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Naaman The Leper · The Chosen People

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Previously on The Chosen People.
• 0:04
  Speaker 2: You doubt yourself, huh?
• 0:06
  Speaker 3: Master, of course I doubt myself. I've watched you stand
• 0:10
  Speaker 3: alone against kings and slaughter false prophets. I've even seen
• 0:15
  Speaker 3: you call down fire and part rivers. And now you're
• 0:19
  Speaker 3: leaving me to take your place. I am not you, Master.
• 0:25
  Speaker 3: I have no fire, no boldness, no strength. The only
• 0:30
  Speaker 3: thing I know how to do is pray.
• 0:32
  Speaker 4: Then you know enough.
• 0:37
  Speaker 5: I told you not to give me false hope.
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: I told you.
• 0:42
  Speaker 3: I didn't ask for a son.
• 0:43
  Speaker 6: I didn't ask for.
• 0:44
  Speaker 3: Any of it.
• 0:46
  Speaker 5: I would rather have been barren forever than feel this.
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: Why?
• 0:51
  Speaker 5: Why would God do this? Why would he give only
• 0:55
  Speaker 5: to take?
• 0:57
  Speaker 3: I don't know why God does what he does. I
• 1:00
  Speaker 3: don't know why he allows grief to take root where
• 1:02
  Speaker 3: joy once bloomed.
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: He prayed, and this time it wasn't desperate.
• 1:09
  Speaker 4: It was trust.
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: A shudder.
• 1:12
  Speaker 4: A gasp. Ace's body convulsed beneath him, and suddenly he
• 1:17
  Speaker 4: was coughing, breath spilling back into his lungs like water
• 1:21
  Speaker 4: bursting through a cracked dam. His eyes shot open, wide, confused, alive.
• 1:29
  Speaker 4: Elisha stood back, watching, his heart pounding, his body light. This,
• 1:35
  Speaker 4: this was Yahweh's work. This was grace. The roads to
• 1:47
  Speaker 4: Samaria had seen kings before. They had seen caravans, traders,
• 1:53
  Speaker 4: even conquerors. But they had never seen Naaman. He rode
• 1:59
  Speaker 4: at the head of his company, his chariot gleaming in
• 2:02
  Speaker 4: the midday sun, the armour on his chest polished to
• 2:06
  Speaker 4: an almost mirror-like sheen. His face, sculpted by years of war,
• 2:12
  Speaker 4: bore the look of a man who had never once
• 2:15
  Speaker 4: been denied what he desired. Behind him, a column of
• 2:19
  Speaker 4: horses and chariots stretched like a river of metal and silk.
• 2:24
  Speaker 4: Foot soldiers, servants, banners flapping in the hot wind. Carried
• 2:29
  Speaker 4: with them were the markers of his wealth and power. Silver, gold,
• 2:34
  Speaker 4: fine garments. Naaman didn't come to beg. He came to
• 2:39
  Speaker 4: purchase his healing. At the gates of Samaria, the guards
• 2:44
  Speaker 4: scrambled at the sight, their hands gripping their spears with
• 2:48
  Speaker 4: the uneasy tension of men who were suddenly aware of
• 2:52
  Speaker 4: their own insignificance.
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: They didn't need an introduction.
• 2:56
  Speaker 4: Every soldier in the region knew Naaman, commander of Aram.
• 3:01
  Speaker 4: His name was spoken in the kind of hushed, wary
• 3:05
  Speaker 4: tones reserved for men whose victories were written in blood
• 3:09
  Speaker 4: and fire. The palace doors groaned open before him, and
• 3:14
  Speaker 4: soon he stood before Joram, king of Israel. If one
• 3:19
  Speaker 4: could call what Joram did standing... The man was already wilting,
• 3:25
  Speaker 4: his fingers twitching at the edges of his robe, his
• 3:28
  Speaker 4: eyes darting between Naaman and the parchment in his hands.
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: King Joram, I, King Naaman, have a request from my lord,
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: the king of Aram.
• 3:43
  Speaker 4: Naaman handed him the scroll. Joram's throat bobbed as he
• 3:48
  Speaker 4: read it aloud, his voice cracking.
• 3:51
  Speaker 6: With this letter I have Sending my servant Naaman to
• 3:56
  Speaker 6: you that you may cure him of his leprosy.
