4 Kingdoms 5

Βασιλειῶν Δ´

1 ΚΑΙ Ναιμὰν ὁ ἄρχων τῆς δυνάμεως Συρίας ἦν ἀνὴρ μέγας ἐνώπιον τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ καὶ τεθαυμασμένος προσώπῳ, ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἔδωκε Κύριος σωτηρίαν Συρίᾳ· καὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ ἦν δυνατὸς ἰσχύϊ, λελεπρωμένος.

Now Naiman, the captain of the host of Syria, was a great man before his master, and highly respected, because by him the Lord had given deliverance to Syria, and the man was mighty in strength, [but] a leper.

2 καὶ Συρία ἐξῆλθον μονόζωνοι καὶ ᾐχμαλώτευσαν ἐκ γῆς Ἰσραὴλ νεάνιδα μικράν, καὶ ἦν ἐνώπιον τῆς γυναικὸς Ναιμάν.

And the Syrians went forth in small bands, and took captive out of the land of Israel a little maid: and she waited on Naiman's wife.

3 ἡ δὲ εἶπε τῇ κυρίᾳ αὐτῆς· ὄφελον ὁ κύριός μου ἐνώπιον τοῦ προφήτου τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ, τότε ἀποσυνάξει αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς λέπρας αὐτοῦ.

And she said to her mistress, O that my lord were before the prophet of God in Samaria; then he would recover him from his leprosy.

4 καὶ εἰσῆλθε καὶ ἀπήγγειλε τῷ κυρίῳ ἑαυτῆς καὶ εἶπεν· οὕτως καὶ οὕτως ἐλάλησεν ἡ νεᾶνις ἡ ἐκ γῆς Ἰσραήλ.

And she went in and told her lord, and said, Thus and thus spoke the maid from the land of Israel.

5 καὶ εἶπε βασιλεὺς Συρίας πρὸς Ναιμάν· δεῦρο εἴσελθε, καὶ ἐξαποστελῶ βιβλίον πρὸς βασιλέα Ἰσραήλ· καὶ ἐπορεύθη καὶ ἔλαβεν ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ δέκα τάλαντα ἀργυρίου καὶ ἑξακισχιλίους χρυσοῦς καὶ δέκα ἀλλασσομένας στολάς.

And the king of Syria said to Naiman, Go to, go, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. And he went, and took in his hand ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.

6 καὶ ἤνεγκε τὸ βιβλίον πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα Ἰσραὴλ λέγων· καὶ νῦν ὡς ἂν ἔλθῃ τὸ βιβλίον τοῦτο πρὸς σέ, ἰδοὺ ἀπέστειλα πρός σε Ναιμὰν τὸν δοῦλόν μου, καὶ ἀποσυνάξεις αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς λέπρας αὐτοῦ.

And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now then, as soon as this letter shall reach you, behold, I have sent to you my servant Naiman, and you shall recover him from his leprosy.

7 καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἀνέγνω βασιλεὺς Ἰσραὴλ τὸ βιβλίον, διέρρηξε τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν· ὁ Θεὸς ἐγὼ τοῦ θανατῶσαι καὶ ζωοποιῆσαι, ὅτι οὖτος ἀποστέλλει πρός με ἀποσυνάξαι ἄνδρα ἀπὸ τῆς λέπρας αὐτοῦ; ὅτι πλὴν γνῶτε δὴ καὶ ἴδετε ὅτι προφασίζεται οὗτός μοι.

And it came to pass, when the king of Israel read the letter, [that] he tore his garments, and said, [Am] I God, to kill and to make alive, that this [man] sends to me to recover a man of his leprosy? consider, however, I pray you, and see that this [man] seeks an occasion against me.

8 καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἤκουσεν Ἑλισαιὲ ὅτι διέρρηξεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰσραὴλ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπέστειλε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα Ἰσραὴλ λέγων· ἱνατὶ διέρρηξας τὰ ἱμάτιά σου; ἐλθέτω δὴ πρός με Ναιμὰν καὶ γνώτω ὅτι ἐστὶ προφήτης ἐν Ἰσραήλ.

And it came to pass, when Elisaie heard that the king of Israel had torn his garments, that he sent to the king of Israel, saying, Therefore have you torn your garments? Let Naiman, I pray you, come to me, and let him know that there is a prophet in Israel.

9 καὶ ἦλθε Ναιμὰν ἐν ἵππῳ καὶ ἅρματι καὶ ἔστη ἐπὶ θύρας οἴκου Ἑλισαιέ.

So Naiman came with horse and chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisaie.

