2 Chronicles 26:6–16

Uzziah’s Fame Spreads Afar

⁶Then he went out and ^afought against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the area of Ashdod and among the Philistines.

^7aAnd God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites.

⁸The Ammonites also gave ^atribute to Uzziah, and his ¹fame extended to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong.

⁹Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at ^athe Corner Gate and at the ^bValley Gate and at the corner buttress and strengthened them.

¹⁰He also built towers in the wilderness and ^ahewed many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the ¹Shephelah and in the plain. He also had plowmen and vinedressers in the hill country and the fertile fields, for he loved the soil.

¹¹Moreover, Uzziah had a military force which could wage war, which went out for military duty by divisions according to the number of their muster, prepared by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king’s officials.

¹²The total number of the heads of the ¹households, of mighty men of valor, was 2,600.

¹³And under their hand was a ¹mighty army of ^a307,500, who could wage war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.

¹⁴Moreover, Uzziah prepared ¹for all the army shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows, and stones for slings.

¹⁵In Jerusalem he also made devices of war devised by skillful designers to be on the towers and on the corners for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones. Hence his ¹fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.

Uzziah’s Pride

¹⁶But ^awhen he became strong, his heart was so ¹proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to Yahweh his God. And ^bhe entered the temple of Yahweh to burn incense on the altar of incense.