• 3:59
  Speaker 4: A thick, unbearable silence stretched tight over the room like
• 4:04
  Speaker 4: the paws before a blade fell. Then fabric tore. Joram
• 4:11
  Speaker 4: ripped his own robes, his breath coming in sharp, erratic bursts.
• 4:16
  Speaker 4: The young king flailed dramatically as if crumbling under the
• 4:20
  Speaker 4: weight of some unseen burden.
• 4:22
  Speaker 5: Am I God?
• 4:24
  Speaker 6: Can I kill and bring back to life?
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: What am I supposed to do?
• 4:29
  Speaker 6: Lay hands on him and hope for the best?
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: Mother's going to have my head for this.
• 4:34
  Speaker 4: She told me I was weak.
• 4:35
  Speaker 5: She told me I'd ruin everything.
• 4:41
  Speaker 4: His gaze darted between his advisors, searching desperately for someone, anyone,
• 4:47
  Speaker 4: to tell him this wasn't happening. His fingers clawed at
• 4:50
  Speaker 4: his hair, his breath shallow, his pupils dilated with fear.
• 4:55
  Speaker 6: This is a trap, isn't it?
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: Aram is looking for an excuse to start.
• 4:59
  Speaker 5: A war, and they're going to say I refuse their
• 5:01
  Speaker 5: great commander. They'll crush us.
• 5:05
  Speaker 4: Naaman exhaled sharply, shaking his head. He had seen kings
• 5:11
  Speaker 4: in battle, seen them fall on their own swords, seen
• 5:14
  Speaker 4: them scream for mercy, seen them stand unshaken as they
• 5:19
  Speaker 4: were cut down. But this, this was new. A king
• 5:23
  Speaker 4: who unraveled at the mere presence of a stronger man?
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: Pathetic.
• 5:29
  Speaker 4: But before he could turn and demand a real solution,
• 5:33
  Speaker 4: a messenger burst into the chamber, eyes sharp, breath steady.
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  Speaker 2: My lord.
• 5:38
  Speaker 6: The prophet Elijah has sent word. He says, Why have
• 5:43
  Speaker 6: you torn your robes? Send the man to me, and
• 5:45
  Speaker 6: he will know there is a prophet in Israel.
• 5:49
  Speaker 4: Naaman's eyes flickered, his jaw tightening. A prophet? This was
• 5:54
  Speaker 4: what Israel offered him? No audience with the king? No
• 5:59
  Speaker 4: summons to their temple? No display of divine power? Just
• 6:04
  Speaker 4: a prophet?
• 6:04
  Speaker 5: Hmm.
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: Yes. speaks of Dharam tearing robes, but he was not
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: in the room to see it.
• 6:14
  Speaker 4: Interesting.
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: Fine. Let the prophet prove himself.
• 6:24
  Speaker 4: A dust cloud announced Naaman's arrival long before his chariots
• 6:29
  Speaker 4: rolled up to the modest home perched on the outskirts
• 6:32
  Speaker 4: of the city. The contrast was almost comical. The finest
• 6:37
  Speaker 4: military force in the region parked in front of a
• 6:41
  Speaker 4: house barely large enough to fit a family of goats.
• 6:45
  Speaker 4: Naaman stepped down from his chariot, his armor gleaming, his
• 6:49
  Speaker 4: presence an unspoken demand. And then, nothing. No welcome, no
• 6:56
  Speaker 4: servants scurrying out to greet him, no sign that anyone
• 7:00
  Speaker 4: inside had even noticed. A flicker of irritation crossed Naaman's face.
• 7:07
  Speaker 4: Inside the house, Elisha was very much aware of who
• 7:10
  Speaker 4: had arrived. He sat at a rough-hewn wooden table, calmly
• 7:14
  Speaker 4: stirring a bowl of lentils, his gaze fixed lazily on
• 7:19
  Speaker 4: the ceiling as Gehazi stood near the doorway, watching the
• 7:23
  Speaker 4: scene unfold.
• 7:25
  Speaker 6: Master, if there was ever a time to make an impression,
• 7:28
  Speaker 6: this is it.
• 7:31
  Speaker 4: Elisha didn't look up, just blew on his spoonful of stew.
• 7:36
  Speaker 3: Oh, I'm making an impression, just not the kind he's expecting.
• 7:39
  Speaker 6: Elisha, listen to me. Your father would have handled this differently.
• 7:45
  Speaker 4: That made Elisha pause. He set his spoon down, finally
• 7:50
  Speaker 4: looking at Gehazi.