10 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Ἑλισαιὲ ἄγγελον πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγων· πορευθεὶς λοῦσαι ἑπτάκις ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ, καὶ ἐπιστρέψει ἡ σάρξ σού σοι, καὶ καθαρισθήσῃ.

And Elisaie sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash seven times in Jordan, and your flesh shall return to you, and you shall be cleansed.

11 καὶ ἐθυμώθη Ναιμὰν καὶ ἀπῆλθε καὶ εἶπεν· ἰδοὺ εἶπον ὅτι πρός με πάντως ἐξελεύσεται καὶ στήσεται καὶ ἐπικαλέσεται ἐν ὀνόματι Θεοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπιθήσει τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον καὶ ἀποσυνάξει τὸ λεπρόν·

And Naiman was angry, and departed, and said, Behold, I said, He will by all means come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of his God, and lay his hand upon the place, and recover the leper.

12 οὐχὶ ἀγαθὸς Ἀβανὰ καὶ Φαρφὰρ ποταμοὶ Δαμασκοῦ ὑπὲρ πάντα τὰ ὕδατα Ἰσραήλ; οὐχὶ πορευθεὶς λούσομαι ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ καθαρισθήσομαι; καὶ ἐξέκλινε καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἐν θυμῷ.

[Are] not the Abana and Pharphar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not go and wash in them, and be cleansed? and he turned and went away in a rage.

13 καὶ ἤγγισαν οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐλάλησαν πρὸς αὐτόν· μέγα λόγον ἐλάλησεν ὁ προφήτης πρὸς σέ· οὐχὶ ποιήσεις; καὶ ὅτι εἶπε πρὸς σέ, λοῦσαι καὶ καθαρίσθητι.

And his servants came near and said to him, [Suppose] the prophet had spoken a great thing to you, would you not perform it? yet he has but said to you, Wash, and be cleansed.

14 καὶ κατέβη Ναιμὰν καὶ ἐβαπτίσατο ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ἑπτάκις κατὰ τὸ ρῆμα Ἑλισαιέ, καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν ἡ σάρξ αὐτοῦ ὡς σάρξ παιδαρίου μικροῦ, καὶ ἐκαθαρίσθη.

So Naiman went down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the word of Elisaie: and his flesh returned to him as the flesh of a little child, and he was cleansed.

15 καὶ ἐπέστρεψε πρὸς Ἑλισαιὲ αὐτὸς καὶ πᾶσα ἡ παρεμβολὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἦλθε καὶ ἔστη ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν· ἰδοὺ δὴ ἔγνωκα ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι Θεὸς ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ, ὅτι ἀλλ᾿ ἢ ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ· καὶ νῦν λαβὲ τὴν εὐλογίαν παρὰ τοῦ δούλου σου.

And he and all his company returned to Elisaie, and he came and stood before him, and said, Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth, save only in Israel: and now receive a blessing of your servant.

16 καὶ εἶπεν Ἑλισαιέ· ζῇ Κύριος, ᾧ παρέστην ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, εἰ λήψομαι· καὶ παρεβιάσατο αὐτὸν λαβεῖν, καὶ ἠπείθησε.

And Elisaie said, [As] the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will not take [one]. And he pressed him to take [one]: but he would not.

17 καὶ εἶπε Ναιμάν· καὶ εἰ μή, δοθήτω δὴ τῷ δούλῳ σου γόμος ζεῦγος ἡμιόνων, ὅτι οὐ ποιήσει ἔτι ὁ δοῦλός σου ὁλοκαύτωμα καὶ θυσίασμα θεοῖς ἑτέροις, ἀλλ᾿ ἢ τῷ Κυρίῳ μόνῳ·

And Naiman said, Well then, if not, let there be given to your servant, I pray you, the load [of a] yoke of mules; and you shall give me of the red earth: for henceforth your servant will not offer whole burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but only to the Lord by [reason of] this thing.

18 καὶ ἱλάσεται Κύριος τῷ δούλῳ σου ἐν τῷ εἰσπορεύεσθαι τὸν κύριόν μου εἰς οἶκον Ρεμμὰν προσκυνῆσαι ἐκεῖ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπαναπαύσεται ἐπὶ τῆς χειρός μου καὶ προσκυνήσω ἐν οἴκῳ Ρεμμὰν ἐν τῷ προσκυνεῖν αὐτὸν ἐν οἴκῳ Ρεμμάν, καὶ ἱλάσεται δὴ Κύριος τῷ δούλῳ σου ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ.

And let the Lord be propitious to your servant when my master goes into the house of Remman to worship there, and he shall lean on my hand, and I shall bow down in the house of Remman when he bows down in the house of Remman; even let the Lord, I pray, be merciful to your servant in this matter.

