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26 Forsooth all the people of Judah made Uzziah[a], his son, of sixteen years age, king for his father Amaziah. (Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, or Azariah, Amaziah’s son, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father.)

He builded Eloth (And he rebuilt Eloth), and restored it to the lordship of Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.

Uzziah was of sixteen years (Uzziah was sixteen years old), when he began to reign; and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem; and the name of his mother was Jecoliah, of Jerusalem.

And he did that, that was rightful in the sight of the Lord, by all things which Amaziah, his father, had done.

And he sought the Lord in the days of Zechariah, understanding and seeing God (who had understanding in the visions of God); and when he sought God, God ruled him in all things.

And he went out, and fought against (the) Philistines, and destroyed the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he builded strong places in Ashdod, and in Philistines (and he built fortified cities in Ashdod, and among the Philistines).

And the Lord helped him both against Philistines, and against Arabians that dwelled in Gurbaal, and against Ammonites. (And the Lord helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabs who lived in Gurbaal, and against the Meunites/and the Mehunims.)

[And] Ammonites paid gifts to Uzziah (And the Ammonites paid tribute, or taxes, to Uzziah), and his name was published unto the entering of Egypt for his oft victories.

And Uzziah builded towers in Jerusalem over the gate of the corner, and over the gate of the valley, and other towers in the same side of the wall (and other towers on the same side of the wall); and he made those steadfast, or strong.

10 Also he builded towers in the wilderness, and digged full many cisterns; for he had many beasts, as well in the field places, as in the vastness of desert (for he had many beasts, in the fields, and in the vast wilderness). Also he had vineries, and tillers of vines in the hills/in the great mountain(s), and in Carmel; for he was a man given to earth-tilling.

11 And (he had) the host of his warriors, that went forth to battles, under the hand of Jeiel, (the) scribe, and of Maaseiah, the teacher, and under the hand of Hananiah, that was of the dukes of the king. (And he had the army of his warriors, who went forth to battle, all listed, or registered, by Jeiel, the writer, or the royal secretary, and Maaseiah, the teacher, and Hananiah, who was one of the king’s leaders;)

12 and all the number of (the) princes, by their families, was of strong men two thousand and six hundred. (and the number of all the leaders of his fighting men, by their families, was two thousand and six hundred.)

13 And under them was all the host, three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, that were able to battle (who were well able for battle), and fought for the king against (his) adversaries.

14 And Uzziah made ready to them, that is, to all the host, shields, and spears, and basinets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to cast stones. (And Uzziah had made for all his army, many shields, and spears, helmets, and breastplates, and bows, and slings to throw stones.)

15 And he made in Jerusalem engines of diverse kind, which he set in towers, and in the corners of walls, that those should cast out arrows and great stones (from which they would send out arrows and great stones); and his name went out far, for the Lord helped him, and had made him strong.

16 But when he was made strong, his heart was raised up into his perishing; and he despised the Lord his God (for he defied the Lord his God); and he entered into the temple of the Lord, and would burn incense upon the altar of incense.

17 And anon Azariah, the priest, entered after him, and with him sixty priests of the Lord, men full noble; (And at once, the High Priest Azariah went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the Lord, all very noble men;)

18 which against-stood the king, and said to him, Uzziah, it is not of thine office, that thou burn incense to the Lord, but of the priests of the Lord, that is, the sons of Aaron, that be hallowed to such service; go thou out of the saintuary; and despise thou not God; for this thing shall not be areckoned of the Lord God to thee into glory. (who stood against the king, and said to him, Uzziah, it is not thy duty to burn incense to the Lord, but only the duty of the priests of the Lord, that is, the sons of Aaron, who be consecrated for such service; go thou out of the sanctuary; offend thou not; for this thing shall not be counted as glory for thee by the Lord God.)

19 And Uzziah was wroth, and he held in his hand the censer for to offer incense, and he menaced the priests; and anon leprosy was sprung forth in his forehead, before the priests in the house of the Lord, upon the altar of incense. (And Uzziah was angry, and he held in his hand the censer to offer incense, and he threatened the priests; and at once leprosy sprung out on his forehead, in front of the priests in the House of the Lord, as they stood by the altar of incense.)

20 And when Azariah, the bishop, had beheld him, and also all the other priests, they saw leprosy in his forehead, and anon they putted the king out of the temple; but also he was afeared, and hasted to go out; for he feeled anon the vengeance of the Lord. (And when the High Priest Azariah, and all the other priests, beheld him, and they saw that leprosy had sprung out on his forehead, they put the king out of the Temple at once; and he was afraid, and hastened to go out; for he felt at once the vengeance of the Lord.)

21 Therefore king Uzziah was leprous unto the day of his death, and dwelled in an house by itself (and lived in a house set apart), and he was full of leprosy; for which he was cast out of the house of the Lord. And Jotham, his son, governed the house of the king, and deemed the people of the land.

22 And Isaiah, the prophet, the son of Amoz, wrote the residue of the former and of the last words of Uzziah. (And the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, wrote down the rest of the first and the last deeds of Uzziah.)

23 And Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried not him in the field of the kings’ sepulchres, for he was leprous; and Jotham, his son, reigned for him. (And Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in a field, and not in the tombs of the kings, for he was leprous; and his son Jotham reigned for him.)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 26:1 Also known as Azariah.

Uzziah King of Judah(A)(B)

26 Then all the people of Judah(C) took Uzziah,[a] who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his ancestors.

Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear[b] of God.(D) As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.(E)

He went to war against the Philistines(F) and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod.(G) He then rebuilt towns near Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines. God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabs(H) who lived in Gur Baal and against the Meunites.(I) The Ammonites(J) brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the border of Egypt, because he had become very powerful.

Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate,(K) at the Valley Gate(L) and at the angle of the wall, and he fortified them. 10 He also built towers in the wilderness and dug many cisterns, because he had much livestock in the foothills and in the plain. He had people working his fields and vineyards 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 support the king against his enemies. 14 Uzziah provided shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows and slingstones for the entire army.(M) 15 In Jerusalem he made devices invented for use on the towers and on the corner defenses so that soldiers could shoot arrows and hurl large stones from the walls. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.

16 But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride(N) led to his downfall.(O) He was unfaithful(P) to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense(Q) on the altar of incense. 17 Azariah(R) the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the Lord followed him in. 18 They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is for the priests,(S) the descendants(T) of Aaron,(U) who have been consecrated to burn incense.(V) 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 priests in their presence before the incense altar in the Lord’s temple, leprosy[c](W) 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[d](X)—leprous, and banned 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(Y) son of Amoz. 23 Uzziah(Z) rested with his ancestors and was buried near them in a cemetery that belonged to the kings, for people said, “He had leprosy.” And Jotham his son succeeded him as king.(AA)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 26:1 Also called Azariah
  2. 2 Chronicles 26:5 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac; other Hebrew manuscripts vision
  3. 2 Chronicles 26:19 The Hebrew for leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin; also in verses 20, 21 and 23.
  4. 2 Chronicles 26:21 Or in a house where he was relieved of responsibilities