• 7:52
  Speaker 3: Would he now?
• 7:54
  Speaker 6: Yes. He would have known how to deal with men
• 7:56
  Speaker 6: like Naaman. He would have met him with honour, leveraged
• 8:00
  Speaker 6: this moment and made something out of it.
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: But you.
• 8:04
  Speaker 4: Gehazi gestured toward the door, exasperated.
• 8:08
  Speaker 6: You won't even meet the man!
• 8:10
  Speaker 4: Elisha leaned back, arms folding across his chest. He let
• 8:15
  Speaker 4: the words settle between them before tilting his head slightly,
• 8:20
  Speaker 4: a smirk curling at the edges of his lips.
• 8:23
  Speaker 3: Naemin is outside, standing like a peacock in full display,
• 8:27
  Speaker 3: expecting a show. I'd hate to disappoint him.
• 8:31
  Speaker 4: Gehazi sighed, rubbing his forehead.
• 8:34
  Speaker 5: This isn't just about him.
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: This is about us.
• 8:37
  Speaker 6: This man could fund God's work. He could bring us gold, land, influence.
• 8:44
  Speaker 4: Elisha's expression sharpened. The humor flickered away just for a moment.
• 8:51
  Speaker 3: I did not leave my father's fields to build another empire.
• 8:55
  Speaker 4: Gehazi opened his mouth, then shut it. The words were there,
• 9:00
  Speaker 4: but the weight of them had nowhere to land. Elisha sighed,
• 9:04
  Speaker 4: shaking his head.
• 9:06
  Speaker 3: Besides, look at Naaman. Do you see how high he's standing?
• 9:10
  Speaker 3: The man could trip over his own pride. Go send
• 9:14
  Speaker 3: him my message.
• 9:16
  Speaker 4: Gehazi huffed, frustrated, but said nothing. Elisha pushed his bowl
• 9:22
  Speaker 4: aside and gestured toward the door. Gehazi hesitated. Then, with
• 9:27
  Speaker 4: a final glance at his master, he left. The door
• 9:33
  Speaker 4: creaked open. Naaman straightened, but the face that appeared wasn't
• 9:38
  Speaker 4: the one he was expecting. Not Elisha, just a servant.
• 9:44
  Speaker 4: Gehazi stepped forward, keeping his voice level.
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  Speaker 6: My master says to you, go, wash yourself seven times
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  Speaker 6: in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored. You
• 9:56
  Speaker 6: will be cleansed.
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  Speaker 4: Silence.
• 9:59
  Speaker 6: No.
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: Blinked.
• 10:01
  Speaker 4: Wait, that was it? He stared at the servant, waiting
• 10:06
  Speaker 4: for something more. A ceremony, a prayer, something. But Gehazi
• 10:12
  Speaker 4: just stood there, waiting for him to leave. Naaman took
• 10:17
  Speaker 4: a slow step forward, His voice dangerously quiet.
• 10:22
  Speaker 2: Your master sent a servant to speak to the great Naaman?
• 10:29
  Speaker 4: Gehazi said nothing. Naaman's breath hissed through his nose, nostrils flaring.
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  Speaker 2: I thought surely, surely he would come out to meet
• 10:43
  Speaker 2: me himself. Call on the name of his God. Wave
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: his hand over my disease. Perform some great act. I mean,
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: the Jordan? Are not the rivers of Damascus, Abun, and
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: Fafar better than all the waters of Israel? Could I
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: not wash in them and be clean?
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  Speaker 4: Naaman spat on the ground, his heart full of venom,
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  Speaker 4: and then he turned and stormed away. Gehazi stormed through
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  Speaker 4: the door, the dust from the road still clinging to
• 11:20
  Speaker 4: his robe. His face was flushed, his hands clenching and
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  Speaker 4: unclenching at his sides, like a man trying and failing
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  Speaker 4: to hold his tongue. Elisha sat at the table, tracing
• 11:32
  Speaker 4: slow circles in the last remnants of his lentil stew
• 11:36
  Speaker 4: with a piece of bread, waiting.
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  Speaker 2: Then, finally.
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  Speaker 4: Never in my life have.
• 11:43
  Speaker 2: I been so.
• 11:44
  Speaker 6: Humiliated, he was to Elijah. Do you have any idea
• 11:49
  Speaker 6: how angry Naaman was?