19 καὶ εἶπεν Ἑλισαιὲ πρὸς Ναιμάν· δεῦρο εἰς εἰρήνην. καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ εἰς δεβραθὰ τῆς γῆς.

And Elisaie said to Naiman, Go in peace. And he departed from him a little way.

20 καὶ εἶπε Γιεζὶ τὸ παιδάριον Ἑλισαιέ· ἰδοὺ ἐφείσατο ὁ κύριός μου τοῦ Ναιμὰν τοῦ Σύρου τούτου τοῦ μὴ λαβεῖν ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτοῦ ἃ ἐνήνοχε· ζῇ Κύριος ὅτι εἰ μὴ δραμοῦμαι ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ καὶ λήψομαι ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ τι.

And Giezi the servant of Elisaie said, Behold, my Lord has spared this Syrian Naiman, so as not to take of his hand what he has brought: as the Lord lives, I will surely run after him, and take somewhat of him.

21 καὶ ἐδίωξε Γιεζὶ ὀπίσω τοῦ Ναιμάν, καὶ εἶδεν αὐτὸν Ναιμὰν τρέχοντα ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἅρματος εἰς ἀπαντὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν· εἰρήνη·

So Giezi followed after Naiman: and Naiman saw him running after him, and turned back from his chariot to meet him.

22 ὁ κύριός μου ἀπέστειλέ με λέγων· ἰδοὺ νῦν ἦλθον πρός με δύο παιδάρια ἐξ ὄρους Ἐφραὶμ ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν τῶν προφητῶν· δὸς δὴ αὐτοῖς τάλαντον ἀργυρίου καὶ δύο ἀλλασσομένας στολάς.

And [Giezi] said, All is well: my master has sent me, saying, Behold, now are there come to me two young men of the sons of the prophets from mount Ephraim; give them, I pray you, a talent of silver, and two changes of raiment.

23 καὶ εἶπε· λαβὲ διτάλαντον ἀργυρίου· καὶ ἔλαβε δύο τάλαντα ἀργυρίου ἐν δυσὶ θυλάκοις καὶ δύο ἀλλασσομένας στολὰς καὶ ἔδωκεν ἐπὶ δύο παιδάρια αὐτοῦ. καὶ ᾖραν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ.

And [Naiman] said, Take two talents of silver. And he took two talents of silver in two bags, and two changes of raiment, and put them upon two of his servants, and they bore them before him.

24 καὶ ἦλθον εἰς τὸ σκοτεινόν, καὶ ἔλαβεν ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῶν καὶ παρέθετο ἐν οἴκῳ καὶ ἐξαπέστειλε τοὺς ἄνδρας.

And he came to a secret place, and took them from their hands, and laid them up in the house, and dismissed the men.

25 καὶ αὐτὸς εἰσῆλθε καὶ παρεστήκει πρὸς τὸν κύριον αὐτοῦ· καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν Ἑλισαιέ· πόθεν, Γιεζί; καὶ εἶπε Γιεζί· οὐ πεπόρευται ὁ δοῦλός σου ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα.

And he went in himself and stood before his master; and Elisaie said to him,

26 καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν Ἑλισαιέ· οὐχὶ ἡ καρδία μου ἐπορεύθη μετὰ σοῦ, ὅτε ἐπέστεψεν ὁ ἀνὴρ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἅρματος εἰς συναντήν σοι; καὶ νῦν ἔλαβες τὸ ἀργύριον, καὶ νῦν ἔλαβες τὰ ἱμάτια καὶ ἐλαιῶνας καὶ ἀμπελῶνας καὶ πρόβατα καὶ βόας καὶ παῖδας καὶ παιδίσκας·

Whence [come you], Giezi? and Giezi said, Your servant has not been hither or there. And Elisaie said to him, Went not my heart with you, when the man returned from his chariot to meet you? and now you have received silver, and now you have received raiment, and olive yards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants.

27 καὶ ἡ λέπρα Ναιμὰν κολληθήσεται ἐν σοὶ καὶ ἐν τῷ σπέρματί σου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ προσώπου αὐτοῦ λελεπρωμένος ὡσεὶ χιών.

The leprosy also of Naiman shall cleave to you, and to your seed for ever. And he went out from his presence leprous, like snow.

Greek: the Septuagint as the Orthodox Media Network published it (Mount Athos); 2 Maccabees and the Prayer of Manasseh from Brenton's edition (1851). English: Brenton's translation (1851), its spelling updated by Michael Paul Johnson; public domain. About these texts.