1   Naaman the General of the warfare of the king of Syria, was a great man with his lord, and honorable: for by him our Lord gaue health to Syria: and he was a valiant man and rich, but a leper. ^note

2   Moreouer out of Syria there were come forth robbers, and had led away captiue out of the Land of Israel a litle girle, which wayted vpon the wife of Naaman.

3   Who said to her maistresse: I would my lord had bene with the prophete, that is in Samaria: surely he would haue cured him from the leprosie, which he hath.

4   Naaman therfore went into his lord, and told him saying: Thus and thus hath the wench of the Land of Israel spoken.

5   And the king of Syria sayd to him: Goe, & I wil send letters to the king of Israel. Who when he was sette forward, and had taken with him ten talentes of siluer, and six thousand peces of gold, and ten change of rayment,

6   he brought the letters to the king of Israel, in these wordes: When thou shalt receiue this letter, know that I haue sent to thee Naaman my seruant, that thou mayest cure him of his leprosie.

7   And when the king of Israel had read the letters, he rent his garmentes, and said: Am I God, that I can kil, and geue life, because this man hath sent to me, that I should cure a man of his leprosie? marke, and seé that he seeketh occasions against me.

8   Which when Eliseus the man of God had heard, to witte, that the king of Israel had rent his garmentes, he sent to him, saying: Why hast thou rent thy garmentes? let him come to me and let him

Of Isr. Ioram. Eliseus. know that there is a prophet in Israel.

9   Naaman therfore came with horses and chariotes, and stood at the doore of the house of Eliseus:

10   and Eliseus sent a messenger to him, saying: Goe and be washed seuen times in Iordan, and thy flesh shal receiue health, and thou shalt be cleane.

11   Naaman being angrie departed, saying: I thought he would come out to me, and standing would inuocate the name of the Lord his God, and touch with his hand the place of the leprosie, and cure me.

12   What are not Abana, and Pharphar the riuers of Damascus, better then al the waters of Israel, that I may be washed in them, and be made cleane? Therfore when he had turned him self, and went away with indignation,

13   his seruantes came vnto him, & spake to him: Father, & if the prophet had sayd a great thing to thee, certes, thou shouldest haue done it: how much more wheras now he sayd vnto thee: Be washed, and thou shalt be cleane?

14   He went downe, & washed in Iordan seuen times according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored, as the flesh of a litle childe, & he was made cleane.

15   And returning to the man of God with al his trayne, he came, and stood before him, & sayd: In very deede I know that there is no other God in al the earth, but only in Israel. I besech the therfore to take a benediction of thy seruant.

16   But he answered: Our Lord liueth, before whom I stand, I wil not take it. And when he would haue forced him, he did in nowise agree.

17   And Naaman sayd: As thou wilt, but I besech thee: graunt vnto me thy seruant, that I may take of ^note the earth the burden of two mules: for they seruant wil no more make holocaust, or victimes to strange goddes, but to the Lord.

18   But this onlie is it, for which thou shalt besech the Lord for thy seruant, when my maister shal goe into the temple of Remmon, to adore: and he leaning vpon my hand, if I shal adore in the temple of Remmon, he adoring in the same place, that the Lord pardon me thy seruant for this thing.

19   Who sayd to him:09Q0189 Goe in peace. He therfore went from him in the spring time of the earth.

20   And ^note Giezi the seruant of the man of God sayd: My maister hath spared Naaman this Syrian, that he tooke not of him the things which he brought: Our Lord liueth, I wil runne after him, and wil take some thing of him.

21   And Giezi folowed at the backe of Naaman: whom when he saw running toward him, he lept downe from his chariote to mete him, and said: Are al thinges wel?

22   And

Eliseus. he said: Wel. my maister hath sent me to thee, saying: Euen now there are come to me two young men from mount Ephraim, of the children of the prophetes: geue them a talent of siluer, and two change of rayment.

23   And Naaman sayd: It is better that thou take two talentes. And he forced him, & bound the two talentes of siluer in two bagges, and the duble rayment, & layd it vpon two of his seruantes, who also caried it before him.

24   And when he was come now in the euening, he tooke it out of their hand, & layd it vp in the house, & dismissed the men, and they departed.

25   And himself going in, stood before his maister. And Eliseus said: From whence comest thou Giezi? Who answered: Thy seruant hath not gone any whither.

26   But he sayd: Was not my hart present, when the man returned out of his chariote to meete thee? Now therfore thou hast receiued siluer, and taken rayment, to bye oliuetes, and vineyardes, and sheepe, and oxen, and seruantes, and handmaides.

27   But the leprosie also of Naaman shal cleaue to thee, and to thy seede, for euer. And he went out from him a leper as it were snow.

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