Naaman Is Healed of a Skin Disease
1Naaman was army commander of the king of Aram. He was very important to his master and was highly respected. That’s because the Lord had helped him win the battle over Aram’s enemies. He was a brave soldier. But he had a skin disease.
2Groups of soldiers from Aram had marched out. They had captured a young girl from Israel. She became a servant of Naaman’s wife. 3The young girl spoke to the woman she was serving. She said, “I wish my master would go and see the prophet who is in Samaria. He would heal my master of his skin disease.”
4Naaman went to see his own master. He told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5“I think you should go,” the king of Aram replied. “I’ll give you a letter to take to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left. He took 750 pounds of silver with him. He also took 150 pounds of gold. And he took ten sets of clothes. 6He carried the letter to the king of Israel. It said, “I’m sending my servant Naaman to you with this letter. I want you to heal him of his skin disease.”
7The king of Israel read the letter. As soon as he did, he tore his royal robes. He said, “Am I God? Can I kill people and bring them back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be healed of his skin disease? He must be trying to pick a fight with me!”
8Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes. So he sent the king a message. Elisha said, “Why have you torn your robes? Tell the man to come to me. Then he will know there is a prophet in Israel.” 9So Naaman went to see Elisha. He took his horses and chariots with him. He stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10Elisha sent a messenger out to him. The messenger said, “Go! Wash yourself in the Jordan River seven times. Then your skin will be healed. You will be pure and ‘clean’ again.”
11But Naaman went away angry. He said, “I was sure Elisha would come out to me. I thought he would stand there and pray to the Lord his God. I thought he would wave his hand over my skin. Then I would be healed. 12And what about the Abana and Pharpar rivers of Damascus? Aren’t they better than all the rivers of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in the rivers of Damascus and be made pure and ‘clean’?” So he turned and went away. He was very angry.
13Naaman’s servants went over to him. They said, “You are like a father to us. What if Elisha the prophet had told you to do some great thing? Wouldn’t you have done it? But he only said, ‘Wash yourself. Then you will be pure and “clean.” ’ You should be even more willing to do that!” 14So Naaman went down to the Jordan River. He dipped himself in it seven times. He did exactly what the man of God had told him to do. Then his skin was made pure again. It became “clean” like the skin of a young boy.
15Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. Naaman stood in front of Elisha. Naaman said, “Now I know that there is no God anywhere in the whole world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from me.”
16The prophet answered, “I serve the Lord. You can be sure that he lives. And you can be just as sure that I won’t accept a gift from you.” Even though Naaman begged him to take it, Elisha wouldn’t.
17“I can see that you won’t accept a gift from me,” said Naaman. “But please let me have some soil from your land. Give me as much as a pair of mules can carry. Here’s why I want it. I won’t ever bring burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god again. I’ll bring them only to the Lord. I’ll worship him on his own soil. 18But there is one thing I hope the Lord will forgive me for. From time to time my master will enter the temple to bow down to his god Rimmon. When he does, he’ll lean on my arm. Then I’ll have to bow down there also. I hope the Lord will forgive me for that.”
19“Go in peace,” Elisha said.
Naaman started out on his way. 20Gehazi was the servant of Elisha, the man of God. Gehazi said to himself, “My master was too easy on Naaman from Aram. He should have accepted the gift Naaman brought. I’m going to run after him. I’m going to get something from him. And that’s just as sure as the Lord is alive.”
21Gehazi hurried after Naaman. Naaman saw him running toward him. So he got down from the chariot to greet him. “Is everything all right?” he asked.
22“Everything is all right,” Gehazi answered. “My master sent me to say, ‘Two young men from the group of the prophets have just come to me. They’ve come from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them 75 pounds of silver and two sets of clothes.’ ”
23“I wish you would take twice as much silver,” said Naaman. He begged Gehazi to accept it. Then Naaman tied up 150 pounds of silver in two bags. He also gave Gehazi two sets of clothes. He gave all of it to two of his own servants. They carried it ahead of Gehazi. 24Gehazi came to the hill where Elisha lived. Then the servants handed the things over to Gehazi. He put them away in Elisha’s house. He sent the men away, and they left. 25Then he went back inside the house. He stood in front of his master Elisha.
