Chapter 26

Uzziah Succeeds Amaziah in Judah

1 And all the people of Judah took 1Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah.

2 He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers.

3 Uzziah was asixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was 1Jechiliah of Jerusalem.

4 He did right in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father Amaziah had done.

5 aHe continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, bwho had understanding 1through the vision of God; and 2cas long as he sought the Lord, God prospered him.

Uzziah Succeeds in War

6 Now he went out and awarred 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.

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

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

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

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

11 Moreover, Uzziah had an army ready for battle, which 1entered combat by divisions according to the number of their muster, 2prepared by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the official, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king’s officers.

12 The total number of the heads of the 1households, of valiant warriors, was 2,600.

13 Under their direction was an 1elite army of a307,500, who could wage war with great power, to help the king against the enemy.

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

15 In Jerusalem he made engines of war invented by skillful men 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.

Pride Is Uzziah’s Undoing

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

17 Then aAzariah the priest entered after him and with him eighty priests of the Lord, valiant men.

18 aThey opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, “bIt is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, cbut for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from the Lord God.”

19 But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, athe leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the altar of incense.

20 Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous on his forehead; and they hurried him out of there, and he himself also hastened to get out because the Lord had smitten him.

21 aKing Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death; and he lived in ba separate house, being a leper, for he was cut off from the house of the Lord. And Jotham his son was over the king’s house judging the people of the land.

22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first to last, the prophet aIsaiah, the son of Amoz, has written.

23 So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers ain the field of the grave which belonged to the kings, for they said, “He is a leper.” And Jotham his son became king in his place.