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  Speaker 5: The man nearly exploded, face redder than Edomite sand, and
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  Speaker 5: twitching for a sword like he was debating whether he
• 11:58
  Speaker 5: should murder me or the Jordan River.
• 12:01
  Speaker 3: Ah, well, I suppose it could have gone worse. He
• 12:04
  Speaker 3: could have actually murdered us.
• 12:06
  Speaker 4: Gehazi exhaled sharply, pacing now, rubbing a hand over his face.
• 12:12
  Speaker 6: Master, please be serious.
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  Speaker 2: This... this was Naaman.
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  Speaker 3: The great Naaman.
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  Speaker 6: The man who could crash us if he wanted to.
• 12:22
  Speaker 5: And you sent him away with a servant and a
• 12:25
  Speaker 5: command to go bathe like a peasant?
• 12:29
  Speaker 3: I don't know, Ghazi. It sounds like you're describing a
• 12:31
  Speaker 3: man in need of a good scrubbing.
• 12:33
  Speaker 6: You could have at least met him.
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: That's what your father would have done.
• 12:38
  Speaker 4: Give him the respect of.
• 12:39
  Speaker 6: A proper greeting... This is not the way a prophet behaves. Why,
• 12:44
  Speaker 6: your old master Elijah would have.
• 12:46
  Speaker 4: He stopped himself, but the words were already out. Elisha stilled.
• 12:53
  Speaker 4: For a brief moment, his face betrayed something, a flicker
• 12:57
  Speaker 4: of something deeper, something wounded, before he pushed it down,
• 13:02
  Speaker 4: shoving it beneath the surface like a stone sinking into
• 13:06
  Speaker 4: deep water. He set his bread down, exhaling softly.
• 13:11
  Speaker 3: Trust me, you would have hated the way Elijah would
• 13:14
  Speaker 3: have handled this much more than what I am doing.
• 13:17
  Speaker 4: Gehazi crossed his arms but wouldn't meet his gaze. Elisha
• 13:22
  Speaker 4: leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table, his voice
• 13:26
  Speaker 4: quieter now.
• 13:27
  Speaker 3: Gehazi, you practically raised me. You were there when my
• 13:31
  Speaker 3: father wasn't. I know what he would have done, but
• 13:34
  Speaker 3: my question is.
• 13:36
  Speaker 4: He paused, locking eyes with the older man.
• 13:40
  Speaker 3: What does Yahweh want us to do right now?
• 13:44
  Speaker 4: Gehazi's jaw tightened, but he said nothing. Elisha gestured toward
• 13:49
  Speaker 4: the door, toward the road where Naaman had left, still seething.
• 13:54
  Speaker 3: Look, Naaman has built his entire life on his own power,
• 13:59
  Speaker 3: his own strength. And now that strength is rotting off
• 14:03
  Speaker 3: his bones. Yahweh isn't just healing him, he's breaking him.
• 14:09
  Speaker 3: teaching him something. If I had met him, if I
• 14:12
  Speaker 3: had honored him the way that he wanted, he wouldn't
• 14:15
  Speaker 3: have learned a thing. He would have walked away thinking
• 14:18
  Speaker 3: he'd earned his healing, that he had bought Yahweh's favor
• 14:22
  Speaker 3: with silver and gold.
• 14:24
  Speaker 4: Elisha leaned back, shaking his head.
• 14:28
  Speaker 3: But this way, this way he has to choose, pride
• 14:32
  Speaker 3: or humility. If he really wants healing, he'll take it
• 14:35
  Speaker 3: the way Yahweh offers. If not, then, well.
• 14:40
  Speaker 4: He shrugged. Gehazi ran a hand over his face, shaking
• 14:44
  Speaker 4: his head.
• 14:44
  Speaker 6: I still don't like it.
• 14:47
  Speaker 2: I know.
• 14:52
  Speaker 4: The chariot wheels cut deep grooves into the dirt as
• 14:56
  Speaker 4: Naaman and his men tore down the road, the weight
• 14:59
  Speaker 4: of their failed mission pressing like an iron yoke on
• 15:03
  Speaker 4: their shoulders. Naaman sat rigid, his knuckles white around the reins.
• 15:09
  Speaker 4: His breath came shallow, nostrils flaring, the same way it
• 15:13
  Speaker 4: did right before he sent men to their deaths. His
• 15:17
  Speaker 4: officers knew that look. They had seen it on battlefields,
• 15:21
  Speaker 4: had seen it when villages were burned, had seen it
• 15:24
  Speaker 4: before blood was spilled. It was the look of a
• 15:27
  Speaker 4: man who was one order away from destruction.