“Gehazi, where have you been?” Elisha asked.
“I didn’t go anywhere,” Gehazi answered.
26But Elisha said to him, “Didn’t my spirit go with you? I know that the man got down from his chariot to greet you. Is this the time for you to accept money or clothes? Is it the time to take olive groves, vineyards, flocks or herds? Is it the time to accept male and female slaves? 27You and your children after you will have Naaman’s skin disease forever.” Then Gehazi left Elisha. And he had Naaman’s skin disease. His skin had become as white as snow.
Naaman Ayaresa
1Na Aramhene5.1 Na ɔhene no din de Ben-Hadad II. bu Naaman a ɔyɛ asraafo so sahene no yiye. Efisɛ ɛnam ne so na Awurade maa Aram dii nkonim akɛse bebree. Ɛwɔ mu sɛ na Naaman yɛ ɔkofo kɛse de, nanso na ɔyare kwata.
2Afei, na Aram akofo adi Israel asase so, na abaawa ketewa bi ka wɔn a wɔkyeree wɔn nnommum no ho. Wɔde saa abaawa no maa Naaman yere sɛ nʼabaawa. 3Da bi, abaawa no ka kyerɛɛ nʼawuraa se, “Sɛ me wura kohu odiyifo a ɔwɔ Samaria no a, anka ɔbɛsa no yare ama kwata no afi ne honam ani.”
4Enti Naaman kaa asɛm a abaawa a ofi Israel no ka kyerɛɛ no no kyerɛɛ ɔhene. 5Ɔhene5.5 Ɔhene a na wɔreka ne ho asɛm yi, wɔfrɛ no Yoram. no ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Kɔ, na kɔsra odiyifo no. Mɛkyerɛw krataa aka wo ho, na wode akɔma Israelhene.” Enti Naaman faa dwetɛ akyɛde kilogram ahaasa aduanan (340), sikakɔkɔɔ kilogram aduosia nkron ne ntade mmɔho du, na osii mu kɔe. 6Krataa a ɔde rekɔma Israelhene no mu asɛm ne sɛ, “Menam krataa yi so reda me somfo Naaman adi akyerɛ wo. Mepɛ sɛ wosa no yare ma ne kwata no fi ne honam ani.”
7Bere a Israelhene kenkan krataa no, ɔde ahometew sunsuan nʼatade mu, kae se, “Saa ɔbarima yi asoma ɔkwatani aba me nkyɛn, sɛ mensa no yare! Meyɛ Onyankopɔn a mitumi kum, san ma nkwa? Ɔrehwehwɛ kwan bi afa so, anya nnyinaso bi na wabɛtow ahyɛ yɛn so bio.”
8Bere a Elisa, Onyankopɔn nipa, tee sɛ ɔhene no asunsuan ne ntade mu no, ɔde nkra kɔmaa no se, “Adɛn nti na woasunsuan wo ntade mu? Soma Naaman na ɔmmra me nkyɛn na obehu sɛ odiyifo papa bi wɔ Israel.” 9Enti Naaman faa nʼapɔnkɔ ne ne nteaseɛnam, kɔtwɛn wɔ Elisa fi pon ano. 10Na Elisa somaa ɔbɔfo kɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Kɔhohoro wo ho mpɛn ason wɔ Asubɔnten Yordan mu, na wo honam bɛba mu, ama wo kwata no akɔ.”
11Na Naaman bo fuwii, ma osii kwan so. Ɔkae se, “Na minim sɛ, nea ɛbɛyɛ biara no, ɔbɛba abehyia me! Na minim sɛ ebia, ɔde ne nsa bɛfa kwata no so, na wabɔ Awurade a, ɔyɛ ne Nyankopɔn no din, nam so asa me yare. 12Nsubɔnten Abana ne Parpar a ɛwɔ Damasko nsen nsubɔnten a ɛwɔ Israel nyinaa? Adɛn nti na menkɔhohoro me ho wɔ mu, na minnya ayaresa?” Enti Naaman dan ne ho de abufuw sii mu.
