NLT

NLT

Click to Change

Return to Top

Return to Top

Printer Icon

Print

Copy
Copy Options
Format by: Verse Paragraph
Strong's
Red Letter
Audio Bibles
The Blue Letter Bible

2 Kings 5 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

toggle collapse
Choose a new font size and typeface
Audio Bibles
The Healing of Naaman
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:1 - The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the LORD had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy.[fn]
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:2 - At this time Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman’s wife as a maid.
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:3 - One day the girl said to her mistress, “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.”
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:4 - So Naaman told the king what the young girl from Israel had said.
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:5 - “Go and visit the prophet,” the king of Aram told him. “I will send a letter of introduction for you to take to the king of Israel.” So Naaman started out, carrying as gifts 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold,[fn] and ten sets of clothing.
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:6 - The letter to the king of Israel said: “With this letter I present my servant Naaman. I want you to heal him of his leprosy.”
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:7 - When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, “This man sends me a leper to heal! Am I God, that I can give life and take it away? I can see that he’s just trying to pick a fight with me.”
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:8 - But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes in dismay, he sent this message to him: “Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel.”
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:9 - So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house.
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:10 - But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.”
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:11 - But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the LORD his God and heal me!
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:12 - Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:13 - But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir,[fn] if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’”
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:14 - So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child’s, and he was healed!
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:15 - Then Naaman and his entire party went back to find the man of God. They stood before him, and Naaman said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:16 - But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept any gifts.” And though Naaman urged him to take the gift, Elisha refused.
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:17 - Then Naaman said, “All right, but please allow me to load two of my mules with earth from this place, and I will take it back home with me. From now on I will never again offer burnt offerings or sacrifices to any other god except the LORD.
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:18 - However, may the LORD pardon me in this one thing: When my master the king goes into the temple of the god Rimmon to worship there and leans on my arm, may the LORD pardon me when I bow, too.”
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:19 - “Go in peace,” Elisha said. So Naaman started home again.
The Greed of Gehazi
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:20 - But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, the man of God, said to himself, “My master should not have let this Aramean get away without accepting any of his gifts. As surely as the LORD lives, I will chase after him and get something from him.”
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:21 - So Gehazi set off after Naaman.
When Naaman saw Gehazi running after him, he climbed down from his chariot and went to meet him. “Is everything all right?” Naaman asked.
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:22 - “Yes,” Gehazi said, “but my master has sent me to tell you that two young prophets from the hill country of Ephraim have just arrived. He would like 75 pounds[fn] of silver and two sets of clothing to give to them.”
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:23 - “By all means, take twice as much[fn] silver,” Naaman insisted. He gave him two sets of clothing, tied up the money in two bags, and sent two of his servants to carry the gifts for Gehazi.
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:24 - But when they arrived at the citadel,[fn] Gehazi took the gifts from the servants and sent the men back. Then he went and hid the gifts inside the house.
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:25 - When he went in to his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?”
“I haven’t been anywhere,” he replied.
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:26 - But Elisha asked him, “Don’t you realize that I was there in spirit when Naaman stepped down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to receive money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and cattle, and male and female servants?
Unchecked Copy Box2Ki 5:27 - Because you have done this, you and your descendants will suffer from Naaman’s leprosy forever.” When Gehazi left the room, he was covered with leprosy; his skin was white as snow.
NLT Footnotes
Or from a contagious skin disease. The Hebrew word used here and throughout this passage can describe various skin diseases.
Hebrew 10 talents [340 kilograms] of silver, 6,000 shekels [68 kilograms] of gold.
Hebrew My father.
Hebrew 1 talent [34 kilograms].
Hebrew take 2 talents [68 kilograms].
Hebrew the Ophel.
NLT

Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Full copyright information is provided here. Visit the New Living Translation website.

For more information on this translation, see the NLT Preface.

BLB Searches
Search the Bible
NLT
 [?]

Advanced Options

Other Searches

Multi-Verse Retrieval
x
NLT

Daily Devotionals
x

Blue Letter Bible offers several daily devotional readings in order to help you refocus on Christ and the Gospel of His peace and righteousness.

Daily Bible Reading Plans
x

Recognizing the value of consistent reflection upon the Word of God in order to refocus one's mind and heart upon Christ and His Gospel of peace, we provide several reading plans designed to cover the entire Bible in a year.

One-Year Plans

Two-Year Plan