1 Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him Yahweh had given victory to Syria; he was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2 The Syrians had gone out in bands, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little girl, and she waited on Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, "I wish that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would heal him of his leprosy."

4 Someone went in and told his lord, saying, "The girl who is from the land of Israel said this."

5 The king of Syria said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel."

He departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, "Now when this letter has come to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy."

7 When the king of Israel had read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me to heal a man of his leprosy? But please consider and see how he seeks a quarrel against me."

8 It was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel."

9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall come again to you, and you shall be clean."

11 But Naaman was angry, and went away and said, "Behold, I thought, ‘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 heal the leper.’ 12 Aren’t Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage.

13 His servants came near and spoke to him, and said, "My father, if the prophet had asked you do some great thing, wouldn’t you have done it? How much rather then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean?’"

14 Then went he down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 15 He returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him; and he said, "See now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel. Now therefore, please take a gift from your servant."

16 But he said, "As Yahweh lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none."

He urged him to take it; but he refused. 17 Naaman said, "If not, then, please let two mules’ load of earth be given to your servant; for your servant will from now on offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice to other gods, but to Yahweh. 18 In this thing may Yahweh pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon. When I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, may Yahweh pardon your servant in this thing."

19 He said to 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 has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought. As Yahweh lives, I will run after him, and take something from him."

21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. When Naaman saw one running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him, and said, "Is all well?"

22 He said, "All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Behold, even 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 clothing.’"

23 Naaman said, "Be pleased to take two talents." He urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and laid them on two of his servants; and they carried them before him. 24 When he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and stored them in the house. Then he let the men go, and they departed. 25 But he went in, and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, "Where did you come from, Gehazi?"

He said, "Your servant went nowhere."

26 He said to him, "Didn’t my heart go with you when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and olive groves and vineyards, and sheep and cattle, and male servants and female servants? 27 Therefore the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and to your offspring forever."

He went out from his presence a leper, as white as snow.

1 En Na„man, die leërowerste van die koning van Aram, was 'n groot man voor sy heer en hoog in aansien; want deur hom het die HERE aan die Arameërs 'n oorwinning gegee; en die man was 'n dapper held, maar melaats.

2 En die Arameërs het in bendes uitgetrek en uit die land van Israel 'n klein dogtertjie as gevangene weggevoer wat in diens van Na„man se vrou gekom het.

3 En sy het vir haar meesteres gesê: Ag, was my heer maar net by die profeet wat in Samar¡a is, dan sou hy sy melaatsheid wegneem.

4 Toe gaan hy in en gee dit aan sy heer te kenne en sê: So en so het die dogtertjie gespreek wat uit die land van Israel kom.

5 En die koning van Aram sê: Gaan dan, ek wil 'n brief aan die koning van Israel stuur. En hy het gegaan en tien talente silwer en ses duisend sikkels goud en tien stel klere saam met hom geneem,

6 en aan die koning van Israel die brief gebring van die volgende inhoud: Saam met hierdie brief aan u stuur ek dan nou my dienaar Na„man na u toe, dat u sy melaatsheid kan wegneem.

7 Sodra die koning van Israel die brief gelees het, skeur hy sy klere en sê: Is ek dan God, om dood en lewend te maak, dat hierdie man na my stuur om van 'n man sy melaatsheid weg te neem? Erken en sien tog net hoedat hy 'n geleentheid teen my soek.

8 Maar toe El¡sa, die man van God, hoor dat die koning van Israel sy klere geskeur het, laat hy die koning weet: Waarom skeur u u klere? Laat hom maar na my kom; dan sal hy weet dat daar 'n profeet in Israel is.

9 So het Na„man dan gekom met sy perde en met sy waens en voor die deur van El¡sa se huis stilgehou.

10 Toe stuur El¡sa 'n boodskapper na hom om te sê: Gaan heen, was jou sewe maal in die Jordaan; dan sal jou vlees terugkeer, en jy sal rein wees.