• 15:33
  Speaker 2: The arrogance.
• 15:37
  Speaker 4: No one spoke.
• 15:39
  Speaker 2: The words tasted like poison in his mouth. One of
• 15:44
  Speaker 2: his officers cleared his throat carefully.
• 15:47
  Speaker 3: The force of it.
• 15:48
  Speaker 2: Made his men flinch. Naaman's breath was ragged.
• 16:07
  Speaker 4: His pride boiling over like water left too long on fire.
• 16:11
  Speaker 2: Are not the rivers of Damascus better than all the
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: waters of Israel? Abana, Vapar, clear, mighty rivers. Not this,
• 16:26
  Speaker 2: this swamp.
• 16:29
  Speaker 4: He gestured toward the distant Jordan, refusing to even say
• 16:34
  Speaker 4: its name again.
• 16:36
  Speaker 2: That's not healing. That's mockery. Come, men. We ride home.
• 16:50
  Speaker 4: Suddenly, a voice, soft but steady. One of his younger servants.
• 16:57
  Speaker 4: A boy, barely of age, riding just behind him.
• 17:00
  Speaker 3: My lord, if the prophet had told you to do
• 17:03
  Speaker 3: something great, would you not have done it?
• 17:06
  Speaker 4: Naaman's grip tightened.
• 17:08
  Speaker 6: Would you not have climbed mountains, crossed deserts, slain enemies,
• 17:13
  Speaker 6: paid any cost?
• 17:15
  Speaker 3: Then why not this?
• 17:17
  Speaker 6: Why not something simple?
• 17:19
  Speaker 4: Naaman's chest rose and fell, his breathing heavy. Then the
• 17:25
  Speaker 4: words sank in. He had been ready to fight for
• 17:29
  Speaker 4: his healing, to conquer it, to take it by force,
• 17:33
  Speaker 4: by coin, by will. But could he accept it? Could
• 17:38
  Speaker 4: he take it as it was offered? Not through power,
• 17:42
  Speaker 4: but through humility. A muscle in his jaw twitched. The
• 17:47
  Speaker 4: road forked ahead. One way led back to Damascus, the other....
• 17:53
  Speaker 2: Navi. So wise for one so young. Perhaps wiser than
• 18:02
  Speaker 2: the great Naaman. Oh, all right. Onward to the Jordan.
• 18:15
  Speaker 4: The water lapped lazily against the banks, murky and unimpressive.
• 18:21
  Speaker 4: It was small, almost unworthy of the task set before it.
• 18:26
  Speaker 4: Naaman stood at the edge, staring. His men watched in silence.
• 18:31
  Speaker 4: No one moved, no one breathed. Naaman exhaled and stepped forward.
• 18:39
  Speaker 4: The water was cold at first, a shock against his skin.
• 18:43
  Speaker 4: He walked further. The filth of the river swirled around him.
• 18:48
  Speaker 4: The taste of pride lingered bitter on his tongue. And
• 18:52
  Speaker 4: then he dipped beneath the surface.
• 18:55
  Speaker 2: Once. Twice. Again.
• 18:59
  Speaker 4: The water closed over him. The filth clinged to him
• 19:03
  Speaker 4: like a second skim. Four, five, six. He lingered, his
• 19:09
  Speaker 4: breath pressing tight in his chest. And on the seventh,
• 19:13
  Speaker 4: he rose. And the sickness was gone. The sores, the rot,
• 19:20
  Speaker 4: the shame, gone. Naaman staggered. His hands grasped at his arms,
• 19:26
  Speaker 4: his chest, his face, searching for what was missing.
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: But only new flesh met his touch.
• 19:34
  Speaker 6: Hold.
• 19:34
  Speaker 4: Clean, a warrior reborn. His men stared. Naaman fell to
• 19:41
  Speaker 4: his knees, breathless.
• 19:43
  Speaker 2: There is no God in all the world but Yahweh.
• 19:57
  Speaker 4: Naaman's chariots kicked up dust as they thundered back toward
• 20:02
  Speaker 4: Elisha's house, but this time they did not ride with arrogance.
