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1 | 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. |
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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 Naaman's wife. |
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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. |
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4 | And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said
the maid that is of the land of Israel. |
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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. |
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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 Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him
of his leprosy. |
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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. |
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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. |
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9 | So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood
at the door of the house of Elisha. |
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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. |
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11 | 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. |
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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. |
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13 | 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? |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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17 | 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. |
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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. |
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19 | And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a
little way. |
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20 | 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. |
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21 | 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? |
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22 | 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. |
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23 | 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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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? |
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27 | 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. |
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