June 26th

So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots and stood at the doorway of the house of Elisha.

And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean.”

But Naaman was furious and went away and said, “Behold, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.’

Are not Abanah 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 wrath.

Then his servants approached and spoke to him and said, “My father, had the prophet spoken with you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”

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 young boy and he was clean.

Then he returned to the man of God with all his camp, and came and stood before him, and said, “Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel; so now please take a blessing from your servant.”

But he said, “As Yahweh lives, before whom I stand, I will take nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused.

So Naaman said, “If not, please let your servant at least be given two mules’ load of earth; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering nor will he sacrifice to other gods, but to Yahweh.

In this matter may Yahweh pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, Yahweh pardon your servant in this matter.”

And he said to him, “Go in peace.” So he went from him some distance.

Then Gehazi, the young man of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Aramean, by not receiving from his hands what he brought. As Yahweh lives, I will run after him and take something from him.”

So Gehazi pursued Naaman. And Naaman saw one running after him, so he came down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is all at peace?”

And he said, “All is at peace. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Behold, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothes.’ ”

Then Naaman said, “Be pleased to take two talents.” And he urged him and bound two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes and gave them to two of his young men; and they carried them before him.

So he came to the hill, and he took them from their hand and deposited them in the house. Then he sent the men away, and they departed.

But he came in and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant went nowhere.”

Then he said to him, “Did not my heart go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to receive money and to receive clothes and olive groves and vineyards and sheep and oxen and male and female slaves?

Thus the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your seed forever.” So he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Behold now, the place before you where we are living is too limited for us.

Please let us go to the Jordan and each of us take from there a beam, and let us make a place there for ourselves where we may live.” So he said, “Go.”

Then one said, “Please be willing to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I shall go.”

So he went with them; and they came to the Jordan and cut down trees.

Now it happened that as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.”

Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And when he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float.

And he said, “Take it up for yourself.” So he sent forth his hand and took it.

Now the king of Aram was warring against Israel; and he counseled with his servants saying, “In such and such a place shall be my camp.”

And the man of God sent word to the king of Israel saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Arameans are coming down there.”

And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God had told him; thus he warned him, so that he guarded himself there, more than once or twice.

Then the heart of the king of Aram was enraged over this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?”

And one of his servants said, “No, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”

So he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and take him.” And it was told to him, saying, “Behold, he is in Dothan.”

So he sent horses and chariots and a heavy military force there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.

Then the attendant of the man of God arose early and went out, and behold, a military force with horses and chariots was all around the city. And his young man said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”

So he said, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Yahweh, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And Yahweh opened the eyes of the young man and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

And they came down to him, and Elisha prayed to Yahweh and said, “Strike this people with blindness, I pray.” So He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

Then Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city; walk after me and I will walk you over to the man whom you seek.” And he walked them over to Samaria.

Now it happened that when they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “O Yahweh, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So Yahweh opened their eyes and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

Then the king of Israel when he saw them, said to Elisha, “My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?”

And he said, “You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and walk back to their master.”

So he prepared a great feast for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the marauding bands of Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel.

Now it happened afterwards, that Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his military camp and went up and besieged Samaria.

Now there was a great famine in Samaria. And behold, they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver.

As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Save, my lord, O king!”

He said, “If Yahweh does not save you, from where shall I save you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?”

And the king said to her, “What is the matter with you?” And she said, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’

So we boiled my son and ate him; and I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him’; but she has hidden her son.”

Now it happened that when the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes—now he was passing by on the wall—and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth beneath on his body.

Then he said, “May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today.”

Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. And the king sent a man from his presence; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door shut against him. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?”

While he was still speaking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him and he said, “Behold, this evil is from Yahweh; why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?”

Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and comprehended that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.

And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply.

But when they had ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, they began to confer with one another,

saying, “What should we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy sign has happened through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.

But lest it spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any man in this name.”

And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to hear you rather than God, you be the judge;

for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

And when they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened;

for the man was more than forty years old on whom this sign of healing had occurred.

So when they were released, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.

And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Master, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them,

who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said,

For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,

to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.

And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your slaves may speak Your word with all confidence,

while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders happen through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”

And when they had prayed earnestly, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with confidence.

And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and not one was saying that any of his possessions was his own, but, for them, everything was common.

And with great power the apostles were bearing witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales

and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.

Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement),

and who owned a field, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.