• 20:06
  Speaker 4: There was no expectation, no pride, only something new, something lighter,
• 20:13
  Speaker 4: something Naaman had never felt before. Gratitude. He leapt from
• 20:18
  Speaker 4: his chariot before it had fully stopped, his freshly healed
• 20:22
  Speaker 4: skin catching the late afternoon sun. There was no rot,
• 20:26
  Speaker 4: no sickness, just the feeling of wind against flesh that
• 20:31
  Speaker 4: no longer burned with decay. He strode forward and dropped
• 20:36
  Speaker 4: to his knees before Elisha, his voice trembling with something
• 20:40
  Speaker 4: that felt dangerously close to awe.
• 20:43
  Speaker 2: Now I know there is no God in all the
• 20:47
  Speaker 2: world except in Israel.
• 20:50
  Speaker 4: Elisha, who had been calmly feeding a goat a handful
• 20:54
  Speaker 4: of dates, barely looked up.
• 20:57
  Speaker 3: Oh good, you figured it out.
• 20:59
  Speaker 4: Naaman exhaled a soft laugh, shaking his head.
• 21:06
  Speaker 2: Please take these gifts. I brought silver, gold, fine garments.
• 21:11
  Speaker 2: You've healed me, and I will pay you whatever you ask.
• 21:16
  Speaker 4: Elisha finally turned, and his face changed. It was subtle,
• 21:21
  Speaker 4: something in the eyes, something in the way his body
• 21:25
  Speaker 4: suddenly held a stillness that was not passive, but deliberate.
• 21:30
  Speaker 4: Elisha looked at Naaman as though he pitied him.
• 21:33
  Speaker 5: No.
• 21:34
  Speaker 2: No. No.
• 21:38
  Speaker 4: Elisha dusted off his hands, standing.
• 21:41
  Speaker 3: This is not my doing. This is the work of
• 21:44
  Speaker 3: the Lord, and Yahweh does not sell his mercy.
• 21:48
  Speaker 4: Naaman hesitated. He was not used to this. Everything in
• 21:53
  Speaker 4: his life had been earned, won, purchased with blood, sweat,
• 21:59
  Speaker 4: and coin. But now, a gift, unpaid for? Naaman exhaled,
• 22:06
  Speaker 4: the weight of it settling into his bones. He turned
• 22:09
  Speaker 4: back to his chariots, motioning for his men to bring
• 22:13
  Speaker 4: forth a sack filled not with gold, but earth, simple
• 22:18
  Speaker 4: dirt taken from Israel's land.
• 22:21
  Speaker 2: Then let me take this soil, that I may worship
• 22:25
  Speaker 2: Yahweh alone, even in the land of Aram.
• 22:31
  Speaker 4: Elisha nodded once and Naaman bowed low before mounting his chariot.
• 22:37
  Speaker 4: The wheels creaked as they turned toward home, but someone
• 22:41
  Speaker 4: was watching them go and his heart wasn't settled. Gehazi
• 22:47
  Speaker 4: stood at the doorway, his stomach twisting in knots. He
• 22:52
  Speaker 4: had been quiet through the entire exchange, his hands curling
• 22:56
  Speaker 4: into fists, unclenching, curling again. He watched the gold, the silver,
• 23:02
  Speaker 4: the riches ride away into the horizon. And it made
• 23:06
  Speaker 4: no sense.
• 23:08
  Speaker 2: None of it.
• 23:09
  Speaker 4: They had nothing. They lived off scraps, off miracles and faith,
• 23:14
  Speaker 4: while Elisha threw away the greatest provision they had ever
• 23:18
  Speaker 4: been offered. His mind raced. Did Elisha not understand? Did
• 23:24
  Speaker 4: he not see? This money could have fed the prophets.
• 23:28
  Speaker 4: It could have rebuilt homes. It could have funded Yahweh's work,
• 23:32
  Speaker 4: and Elisha let it go. Gehazi's breath came sharp through
• 23:37
  Speaker 4: his nose. Then, suddenly, his feet were moving. Before he
• 23:43
  Speaker 4: had even made the choice in his mind, his body
• 23:47
  Speaker 4: had already decided. The hooves of Naaman's horses drummed against
• 23:52
  Speaker 4: the road when he heard a voice calling out behind him.
• 23:57
  Speaker 6: My lord, Naaman, Naaman, wait, wait.
• 24:01
  Speaker 4: Naaman turned, surprised. His men halted the chariots, their hands
• 24:06
  Speaker 4: instinctively drifting to their weapons. Gehazi jogged forward, panting, his
• 24:12
  Speaker 4: face set in a look of careful urgency.
