2 Chronicles 26–32

¹And all the people of Judah take Uzziah (and he is a son of sixteen years), and cause him to reign instead of his father Amaziah. ²He hath built Eloth, and restoreth it to Judah after the king’s lying with his fathers. ³A son of sixteen years is Uzziah in his reigning, and fifty and two years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother is Jecholiah of Jerusalem. ⁴And he doth that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that Amaziah his father did, ⁵and he is as one seeking God in the days of Zechariah who hath understanding in visions of God: and in the days of his seeking Jehovah, God hath caused him to prosper. ⁶And he goeth forth, and fighteth with the Philistines, and breaketh down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and buildeth cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines. ⁷And God helpeth him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who are dwelling in Gur-Baal and the Mehunim. ⁸And the Ammonites give a present to Uzziah, and his name goeth unto the entering in of Egypt, for he strengthened himself greatly. ⁹And Uzziah buildeth towers in Jerusalem, by the gate of the corner, and by the gate of the valley, and by the angle, and strengtheneth them; ¹⁰and he buildeth towers in the wilderness, and diggeth many wells, for he had much cattle, both in the low country and in the plain, husbandmen and vine-dressers in the mountains, and in Carmel; for he was a lover of the ground. ¹¹And Uzziah hath a force, making war, going forth to the host, by troops, in the number of their reckoning by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Masseiah the officer, by the hand of Hananiah one of the heads of the king. ¹²The whole number of heads of the fathers of the mighty ones of valour is two thousand and six hundred; ¹³and by their hand is the force of the host, three hundred thousand, and seven thousand, and five hundred warriors, with mighty power to give help to the king against the enemy. ¹⁴And Uzziah prepareth for them, for all the host, shields, and spears, and helmets, and coats of mail, and bows, even to stones of the slings. ¹⁵And he maketh in Jerusalem inventions—a device of an inventor—to be on the towers, and on the corners, to shoot with arrows and with great stones, and his name goeth out unto a distance, for he hath been wonderfully helped till that he hath been strong.

¹⁶And at his being strong his heart hath been high unto destruction, and he trespasseth against Jehovah his God, and goeth in unto the temple of Jehovah to make perfume upon the altar of perfume. ¹⁷And Azariah the priest goeth in after him, and with him priests of Jehovah eighty, sons of valour, ¹⁸and they stand up against Uzziah the king, and say to him, ‘Not for thee, O Uzziah, to make perfume to Jehovah, but for priests, sons of Aaron, who are sanctified to make perfume; go forth from the sanctuary, for thou hast trespassed, and it is not to thee for honour from Jehovah God.’ ¹⁹And Uzziah is wroth, and in his hand is a censer to make perfume, and in his being wroth with the priests—the leprosy hath risen in his forehead, before the priests, in the house of Jehovah, from beside the altar of perfume. ²⁰And Azariah the head priest looketh unto him, and all the priests, and lo, he is leprous in his forehead, and they hasten him thence, and also he himself hath hastened to go out, for Jehovah hath plagued him. ²¹And Uzziah the king is a leper unto the day of his death, and inhabiteth a separate house—a leper, for he hath been cut off from the house of Jehovah, and Jotham his son is over the house of the king, judging the people of the land. ²²And the rest of the matters of Uzziah, the first and the last, hath Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet written; ²³and Uzziah lieth with his fathers, and they bury him with his fathers, in the field of the burying-place that the kings have, for they said, ‘He is a leper;’ and reign doth Jotham his son in his stead.

Chapter 27

¹A son of twenty and five years is Jotham in his reigning, and sixteen years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother is Jerushah daughter of Zadok. ²And he doth that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that Uzziah his father did; only, he hath not come in unto the temple of Jehovah; and again are the people doing corruptly. ³He hath built the upper gate of the house of Jehovah, and in the wall of Ophel he hath built abundantly; ⁴and cities he hath built in the hill-country of Judah, and in the forests he hath built palaces and towers. ⁵And he hath fought with the king of the sons of Ammon, and prevaileth over them, and the sons of Ammon give to him in that year a hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand cors of wheat, and of barley ten thousand; this have the sons of Ammon returned to him both in the second year, and in the third. ⁶And Jotham doth strengthen himself, for he hath prepared his ways before Jehovah his God. ⁷And the rest of the matters of Jotham, and all his battles, and his ways, lo, they are written on the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. ⁸A son of twenty and five years was he in his reigning, and sixteen years he hath reigned in Jerusalem; ⁹and Jotham lieth with his fathers, and they bury him in the city of David, and reign doth Ahaz his son in his stead.