11 Maar Na„man het baie kwaad geword en weggegaan en gesê: Kyk, ek het gedink: Hy sal sekerlik na my uitkom en staan en die Naam van die HERE sy God aanroep en sy hand oor die plek heen en weer beweeg en die melaatsheid wegneem.

12 Is Ab na en Farpar, die riviere van Damaskus, nie beter as al die waters van Israel nie? Kon ek my nie daarin was en rein word nie? En hy het omgedraai en vererg weggery.

13 Toe kom sy dienaars nader en spreek met hom en sê: My vader, as die profeet u 'n groot saak beveel het, sou u dit nie doen nie? Hoeveel te meer nou dat hy u gesê het: Was jou, en jy sal rein word?

14 Daarop het hy afgeklim en sewe maal in die Jordaan ondergeduik volgens die woord van die man van God, en sy vlees het teruggekeer soos die vlees van 'n jong seun, en hy het rein geword.

15 Toe draai hy om na die man van God, hy en sy hele gevolg, en hy het ingekom en voor hom gaan staan en gesê: Kyk, nou weet ek dat daar geen God op die hele aarde is nie, behalwe in Israel. Neem dan nou tog 'n geskenk aan van u dienaar.

16 Maar hy sê: So waar as die HERE leef voor wie se aangesig ek staan, ek sal dit nie aanneem nie! En hy het by hom aangehou om dit aan te neem, maar hy het geweier.

17 En Na„man het gesê: So nie, laat dan tog aan u dienaar 'n vrag grond gegee word, soveel as 'n paar muile kan dra; want u dienaar sal nie meer brandoffer of slagoffer aan ander gode bring nie as net aan die HERE.

18 Mag die HERE in hierdie saak u dienaar vergewe: as my heer in die huis van Rimmon ingaan om hom daar neer te buig, terwyl hy op my hand leun, sodat ek my ook in die huis van Rimmon neerbuig -- as ek my neerbuig in die huis van Rimmon, mag die HERE dan tog in hierdie saak u dienaar vergewe.

19 En hy sê vir hom: Gaan in vrede! Nadat hy 'n ent pad van hom weggetrek het,

20 sê Geh si, die dienaar van El¡sa, die man van God: Kyk, my heer het hierdie Arameër Na„man verskoon deur nie uit sy hand aan te neem wat hy gebring het nie. So waar as die HERE leef, sekerlik sal ek agter hom aan loop en iets van hom aanneem.

21 So het Geh si dan Na„man haastig gevolg. En toe Na„man een agter hom aan sien hardloop, het hy van die wa afgespring hom tegemoet en gesê: Gaan dit goed?

22 En hy antwoord: Dit gaan goed; my heer stuur my om te sê: Kyk, daar het nou net twee jongmanne, profete-seuns, van die gebergte van Efraim af, na my gekom. Gee aan hulle tog 'n talent silwer en twee stel klere.

23 En Na„man sê: Neem asseblief twee talente! En hy het by hom aangehou en twee talente silwer in twee geldsakke toegebind en dit saam met twee stel klere aan twee van sy dienaars gegee, wat dit voor hom uit gedra het.

24 En toe hy by die heuwel aankom, het hy dit uit hulle hand geneem en in die huis in bewaring gegee en die manne laat gaan; en hulle het weggegaan.

25 Toe hy dan inkom en by sy heer staan, sê El¡sa vir hom: Vanwaar, Geh si? En hy antwoord: U dienaar het nêrens heengegaan nie.

26 Maar hy sê vir hom: Het my hart nie saamgegaan toe 'n man van sy wa af omgedraai het jou tegemoet nie? Is dit tyd om die silwer te neem en om klere te neem en olyfbome en wingerde en kleinvee en beeste en slawe en slavinne?

27 Daarom sal die melaatsheid van Na„man jou en jou nageslag vir ewig aanklewe. En hy het van hom uitgegaan melaats, soos sneeu.