Liber II Regum, 5

1. Naaman princeps militiae regis Syriae erat vir magnus apud dominum suum et honoratus; per illum enim dedit Dominus salutem Syriae. Erat autem vir fortis leprosus.

1. Na'aman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.

2. Porro de Syria egressa fuerat turma et captivam duxerat de terra Israel puellam parvulam, quae erat in obsequio uxoris Naaman.

2. Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little maid from the land of Israel, and she waited on Na'aman's wife.

3. Quae ait ad dominam suam: “Utinam esset dominus meus ad prophetam, qui est in Samaria! Profecto curaret eum a lepra, quam habet”.

3. She said to her mistress, "Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Sama'ria! He would cure him of his leprosy."

4. Ingressus est itaque Naaman ad dominum suum et nuntiavit ei dicens: “Sic et sic locuta est puella de terra Israel”.

4. So Na'aman went in and told his lord, "Thus and so spoke the maiden from the land of Israel."

5. Dixitque ei rex Syriae: “Vade, et mittam litteras ad regem Israel”. Qui cum profectus esset et tulisset secum decem talenta argenti et sex milia siclorum auri et decem mutatoria vestimentorum,

5. And the king of Syria said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten festal garments.

6. detulit litteras ad regem Israel in haec verba: “Cum acceperis epistulam hanc, scito quod miserim ad te Naaman servum meum, ut cures eum a lepra sua”.

6. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Na'aman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy."

7. Cumque legisset rex Israel litteras, scidit vestimenta sua et ait: “Numquid Deus sum, ut occidere possim et vivificare, quia iste mittit ad me, ut curem hominem a lepra sua? Animadvertite et videte quod occasiones quaerat adversum me”.

7. And when the king of Israel read the letter, he rent his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me."

8. Quod cum audisset Eliseus vir Dei, scidisse videlicet regem Israel vestimenta sua, misit ad eum dicens: “Quare scidisti vestimenta tua? Veniat ad me et sciat esse prophetam in Israel”.

8. But when Eli'sha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, "Why have you rent your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel."

9. Venit ergo Naaman cum equis et curribus et stetit ad ostium domus Elisei.

9. So Na'aman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the door of Eli'sha's house.

10. Misitque ad eum Eliseus nuntium dicens: “Vade et lavare septies in Iordane; et recipiet sanitatem caro tua, atque mundaberis”.

10. And Eli'sha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean."

11. Iratus Naaman recedebat dicens: “Putabam quod egrederetur ad me et stans invocaret nomen Domini Dei sui et tangeret manu sua locum leprae et curaret me.

11. But Na'aman was angry, and went away, saying, "Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and cure the leper.

12. Numquid non meliores sunt Abana et Pharphar, fluvii Damasci, omnibus aquis Israel, ut laver in eis et munder?”. Cum ergo vertisset se et abiret indignans,

12. Are not Aba'na and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage.

13. accesserunt ad eum servi sui et locuti sunt ei: “Si rem grandem dixisset tibi propheta, certe faceres; quanto magis quia nunc dixit tibi: “Lavare et mundaberis!””.

13. But his servants came near and said to him, "My father, if the prophet had commanded you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much rather, then, when he says to you, `Wash, and be clean'?"

14. Descendit et intinxit se in Iordane septies iuxta sermonem viri Dei, et restituta est caro eius sicut caro pueri parvuli, et mundatus est.

14. So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

15. Reversusque ad virum Dei cum universo comitatu suo venit et stetit coram eo et ait: “Vere scio quod non sit Deus in universa terra, nisi tantum in Israel! Obsecro itaque, ut accipias benedictionem a servo tuo”.

15. Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him; and he said, "Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant."

16. At ille respondit: “Vivit Dominus, ante quem sto, non accipiam”. Cumque vim faceret, penitus non acquievit.

16. But he said, "As the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will receive none." And he urged him to take it, but he refused.

17. Dixitque Naaman: “Ut vis. Sed, obsecro, concedatur mihi servo tuo tantum terrae quantum onus duorum burdonum; non enim faciet ultra servus tuus holocaustum aut victimam diis alienis, nisi Domino.

17. Then Na'aman said, "If not, I pray you, let there be given to your servant two mules' burden of earth; for henceforth your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the LORD.

18. Hoc autem solum ignoscat Dominus servo tuo, quando ingreditur dominus meus templum Remmon, ut adoret ibi, et illo innitente super manum meam, si adoravero in templo Remmon, adorante eo in eodem loco, ut ignoscat mihi Dominus servo tuo pro hac re”.

18. In this matter may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon your servant in this matter."

19. Qui dixit ei: “Vade in pace”. Abiit ergo ab eo viam modicam.

19. He said to him, "Go in peace." But when Na'aman had gone from him a short distance,

20. Dixitque Giezi puer viri Dei: “Pepercit dominus meus Naaman Syro isti, ut non acciperet ab eo, quae attulit; vivit Dominus, curram post eum et accipiam ab eo aliquid”.

20. Geha'zi, the servant of Eli'sha the man of God, said, "See, my master has spared this Na'aman the Syrian, in not accepting from his hand what he brought. As the LORD lives, I will run after him, and get something from him."

21. Et secutus est Giezi post tergum Naaman. Quem cum vidisset ille currentem ad se, desiluit de curru in occursum eius et ait: “Rectene sunt omnia?”.

21. So Geha'zi followed Na'aman. And when Na'aman saw some one running after him, he alighted from the chariot to meet him, and said, "Is all well?"

22. Et ille ait: “Recte. Dominus meus misit me dicens: “Modo venerunt ad me duo adulescentes de monte Ephraim ex filiis prophetarum. Da eis talentum argenti et vestes mutatorias duplices””.

22. And he said, "All is well. My master has sent me to say, `There have just now come to me from the hill country of E'phraim two young men of the sons of the prophets; pray, give them a talent of silver and two festal garments.'"

23. Dixitque Naaman: “Melius est, ut accipias duo talenta”. Et coegit eum ligavitque duo talenta argenti in duobus saccis et duplicia vestimenta et imposuit duobus pueris suis, qui et portaverunt coram eo.

23. And Na'aman said, "Be pleased to accept two talents." And he urged him, and tied up two talents of silver in two bags, with two festal garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they carried them before Geha'zi.

24. Cumque venisset ad collem, tulit de manu eorum et reposuit in domo; dimisitque viros et abierunt.

24. And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and put them in the house; and he sent the men away, and they departed.

25. Ipse autem ingressus stetit coram domino suo. Et dixit Eliseus: “Unde venis, Giezi?”. Qui respondit: “Non ivit servus tuus quoquam”.

25. He went in, and stood before his master, and Eli'sha said to him, "Where have you been, Geha'zi?" And he said, "Your servant went nowhere."

26. At ille: “Nonne, ait, cor meum in praesenti erat, quando reversus est homo de curru suo in occursum tui? Estne tempus accipere argentum et accipere vestes et oliveta et vineta et oves et boves et servos et ancillas?

26. But he said to him, "Did I not go with you in spirit when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Was it a time to accept money and garments, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, menservants and maidservants?

27. Sed et lepra Naaman adhaerebit tibi et semini tuo in sempiternum”. Et egressus est ab eo leprosus quasi nix.

27. Therefore the leprosy of Na'aman shall cleave to you, and to your descendants for ever." So he went out from his presence a leper, as white as snow.