Uzziah King of Judah
1
Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old,
and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.
2
He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it Judah
after Amaziah rested with his fathers.
3
Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king and he reigned in Jerusalem
fifty-two years. His mother's name was Jecoliah: she was from Jerusalem.
4
He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD,
just as his father Amaziah had done.
5
He sought God during the days of Zechariah who instructed him
in the fear of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.
6
He 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.
7
God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabs
who lived Gur Baal and against the Meunites.
8
The Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread
as far as the border of Egypt, because he had become very powerful.
9
Uzziah bulit towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate
and at the angle of the wall, and he fortified them.
10
He also built towers in the desert and dug many cisterns, because he had much
livestock in the foothills and in the plain. He had people working his fields and
vinyards in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil.
11
Uzziah 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.
12
THe total number of family leaders over the fighting men was 2,600.
13
Under their command was an army of 307,500 men trained for war,
a powerful force to supoport the king against his enemies.
14
Uzziah provided shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor,
bows and slingstones for the entire army.
15
In Jerusalem he made machines designed by skillful men for use of on
the towers and on the corner defenses to shoot arrows and hurl large stones.
His fame spread far and wide, for the greatly helped until he became powerful.
16
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 incesne
on the altar of incense.
17
Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the LORD followed him in.
18
They confronted him and siad, "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 honored by the LORD God."
19
Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry.
While he was raging at the priest in their presence before the incense altar
in the LORD's temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead.
20
When 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.
21
King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house -
leprous, and excluded from the temple of the LORD. Jotham his son had
charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.
22
THe other events of Uzziah's reign, from beginning to end, are recorded by
the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.
23
Uzziah restrd with his fathers and was buried near them in a field for burial
that belonged to the kings, for people said, "He had leprosy."
And Jotham his son succeeded him as king.