13Nanso ne mpanyimfo bɔɔ mmɔden kasa kyerɛɛ no se, “Owura, sɛ odiyifo no kaa se yɛ adwuma kɛse bi a, anka worenyɛ ana? Ɛno nti, tie asɛm a waka sɛ kɔhohoro wo ho kɛkɛ, na wo ho bɛtɔ wo no, na di so.” 14Enti Naaman kɔɔ Asubɔnten Yordan mu, kɔdɔɔ asukɔ mpɛn ason, sɛnea Onyankopɔn nipa no hyɛɛ no sɛ ɔnyɛ no. Ne honam ani daa hɔ te sɛ akokoaa, maa ne kwata no nyinaa kɔe.
15Naaman ne ne dɔm no san kɔ kɔhwehwɛɛ Onyankopɔn nipa no akyi kwan. Wokogyinaa nʼanim, maa Naaman kae se, “Afei na mahu sɛ Onyankopɔn nni wiase ha baabiara sɛ Israel nko ara. Afei, mesrɛ wo sɛ, gye mʼakyɛde yi.”
16Nanso Elisa buae se, “Mmere dodow a Onyankopɔn a mesom no te ase yi, merennye akyɛde biara.” Ɛwɔ mu sɛ Naaman hyɛɛ no biara sɛ onnye akyɛde no, nanso Elisa annye.
17Afei, Naaman kae se, “Eye, ɛno de, ma me kwan na memfa ha dɔte atifi abien nsoa me furumpɔnkɔ abien, na memfa nka me ho nkɔ me kurom. Efi nnɛ, Onyankopɔn akyi no, meremmɔ ɔhyew afɔre anaa afɔre biara mma onyame bi bio. 18Na mesrɛ sɛ, Awurade mfa saa bɔne yi nkyɛ me. Sɛ me wura ɔhene rekɔ Rimon abosomfi akɔsom, na misuso ne mu a, me nso mɛkotow nti, Awurade mfa eyi nkyɛ me.”
19Elisa kae se, “Kɔ asomdwoe mu.” Enti Naaman san sii kwan so.
Gehasi Anibere
20Nanso Elisa somfo Gehasi kaa wɔ ne tirim se, “Anka ɛnsɛ sɛ me wura ma Aramni yi kɔ a wannye akyɛde yi. Mmere dodow a Awurade te ase yi, metiw no, na makogye biribi afi ne nkyɛn.”
21Enti Gehasi tiw no. Bere a Naaman huu no sɛ ɔde mmirika reba ne so no, osi fii ne teaseɛnam mu kohyiaa no. Naaman bisaa no se, “Wobaa no asomdwoe mu ana?”
22Gehasi buae se, “Yiw, nanso me wura asoma me sɛ memmɛka nkyerɛ wo se, mmabun baanu bi a wɔyɛ adiyifo a wofi Efraim kurow a ɛda bepɔw so no mu abedu mprempren ara. Ose ɔrehwehwɛ dwetɛ kiliogram aduasa anan ne ntade nsakramu abien de ama wɔn.”
23Naaman kae se, “Ɛnyɛ asɛm a ɛyɛ den, gye dwetɛ kilogram aduasa anan yi.” Ɔmaa no ntade nsakramu abien, kyekyeree sika no wɔ nkotoku abien mu, yii asomfo baanu soaa akyɛde no, maa Gehasi. 24Nanso woduu bepɔw no so no, Gehasi gyee akyɛde no fii asomfo no nkyɛn, ma wɔsan wɔn akyi kɔe. Afei, ɔde akyɛde no kosiee ofi no mu.
25Bere a ɔkɔɔ ne wura Elisa nkyɛn no, obisaa no se, “Gehasi, wokɔɔ he?”
Obuae se, “Menkɔɔ baabiara.”
26Nanso Elisa bisaa no se, “Woanhu sɛ bere a Naaman si fii ne teaseɛnam mu behyiaa wo no, na mewɔ hɔ honhom mu? Saa bere yi na ɛsɛ sɛ wugye sika ne ntade ne ngodua mfuw ne bobe mfuw ne nguan ne anantwi ne asomfo? 27Nea woayɛ yi nti, wo ne wo mma ne wo mma mma bɛyare Naaman kwata no bi afebɔɔ.” Bere a Gehasi fii dan no mu no, na kwata ayɛ no a ne ho ahoa ayɛ sɛ sukyerɛmma.