Chapter 28

¹A son of twenty years is Ahaz in his reigning, and sixteen years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and he hath not done that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah, as David his father, ²and walketh in the ways of the kings of Israel, and also, molten images hath made for Baalim, ³and himself hath made perfume in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burneth his sons with fire according to the abominations of the nations that Jehovah dispossessed from the presence of the sons of Israel, ⁴and sacrificeth and maketh perfume in high places, and on the heights, and under every green tree. ⁵And Jehovah his God giveth him into the hand of the king of Aram, and they smite him, and take captive from him a great captivity, and bring them in to Damascus, and also into the hand of the king of Israel he hath been given, and he smiteth him—a great smiting.

⁶And Pekah son of Remaliah slayeth in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day (the whole are sons of valour), because of their forsaking Jehovah, God of their fathers. ⁷And Zichri, a mighty one of Ephraim, slayeth Maaseiah son of the king, and Azrikam leader of the house, and Elkanah second to the king. ⁸And the sons of Israel take captive of their brethren, two hundred thousand, wives, sons and daughters, and also much spoil they have seized from them, and they bring in the spoil to Samaria. ⁹And there hath been there a prophet of Jehovah (Oded is his name), and he goeth out before the host that hath come in to Samaria, and saith to them, ‘Lo, in the fury of Jehovah God of your fathers against Judah, He hath given them into your hand, and ye slay among them in rage—unto the heavens it hath come; ¹⁰and now, sons of Judah and Jerusalem ye are saying to subdue for men-servants and for maid-servants to you; but are there not with you causes of guilt before Jehovah your God? ¹¹and now, hear me, and send back the captives whom ye have taken captive of your brethren, for the heat of the anger of Jehovah is upon you.’ ¹²And certain of the heads of the sons of Ephraim (Azariah son of Johanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai), rise up against those coming in from the host, ¹³and say to them, ‘Ye do not bring in the captives hither, for, to guilt against Jehovah on us, ye are saying to add unto our sin and unto our guilt? for abundant is the guilt we have, and the fierceness of anger on Israel.’ ¹⁴And the armed men leave the captives and the prey before the heads and all the assembly; ¹⁵and the men who have been expressed by name rise and take hold on the captives, and all their naked ones they have clothed from the spoil, yea, they clothe them, and shoe them, and cause them to eat and drink, and anoint them, and lead them on asses, even every feeble one, and bring them in to Jericho, the city of palms, near their brethren, and turn back to Samaria.

¹⁶At that time hath king Ahaz sent unto the king of Asshur to give help to him; ¹⁷and again the Edomites have come, and smite in Judah, and take captive a captivity. ¹⁸And the Philistines have rushed against the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and capture Beth-Shemesh, and Aijalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho and its villages, and Timnah and its villages, and Gimzo and its villages, and dwell there, ¹⁹for Jehovah hath humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he made free with Judah, even to commit a trespass against Jehovah. ²⁰And Tilgath-Pilneser king of Asshur cometh in unto him, and doth distress him, and hath not strengthened him, ²¹though Ahaz hath taken a portion out of the house of Jehovah, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and giveth to the king of Asshur, yet it is no help to him. ²²And in the time of his distress—he addeth to trespass against Jehovah, (this king Ahaz), ²³and he sacrificeth to the gods of Damascus—those smiting him, and saith, ‘Because the gods of the kings of Aram are helping them, to them I sacrifice, and they help me,’ and they have been to him to cause him to stumble, and to all Israel. ²⁴And Ahaz gathereth the vessels of the house of God, and cutteth in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shutteth the doors of the house of Jehovah, and maketh to himself altars in every corner in Jerusalem. ²⁵And in every city and city of Judah he hath made high places to make perfume to other gods, and provoketh Jehovah, God of his fathers. ²⁶And the rest of his matters, and all his ways, the first and the last, lo, they are written on the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. ²⁷And Ahaz lieth with his fathers, and they bury him in the city, in Jerusalem, but have not brought him in to the graves of the kings of…