1Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah,[1] who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.2He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his ancestors.3Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem.4He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done.5He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear[2] of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.6He went to war against the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod. He then rebuilt towns near Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines.7God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabs who lived in Gur Baal and against the Meunites.8The Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the border of Egypt, because he had become very powerful.9Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate and at the angle of the wall, and he fortified them.10He also built towers in the wilderness and dug many cisterns, because he had much livestock in the foothills and in the plain. He had people working his fields and vineyards in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil.11Uzziah had a well-trained army, ready to go out by divisions according to their numbers as mustered by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer under the direction of Hananiah, one of the royal officials.12The total number of family leaders over the fighting men was 2,600.13Under their command was an army of 307,500 men trained for war, a powerful force to support the king against his enemies.14Uzziah provided shields, spears, helmets, coats of armour, bows and slingstones for the entire army.15In Jerusalem he made devices invented for use on the towers and on the corner defences so that soldiers could shoot arrows and hurl large stones from the walls. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.16But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.17Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the Lord followed him in.18They confronted King Uzziah and said, ‘It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honoured by the Lord God.’19Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the Lord’s temple, leprosy[3] broke out on his forehead.20When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the Lord had afflicted him.21King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house[4] – leprous, and excluded from the temple of the Lord. Jotham his son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.22The other events of Uzziah’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.23Uzziah rested with his ancestors and was buried near them in a cemetery that belonged to the kings, for people said, ‘He had leprosy.’ And Jotham his son succeeded him as king.
2 Chronicles 26
English Standard Version
Uzziah Reigns in Judah
1And all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.2He built Eloth and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers.3Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. (2Ki 15:2)4And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.5He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper. (2Ch 24:2; Da 1:17; Da 10:1)6He went out and made war against the Philistines and broke through the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod, and he built cities in the territory of Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines. (Isa 14:29)7God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabians who lived in Gurbaal and against the Meunites. (2Ch 20:1; 2Ch 21:16)8The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread even to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong. (2Sa 8:2; 2Ch 17:11)9Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate and at the Valley Gate and at the Angle, and fortified them. (2Ki 14:13; Ne 2:13; Ne 2:15; Ne 3:13; Ne 3:19)10And he built towers in the wilderness and cut out many cisterns, for he had large herds, both in the Shephelah and in the plain, and he had farmers and vinedressers in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil. (De 6:11; Ne 9:25)11Moreover, Uzziah had an army of soldiers, fit for war, in divisions according to the numbers in the muster made by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king’s commanders.12The whole number of the heads of fathers’ houses of mighty men of valor was 2,600.13Under their command was an army of 307,500, who could make war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. (2Ch 25:5)14And Uzziah prepared for all the army shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and stones for slinging. (Ne 4:16)15In Jerusalem he made machines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and great stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong.
Uzziah’s Pride and Punishment
16But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. (De 8:14; De 32:15; 2Ki 14:10; 2Ch 12:1; 2Ch 25:19; 2Ch 32:25; Eze 28:2; Eze 28:5; Eze 28:17)17But Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the Lord who were men of valor, (1Ch 6:10)18and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the Lord God.” (Ex 30:7; Nu 16:40; Nu 18:7)19Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy[1] broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the Lord, by the altar of incense. (Ex 4:6; Nu 12:10; 2Ki 5:27)20And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead! And they rushed him out quickly, and he himself hurried to go out, because the Lord had struck him.21And King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death, and being a leper lived in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the Lord. And Jotham his son was over the king’s household, governing the people of the land. (Le 13:46; Nu 5:2; 2Ki 15:5)22Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from first to last, Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz wrote. (Isa 1:1; Isa 6:1)23And Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the burial field that belonged to the kings, for they said, “He is a leper.” And Jotham his son reigned in his place.