Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/322

 out to  me  and  standing  would  have  invoked  the  name  of  the Lord his  God,  and  touched  with  his  hand  the  place  of  the  leprosy and healed  me. Are not  the  rivers  of  Damascus  better  than  all the waters  of  Israel?”

As he  was  thus  turning  angrily  away,  his  servants  said  to him:  “Father,  if  the  prophet  had  bidden  thee  to  do  some  great thing, surely  thou  wouldst  have  done  it;  how  much  more  what he now  hath  said  to  thee:  ‘Wash,  and  thou  shalt  be  clean’.” And Naaman,  seeing  that  what  they  said  was  just,  alighted from his  chariot,  bathed  seven  times  in  the  Jordan  and  was made clean. He returned  to  the  man  of  God  and  told  him that now  he  knew  for  certain  that  there  was  no  God  but  the God of  Israel ;  and  he  offered  him  presents,  but  Eliseus  refused to receive  anything.

Hardly had  Naaman  gone  a little  way  when  Giezi,  the  servant of Eliseus,  went  after  him  and  said: “My  master  hath  sent  me  to thee  saying: ‘Just  now  there  are  come  to  me  from  Mount  Ephraim two young  men,  sons  of  the  prophets ;  give  them  a talent  of silver  and  two  changes  of  garments’.”

Naaman gladly  gave  him  two  talents  of  silver  and  two  changes of garments. Giezi returned  with  the  presents,  and  having  hidden them, he  stood  before  Eliseus. The prophet  asked  him  where he had  been,  and  Giezi  answered  that  he  had  been  nowhere.

Eliseus being  angry  said:  “Was  not  my  heart  present  when the man  turned  back  from  his  chariot? Now thou  hast  money  to buy  oliveyards  and  vineyards  and  sheep  and  oxen  and  menservants  and  maid-servants;  but  the  leprosy  of  Naaman  shall  stick