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JUNE 9
with you when the man turned back from his 8 Now the king of Syria was making war
chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive against Israel; and he consulted with his ser-
money and to receive clothing, olive groves vants, saying, “My camp will be in such and
9
and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and such a place.” And the man of God sent to the
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female servants? Therefore the leprosy of king of Israel, saying, “Beware that you do not
Naaman shall cling to you and your descen- pass this place, for the Syrians are coming
dants forever.” And he went out from his pres- down there.” Then the king of Israel sent
10
ence leprous, as white as snow. someone to the place of which the man of God
had told him. Thus he warned him, and he
was watchful there, not just once or twice.
11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria
was greatly troubled by this thing; and he called
5:27 leprosy…shall cling to you. Gehazi’s
greed had cast a shadow over the integrity of his servants and said to them, “Will you not
Elisha’s prophetic office. This made him no show me which of us is for the king of Israel?”
12
better in the people’s thinking than Israel’s And one of his servants said, “None, my
false prophets, who prophesied for material lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in
gain, the very thing he wanted to avoid (vv. Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that
15,16). Gehazi’s act betrayed a lack of faith in you speak in your bedroom.”
the Lord’s ability to provide. As a result, Elisha 13 So he said, “Go and see where he is, that I
condemned Gehazi and his descendants to may send and get him.”
suffer Naaman’s skin disease forever.The pun- And it was told him, saying, “Surely he is in
ishment was a twist for Gehazi, who had gone Dothan.”
to take something from Naaman (v. 20), but 14 Therefore he sent horses and chariots and
what he received was Naaman’s disease. a great army there, and they came by night
and surrounded the city. And when the ser-
15
vant of the man of God arose early and went
And the sons of the prophets said to out, there was an army, surrounding the city
6 Elisha, “See now, the place where we with horses and chariots. And his servant said
dwell with you is too small for us. Please, let to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
2
us go to the Jordan, and let every man take a 16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those
beam from there, and let us make there a who are with us are more than those who are
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place where we may dwell.” with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said,
So he answered, “Go.” “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.”
3 Then one said, “Please consent to go with Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young
your servants.” man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain
And he answered, “I will go.” So he went was full of horses and chariots of fire all
4
18
with them. And when they came to the Jordan, around Elisha. So when the Syrians came
they cut down trees. But as one was cutting down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and
5
down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blind-
water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, mas- ness.” And He struck them with blindness
ter! For it was borrowed.” according to the word of Elisha.
19 Now Elisha said to them, “This is not the
way, nor is this the city. Follow me, and I will
bring you to the man whom you seek.” But he
led them to Samaria.
6:5 iron…borrowed. Iron was expensive and
20 So it was, when they had come to Samaria,
relatively rare in Israel at that time, and the
student-prophet was very poor. The ax head that Elisha said, “LORD, open the eyes of these
was loaned to the prophet since he could not men, that they may see.” And the LORD opened
have afforded it on his own and would have their eyes, and they saw; and there they were,
had no means to reimburse the owner for it. inside Samaria!
21 Now when the king of Israel saw them, he
said to Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them?
6 So the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” Shall I kill them?”
And he showed him the place. So he cut off a 22 But he answered, “You shall not kill them.
stick, and threw it in there; and he made the Would you kill those whom you have taken
iron float. Therefore he said, “Pick it up for captive with your sword and your bow? Set
7
yourself.” So he reached out his hand and food and water before them, that they may eat
23
took it. and drink and go to their master.” Then he
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