Original Douay-Rheims 1582–1610 First English Vulgate Translation
Douay-Rheims Challoner 1752 Douay-Rheims Revision
1 Naaman the General of the warfare of the king of Syria, was a great man with his lord, & honourable: for by him our Lord gave health to Syria: and he was a valiant man and rich, but a leper.
1 Naaman, general of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable: for by him the Lord gave deliverance to Syria: and he was a valiant man, and rich, but a leper.
2 Moreover out of Syria there were come forth robbers, and had led away captive out of the Land of Israel a little girl, which waited upon the wife of Naaman.
2 Now there had gone out robbers from Syria, and had led away captive out of the land of Israel, a little maid, and she waited upon Naaman’s wife.
3 Who said to her mistress: I would my lord had been with the prophet, that is in Samaria: surely he would have cured him from the leprosy, which he hath.
3 And she said to her mistress: I wish my master had been with the prophet that is in Samaria: he would certainly have healed him of the leprosy which he hath.
4 Naaman therefore went in to his lord, and told him saying: Thus and thus hath the wench of the Land of Israel spoken.
4 Then Naaman went in to his lord, and told him, saying: Thus and thus said the girl from the land of Israel.
5 And the king of Syria said to him: Go, & I will send letters to the king of Israel. Who when he was set forward, & had taken with him ten talents of silver, & six thousand pieces of gold, & ten change of raiment,
5 And the king of Syria said to him: Go; and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment;
6 he brought the letters to the king of Israel, in these words: When thou shalt receive this letter, know that I have sent to thee Naaman my servant, that thou mayest cure him of his leprosy.
6 And brought the letter to the king of Israel, in these words: When thou shalt receive this letter, know that I have sent to thee Naaman, my servant, that thou mayst heal him of his leprosy.
7 And when the king of Israel had read the letters, he rent his garments, & said: Am I God, that I can kill, and give life, because this man hath sent to me, that I should cure a man of his leprosy? Mark, and see that he seeketh occasions against me.
7 And when the king of Israel had read the letter, he rent his garments, and said: Am I God, to be able to kill and give life, that this man hath sent to me to heal a man of his leprosy? Mark, and see how he seeketh occasions against me.
8 Which when Eliseus the man of God had heard, to wit, that the king of Israel had rent his garments, he sent to him, saying: Why hast thou rent thy garments? Let him come to me, & let him know that there is a prophet in Israel.
8 And when Eliseus the man of God had heard this, to wit, that the king of Israel had rent his garments, he sent to him, saying: Why hast thou rent thy garments? Let him come to me, and let him know that there is a prophet in Israel.
9 Naaman therefore came with horses & chariots: & stood at the door of the house of Eliseus:
9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Eliseus:
10 and Eliseus sent a messenger to him, saying: Go & be washed seven times in Jordan, and thy flesh shall receive health, & thou shalt be clean.
10 And Eliseus sent a messenger to him, saying: Go, and wash seven times in the Jordan, and thy flesh shall recover health, and thou shalt be clean.
11 Naaman being angry departed, saying: I thought he would come out to me, and standing would invocate the name of the Lord his God, and touch with his hand the place of the leprosy, and cure me.
11 Naaman was angry, and went away, saying: I thought he would have come 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.
12 What are not Abana and Pharphar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel, that I may be washed in them, and be made clean? Therefore when he had turned himself, & went away with indignation,
12 Are not the Abana, and the Pharphar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel, that I may wash in them, and be made clean? So as he turned, and was going away with indignation,
13 his servants came unto him, & spake to him. Father, & if the Prophet had said a great thing to thee, certes, thou shouldest have done it: how much more whereas now he said unto thee: Be washed, and thou shalt be clean?
13 His servants came to him, and said to him: Father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, surely thou shouldst have done it: how much rather what he now hath said to thee: Wash, and thou shalt be clean?
