"My master, Elisha sayeth unto Naaman of Syria, 'Go thou and bathe seven times in the Jordan and thy flesh shalt recover health and thou shalt be clean.'"
"Dost thy master mean to mock me that he treateth me as though I were but a common outcast leper?" cried Naaman. "I did think that he would have come out to see me, and, touching with his hand the place of the leprosy, would have invoked the name of Jehovah, his God, and healed me. Go wash seven times in the Jordan? What marvelous power doth the Jordan possess? But enough of this folly. Thy master doth but speak in jest. Go say to him that Naaman of Syria came not to be mocked, but to be cured of his leprosy, and that he bringeth with him a great treasure with which to reward Elisha."
"My lord, it would avail naught for me to carry thy message to my master," said the servant. "Elisha hath spoken," and, turning, he passed quietly among the servants of Naaman and entered the lowly dwelling of his master.
Naaman sat for some moments in silence. The servant of the king looked up at him eagerly and seemed about to speak, but awed, perhaps, by the Syrian's white face and sombre eyes, remained silent.
At length, Naaman roused himself, sprang to his feet, and drawing his splendid form to its full height, cried in a loud voice:
"Back to Damascus! Naaman hath but come upon a fool's errand." Then turning upon the servant of the king, he cried, in tones of great anger, "Go to thy master, Jehoram, king of Israel, and say to him that Benhadad, king of all Syria, will know how to avenge the insult that hath been offered to Naaman."
"But, my lord, the king, my master, didst intend thee no insult," protested the servant. "The ways of Elisha are not like unto the ways of other men."
"Stop not to parley with me!" cried Naaman, furiously. "Be gone ere I bid my servants drive thee hence."