Uzziah’s Downfall^(A)

¹⁶ But when Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his ·ruin [downfall]. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God; he went into the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord to burn incense on the altar for incense [^Cwhich only priests should do]. ¹⁷ Azariah and eighty other brave priests who served the Lord followed Uzziah into the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. ¹⁸ They ·told him he was wrong [confronted the king] and said to him, “·You don’t have the right [It is not for you, Uzziah,] to burn incense to the Lord. Only the priests, Aaron’s descendants, should burn the incense, because they have been ·made holy [consecrated; set apart]. ·Leave this holy place [Get out of the sanctuary]. You have ·been unfaithful [sinned; disobeyed], and the Lord God will not honor you for this.”

¹⁹ Uzziah was standing beside the altar for incense in the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord, and in his hand was a ·pan for burning incense [censer]. He was ·very angry [furious] with the priests. As he was standing in front of the priests, ·a skin disease [^Tleprosy; ^Cthe term does not refer to modern leprosy (Hansen’s disease), but to various skin disorders; Lev. 13:2] broke out on his forehead. ²⁰ Azariah, the leading priest, and all the other priests looked at him and saw the ·skin disease [^Tleprosy] on his forehead. So they hurried him out of the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. Uzziah also rushed to get out, because the Lord ·was punishing [had struck/afflicted] him.