is, so that I may send men and take him.” And it was told to him, saying, “Behold, he is in Dothan.” ¹⁴ So he sent horses and chariots and a substantial army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.

¹⁵ Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “This is hopeless, my master! ^[p]What are we to do?” ¹⁶ And he said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are ^[q]greater than those who are with them.” ¹⁷ Then Elisha prayed and said, “Lord, please, open his eyes so that he may see.” And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. ¹⁸ And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Please strike this ^[r]people with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness in accordance with the word of Elisha.