14 He went down, and washed in Jordan seven times according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored, as the flesh of a little child, and he was made clean.
14 ¹Then he went down, and washed in the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored, like the flesh of a little child: and he was made clean.
15 And returning to the man of God with all his train, he came, and stood before him, & said: In very deed I know that there is no other God in all the earth, but only in Israel. I beseech thee therefore to take a benediction of thy servant.
15 And returning to the man of God, with all his train, he came, and stood before him, and said: In truth, I know there is no other God, in all the earth, but only in Israel: I beseech thee, therefore, take a blessing of thy servant.
16 But he answered: Our Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will not take it. And when he would have forced him, he did in nowise agree.
16 But he answered: As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And when he pressed him, he still refused.
17 And Naaman said: As thou wilt, but I beseech thee: grant unto me thy servant, that I may take of the earth the burden of two mules: for thy servant will no more make holocaust or victim to strange gods, but to the Lord.
17 And Naaman said: As thou wilt: but I beseech thee, grant to me, thy servant, to take from hence two mules’ burden of earth: for thy servant will not henceforth offer holocaust, or victim, to other gods, but to the Lord.
18 But this only is it, for which thou shalt beseech the Lord for thy servant: when my master shall go into the temple of Remmon, to adore, and he leaning upon my hand, if I shall adore in the temple of Remmon, he adoring in the same place, that the Lord pardon me thy servant for this thing.
18 But there is only this, for which thou shalt entreat the Lord for thy servant; when my master goeth into the temple of Remmon, to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand: if I bow down in the temple of Remmon, when he boweth down in the same place, that the Lord pardon me, thy servant, for this thing.
19 Who said to him: Go in peace. He therefore went from him in the spring time of the earth.
19 And he said to him: Go in peace. So he departed from him, in the spring time of the earth.
20 And Giezi the servant of the man of God said: My master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, that he took not of him the things which he brought: Our Lord liveth, I will run after him, and will take something of him.
20 But Giezi the servant of the man of God said: My master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving of him that which he brought: as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take something of him.
21 And Giezi followed at the back of Naaman: whom when he saw running toward him, he lept down from his chariot to meet him, and said: Are all things well?
21 And Giezi followed after Naaman: and when he saw him running after him, he leapt down from his chariot to meet him, and said: Is all well?
22 And he said: Well. My master hath sent me to thee, saying: Even now there are come to me two young men from mount Ephraim, of the children of the Prophets: give them a talent of silver, and two change of raiment.
22 And he said: Well: my master hath sent me to thee, saying: Just now there are come to me from mount Ephraim, two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.
23 And Naaman said: It is better that thou take two talents. And he forced him, and bound the two talents of silver in two bags, and the double raiment, and laid it upon two of his servants, who also carried it before him.
23 And Naaman said: It is better that thou take two talents. And he forced him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, and two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants, and they carried them before him.
24 And when he was come now in the evening, he took it out of their hand, and laid it up in the house, and dismissed the men, and they departed.
24 And when he was come, and now it was the evening, he took them from their hands, and laid them up in the house, and sent the men away, and they departed.
25 And himself going in stood before his master. And Eliseus said: From whence comest thou Giezi? Who answered: Thy servant hath not gone any whither.
25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Eliseus said: Whence comest thou, Giezi? He answered: Thy servant went no whither.
26 But he said: Was not my heart present, when the man returned out of his chariot to meet thee? Now therefore thou hast received silver, and taken raiment, to buy olivets, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and servants, and handmaids.
26 But he said: Was not my heart present, when the man turned back, from his chariot, to meet thee? So now thou hast received money, and received garments, to buy oliveyards and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and men servants, and maid-servants.
27 But the leprosy also of Naama shall cleave to thee, and to thy seed, for ever. And he went out from him a leper as it were snow.
27 But the leprosy of Naaman, shall also stick to thee, and to thy seed forever. And he went out from him a leper, as white as snow.