¹²The total number of family leaders who were over the fighting men was 2,600. ¹³An army of 307,500 men was under their command. The men were trained for war. They were a powerful force. They helped the king against his enemies. ¹⁴Uzziah provided the entire army with shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows, and stones for their slings. ¹⁵In Jerusalem he made machines that were based on patterns that skilled men had drawn up. The machines were used on the towers and on the corners of walls. They could shoot arrows. They could also throw large stones.

Uzziah became famous everywhere. God greatly helped him until he became powerful.

¹⁶But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride brought him down. He wasn’t faithful to the Lord his God. He entered the Lord’s temple to burn incense on the altar for burning incense.

¹⁷The priest Azariah followed him in. So did 80 other brave priests of the Lord. ¹⁸They stood up to Uzziah. They said, “Uzziah, it isn’t right for you to burn incense to the Lord. Only the priests are supposed to do that. They are members of the family line of Aaron. They have been set apart to burn incense. So get out of here. Leave the temple. You haven’t been faithful. The Lord God won’t honor you.”

¹⁹Uzziah was holding a shallow cup. He was ready to burn incense. He became angry. He shouted at the priests in the Lord’s temple. He did it near the altar for burning incense.

While he was shouting, a skin disease suddenly broke out on his forehead.

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