• 24:16
  Speaker 6: My master's changed his mind.
• 24:18
  Speaker 4: Naaman furrowed his brow.
• 24:21
  Speaker 6: Oh.
• 24:22
  Speaker 4: Gehazi placed his hands on his knees as if catching
• 24:26
  Speaker 4: his breath. But really, he was stalling.
• 24:29
  Speaker 6: The two young prophets have just arrived.
• 24:33
  Speaker 2: Poor boys, right?
• 24:34
  Speaker 6: Fresh from the ill country. My master wished he'd taken
• 24:38
  Speaker 6: your offer, that we might clothe him and provide for
• 24:41
  Speaker 6: their needs. Would you spare a talent of silver? Perhaps
• 24:46
  Speaker 6: two garments?
• 24:47
  Speaker 4: A pause. Then, Naaman's face lit up. Of course, this
• 24:54
  Speaker 4: made sense. He had been right to offer a gift.
• 24:58
  Speaker 4: He laughed, clapping Gehazi on the shoulder.
• 25:03
  Speaker 2: So, Elisha has come to his senses. Wonderful. Naaman is
• 25:07
  Speaker 2: happy to oblige. Here, take four. Take as much as
• 25:11
  Speaker 2: you need.
• 25:13
  Speaker 4: He motioned to his men, who hastily dismounted, unstrapping the
• 25:17
  Speaker 4: heavy sacks of silver, loading them into Gehazi's arms. It
• 25:22
  Speaker 4: was easier than expected. Gehazi swallowed down the knot in
• 25:26
  Speaker 4: his throat and nodded. Then he turned and walked away,
• 25:31
  Speaker 4: with hands full and a heart emptied. Gehazi thought he
• 25:39
  Speaker 4: had hidden it well. The moment he returned, he had
• 25:43
  Speaker 4: stashed the silver, the garments, the evidence. He had calmed
• 25:48
  Speaker 4: his breath, had wiped the sweat from his brow. He
• 25:51
  Speaker 4: entered the house as if nothing had happened, and Elisha
• 25:55
  Speaker 4: was waiting, seated, still. But the moment Gehazi stepped inside,
• 26:02
  Speaker 4: the air felt different, and Elisha, Elisha was looking at him,
• 26:08
  Speaker 4: through him.
• 26:09
  Speaker 2: Where have you been, Ghazi?
• 26:11
  Speaker 4: A moment, a heartbeat, too long.
• 26:15
  Speaker 2: Nowhere, really.
• 26:17
  Speaker 6: Errands to run, things to manage, and all that.
• 26:20
  Speaker 4: Elisha flinched, not in anger, not in disappointment, but in pain,
• 26:27
  Speaker 4: because this was Gehazi, his Gehazi, the man who had
• 26:33
  Speaker 4: raised him when his own father had been too busy,
• 26:37
  Speaker 4: the man who had carried him on his shoulders as
• 26:39
  Speaker 4: a boy, who had taught him how to sharpen a blade,
• 26:43
  Speaker 4: how to build a fire, how to read the weather
• 26:46
  Speaker 4: in the sky. The man who had been there when
• 26:50
  Speaker 4: Elijah was taken from him. The only constant when everything
• 26:54
  Speaker 4: else had crumbled into dust. And now, Elisha took a
• 26:59
  Speaker 4: slow breath, steadying himself.
• 27:03
  Speaker 3: Gehazi, was not my spirit with you when Naaman stepped
• 27:06
  Speaker 3: down from his chariot to meet you?
• 27:09
  Speaker 4: Gehazi's breath hitched. No, no, no, no. Elisha knew. The
• 27:17
  Speaker 4: blood in Gehazi's veins went cold. Elisha stood, his face
• 27:23
  Speaker 4: etched with sorrow.
• 27:25
  Speaker 3: Qazi, why?
• 27:28
  Speaker 4: It wasn't condemnation. It was desperation. Despite knowing the truth,
• 27:35
  Speaker 4: Elisha held out hope that perhaps there was some good
• 27:38
  Speaker 4: explanation for his servant's disobedience. There was not. I.
• 27:43
  Speaker 2: I.
• 27:46
  Speaker 4: He didn't know what to say. How could he explain it?
