Naaman

1Naaman led the army of the king of Syria. His king thought very highly of him. The LORD had used Naaman to win victories for Syria. He was brave and strong. But he had a skin disease called leprosy.

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.

NoteSyria was a country next to Israel, to the north. The two lands often fought each other. Leprosy was a sickness that made sores on the skin. People with it had to stay away from everyone else. LORD in big letters is God's own special name.

2Syrian raiders had gone into Israel and taken a young girl away. Now she worked for Naaman's wife.

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.

NoteRaiders were soldiers who rode into another land. They took away animals, food, and even people. The girl was made a servant far from home.

3The girl said to Naaman's wife, "I wish my master could see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal my master's skin disease."

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.

NoteSamaria was the biggest city in Israel. The king of Israel lived there. A prophet was someone who told people what God said.

4Naaman went to his king. He told him what the girl from Israel had said.

And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.

5The king of Syria said, "Go ahead. I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left. He took ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten sets of clothes.

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.

NoteA talent was a big lump of silver, very heavy. One weighed about as much as a small child. Ten talents was a huge amount of money. Fine clothes were a rich gift back then too.

6Naaman brought the letter to the king of Israel. It said, "I am sending my servant Naaman to you. Please heal his skin disease."

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.

7The king of Israel read the letter and tore his own clothes. He said, "Am I God? Can I kill and give life? This man asks me to heal leprosy. He is only looking for a fight with me."

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.

NoteLong ago people tore their own clothes when very upset. It showed sadness or fear without saying a word.

8Elisha was a man of God. He heard that the king had torn his clothes. He sent the king a message. "Why did you tear your clothes? Send the man to me. Then he will know there is a prophet in Israel."

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.

Note"Man of God" was another way to say prophet. It meant God spoke through him.

9So Naaman came with his horses and his chariot. He stopped at the door of Elisha's house.

So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

NoteA chariot was a small cart pulled by horses. Important people rode in them.

10Elisha did not come out. He sent a messenger to say, "Go wash in the Jordan River seven times. Your skin will be well again. You will be clean."

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.

NoteThe Jordan is the main river in Israel. Its water is brown and muddy. Seven was a special number that meant all the way, complete. Being "clean" meant well again, and allowed back with other people.

11Naaman got angry and walked away. He said, "I thought Elisha would come out to me. I thought he would pray to the LORD his God. I thought he would wave his hand over my skin and heal it."

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.

12"Damascus has two rivers, Abana and Pharpar. Are they not better than any water in Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and left in a rage.

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.

NoteDamascus was the big city in Syria where Naaman lived. Its rivers ran clear and cold from the mountains.

13Naaman's servants came close and spoke to him. "Father, if the prophet had asked you to do something hard, you would have done it. He only said, 'Wash and be clean.' That is even easier."

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?

NoteServants sometimes called a kind leader "father." It was a warm and respectful name, not his real one.

14So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times. He did just what the man of God said. His skin became soft like a little child's skin. He was clean.

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.

15Naaman went back to Elisha with all his men. He stood in front of him and said, "Now I know there is no God in all the earth but in Israel. Please take a gift from me."

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.

16Elisha said, "As surely as the LORD lives, the one I serve, I will take nothing." Naaman kept asking him. But Elisha still said no.

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.

17Naaman said, "Then please let me take home some soil from Israel. Give me as much as two mules can carry. From now on I will bring offerings to the LORD only, and to no other god."

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.

NotePeople then thought a god belonged to one land. Naaman wanted Israel's dirt so he could pray on it. An offering was a gift of animals or grain given to God.

18"But please ask the LORD to forgive me for one thing. My master goes into the temple of his god Rimmon to worship. He leans on my arm, and I bow down there with him. Please let the LORD forgive me for that."

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.

NoteRimmon was a god the people of Syria prayed to. A temple was the building where they did it. The king held Naaman's arm to lean on while he walked.

19Elisha said, "Go in peace." So Naaman started for home and went a short way.

And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.

Note"Go in peace" was a kind way to say goodbye. It meant everything between them was fine.

20Gehazi was the servant of Elisha, the man of God. He thought, "My master let this Syrian go without taking a thing. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something."

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.

21So Gehazi ran after Naaman. Naaman saw him running and climbed down from his chariot to meet him. He asked, "Is everything all right?"

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?

22Gehazi said, "Everything is fine. My master sent me. Two young men just came to him from the hills of Ephraim. They are training to be prophets. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothes."

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.

Note"Sons of the prophets" were young men learning from a prophet. They lived together and studied with him. Ephraim was a hilly part of Israel.

23Naaman said, "Please take two talents." He kept asking until Gehazi agreed. He tied the silver in two bags with two sets of clothes. Two of his servants carried them ahead of Gehazi.

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.

NoteTwo talents of silver was very heavy. That is why two servants had to carry the bags.

24When Gehazi reached the hill, he took the bags from the servants. He put them away inside the house. Then he sent the men away, and they left.

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.

25Gehazi went in and stood before his master. Elisha asked, "Where have you been, Gehazi?" He said, "Your servant did not go anywhere."

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.

26Elisha said, "My heart went with you. I saw the man climb down from his chariot to meet you. This is no time to take money and clothes. It is no time to take olive trees, vineyards, sheep, cattle, or servants."

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?

NoteOlive trees and vineyards were how people got rich. Owning them meant food and money for years.

27"So Naaman's skin disease will stick to you and to your children after you." Gehazi walked out from Elisha with leprosy. His skin was white as snow.

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.

Note"Your children after you" means his family for a long time. Skin turning white as snow was a sign of the disease.

23He said to them, "You will surely say this old saying to me: 'Doctor, heal yourself.' You will say, do here what we heard you did in Capernaum."

And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.

NoteA proverb is a short saying people repeat. "Physician" is an old word for doctor. The saying means: fix your own problems before you help ours. Capernaum was a town by the lake where Jesus had already helped people.

24He said, "I tell you the truth. No prophet is welcomed in his own hometown."

And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

Note"Verily" is old English for truly. Jesus used it to say: listen closely, this is true.

25"Here is the truth. Many widows lived in Israel back when Elijah lived. For three and a half years no rain fell. People all over the land were very hungry."

But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;

NoteA widow is a woman whose husband has died. Back then she often had no money and no one to care for her. "Elias" is the old spelling of Elijah, a prophet who lived long before Jesus. The King James says "the heaven was shut up," which means no rain fell from the sky. A famine is when crops do not grow and people have no food.

26"But Elijah was not sent to any of those widows. He was sent to a widow in Zarephath, a town near Sidon."

But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.

Note"Sarepta" is the old spelling of Zarephath. It was a town near the city of Sidon, by the sea. Those people were not part of Israel, so helping them there was surprising.

27"Many people in Israel had a bad skin sickness when Elisha the prophet lived. Not one of them was made well. Only Naaman, a man from Syria, was made well."

And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

Note"Eliseus" is the old spelling of Elisha. He was a prophet too, and he came after Elijah. The King James says "lepers." That means people with a bad skin sickness. Others stayed away from them. "Cleansed" means made well again. Naaman came from Syria, a country next door, not from Israel.

28When the people in the synagogue heard this, they all became very angry.

And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

NoteThe King James word "wrath" means very strong anger.

29They jumped up and pushed him out of the town. They took him to the edge of the hill their town was built on. They wanted to throw him off it.

And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

NoteThe "brow of the hill" is the steep edge at the top. "Headlong" means head first, straight down.

30But Jesus walked right through the middle of them and went on his way.

But he passing through the midst of them went his way,