2 Kings 5:5-8

5:5 The king of Syria said, “Go! I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman¹ went, taking with him ten talents² of silver, six thousand shekels of gold,³ and ten suits of clothes. 5:6 He brought the letter to king of Israel. It read: “This is a letter of introduction for my servant Naaman,⁴ whom I have sent to be cured of his skin disease.” 5:7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill or restore life? Why does he ask me to cure a man of his skin disease?⁵ Certainly you must see that he is looking for an excuse to fight me!”⁶

5:8 When Elisha the prophet⁷ heard that the king had torn his clothes, he sent this message to the king, “Why did you tear your clothes? Send him⁸ to me so he may know there is a prophet in Israel.”

¹tn Heb “he”; the referent (Naaman) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 750 pounds of silver (cf. NCV, NLT, CEV).

³tn Heb “six thousand gold […].” The unit of measure is not given in the Hebrew text. A number of English versions supply “pieces” (e.g., KJV, ASV, NAB, TEV) or “shekels” (e.g., NASB, NIV, NRSV).

⁴tn Heb “and now when this letter comes to you, look, I have sent to you Naaman my servant.”

⁵tn Heb “Am I God, killing and restoring life, that this one sends to me to cure a man from his skin disease?” In the Hebrew text this is one lengthy rhetorical question, which has been divided up in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁶tn Heb “Indeed, know and see that he is seeking an occasion with respect to me.”

⁷tn Heb “man of God” (also in vv. 15, 20).

⁸tn Heb “Let him come.”