• 27:50
  Speaker 4: That he had done it for the prophets? That he
• 27:53
  Speaker 4: had done it for the people? That he had done
• 27:55
  Speaker 4: it because someone had to be practical because Elisha never was?
• 28:00
  Speaker 4: It all felt so foolish now. Elisha shook his head,
• 28:05
  Speaker 4: his voice breaking.
• 28:07
  Speaker 3: I already lost Elijah. I cannot lose you too.
• 28:11
  Speaker 4: Gehazi felt something in his chest collapse. His knees shook,
• 28:17
  Speaker 4: his hands trembled. He wanted to fall to the floor,
• 28:21
  Speaker 4: to weep, to beg for mercy. But it was too late,
• 28:26
  Speaker 4: because Elisha was already turning his head, like he was
• 28:29
  Speaker 4: hearing something Gehazi could not. And suddenly, his breath caught,
• 28:35
  Speaker 4: his eyes filled. He shook his head, whispering.
• 28:41
  Speaker 2: Gehazi.
• 28:42
  Speaker 3: The disease that left Naaman.
• 28:45
  Speaker 4: His fingers clenched at his robe, like if he gripped
• 28:49
  Speaker 4: hard enough, he could take back the words.
• 28:53
  Speaker 3: It will cling to you.
• 28:55
  Speaker 4: His throat closed, his breath shook, and then softer.
• 29:01
  Speaker 3: And to your children after you.
• 29:05
  Speaker 4: A silence so deep it felt like the heavens themselves
• 29:09
  Speaker 4: held their breath. Gehazi froze, then a shudder. His breath stuttered,
• 29:17
  Speaker 4: his hands trembling, and then the burning began. The sickness
• 29:23
  Speaker 4: crept up his skin, bubbling, boiling, his flesh turning white
• 29:28
  Speaker 4: with the first signs of rot. Gehazi stumbled back, gasping,
• 29:34
  Speaker 4: clutching his arms, his chest. Elisha watched, but he could
• 29:38
  Speaker 4: not move. He could not breathe. His legs shook beneath him,
• 29:43
  Speaker 4: his hands clutching at his chest like he had been stabbed.
• 29:48
  Speaker 4: This was not anger. This was grief so deep it
• 29:53
  Speaker 4: threatened to break him apart. And Gehazi Gehazi fell to
• 29:58
  Speaker 4: his knees, trembling. He did not weep, for he had
• 30:03
  Speaker 4: been taught long ago to not show his sorrow, a
• 30:06
  Speaker 4: lesson he refused to teach Elisha as a boy. He
• 30:10
  Speaker 4: looked up, meeting his master's eyes.
• 30:12
  Speaker 2: I failed.
• 30:15
  Speaker 4: His hands curled into fists, the leprosy spreading, crawling up
• 30:20
  Speaker 4: his arms like judgment woven into his very flesh.
• 30:25
  Speaker 2: I failed you, Elisha. I failed your father.
• 30:29
  Speaker 5: And I... I failed.
• 30:33
  Speaker 4: I failed the Lord. At that, the walls broke. A
• 30:39
  Speaker 4: sob ripped from his throat. It was brief, like the
• 30:43
  Speaker 4: flicker of a candle's flame the moment before it is
• 30:46
  Speaker 4: blown out. Gehazi took a deep breath, collecting himself.
• 30:52
  Speaker 3: I accept my fate.
• 30:56
  Speaker 4: It is just.
• 30:58
  Speaker 6: If I were to travel on with you, I know
• 31:01
  Speaker 6: I'd only hold you back from your mission.
• 31:04
  Speaker 3: Oh, Master, I hope you can forgive me one day.
• 31:09
  Speaker 4: Tears slipped down his face as he looked up, one
• 31:13
  Speaker 4: final time. And then he turned and walked into the night,
• 31:20
  Speaker 4: forever unclean, forever alone. Elisha fell to his knees. and wept.
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: This Pray.com production is only made possible by our dedicated
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: team of creative talents. Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Schellebarger,
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People,
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton,
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia Zaradok,
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: Thomas Copeland Jr., Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Lashinsky. Music by
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: Andrew Morgan Smith. Written by Aaron Salvato, Brie Rosely, and
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: Chris Baig.
• 32:06
  Speaker 4: You can hear more Prey.com productions on the Prey.com app,
• 32:10
  Speaker 4: available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
• 32:13
  Speaker 4: If you enjoyed The Chosen People, please rate and leave
• 32:16
  Speaker 4: a review.