< 2 Chronicles 26 >

1 All the people of Judah took Uzziah, sixteen years old, and made him king in succession to his father Amaziah.
And all the people of Juda took his son Ozias, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of Amasias his father.
2 He rebuilt Eloth and brought it back into the kingdom of Judah after Amaziah died.
He built Ailath, and restored it to the dominion of Juda, after that the king slept with his fathers.
3 Uzziah was sixteen when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for fifty-two years. His mother's name was Jecoliah and she came from Jerusalem.
Ozias was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Jechelia of Jerusalem.
4 He did what was right in the Lord's sight as his father Amaziah had done.
And he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that Amasias his father had done.
5 He worshiped God during the lifetime of Zechariah, who taught him to respect God. As long as he followed the Lord, God made him successful.
And he sought the Lord in the days of Zacharias that understood and saw God: and as long as he sought the Lord, he directed him in all things.
6 Uzziah went to war against the Philistines, and he demolished the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. Then he built cities around Ashdod and in other Philistine areas.
Moreover he went forth and fought against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Geth, and the wall of Jabnia, and the wall of Azotus: and he built towns in Azotus, and among the Philistines.
7 God helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabians living in Gurbaal, and against the Meunites.
And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians, that dwelt in Gurbaal, and against the Ammonites.
8 The Meunites brought gifts as tribute to Uzziah. His reputation spread as far as the border of Egypt, for he became very powerful.
And the ammonites gave gifts to Ozias: and his name was spread abroad even to the entrance of Egypt for his frequent victories.
9 Uzziah built defensive towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate and the Valley Gate, and at the corner, and strengthened them.
And Ozias built towers in Jerusalem over the gate of the corner, and over the gate of the valley, and the rest, in the same side of the wall, and fortified them.
10 He also built towers in the desert and cut many water cisterns out of the rock, because he had a great deal of livestock in the foothills and on the plains. He had farmers and vineyard workers in the hills and in the fertile lowlands, for he loved the soil.
And he built towers in the wilderness, and dug many cisterns, for he had much cattle both in the plains, and in the waste of the desert: he had also vineyards and dressers of vines in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he was a man that loved husbandry.
11 Uzziah had an army of battle-ready soldiers, in divisions according to the numbers in the listing made by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the official, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king's commanders.
And the army of his fighting men, that went out to war, was under the hand of Jehiel the scribe, and Maasias the doctor, and under the hand of Henanias, who was one of the king’s captains.
12 The total number of family leaders was 2,600 fighting men.
And the whole number of the chiefs by the families of valiant men were two thousand six hundred.
13 Under their command was an army of 307,500 trained for battle, who had the power to help the king fight against the enemy.
And the whole army under them three hundred and seven thousand five hundred: who were fit for war, and fought for the king against the enemy.
14 Uzziah supplied shields, spears, helmets, armor, bows, and slingstones for the whole army.
And Ozias prepared for them, that is, for the whole army, shields, and spears, and helmets, and coats of mail, and bows, and slings to cast stones.
15 He also made skillfully designed war machines to fire arrows and large stones from the towers and corners of the wall. His reputation spread far and wide, for he received extraordinary help until he became really powerful.
And he made in Jerusalem engines of diverse kinds, which he placed in the towers, and in the corners of the walls, to shoot arrows, and great stones: and his name went forth far abroad, for the Lord helped him, and had strengthened him.
16 But because he was powerful he became arrogant, and this sled to his ruin. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and he himself entered the Lord's Temple to burn incense on the altar of incense.
But when he was made strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction, and he neglected the Lord his God: and going into the temple of the Lord, he had a mind to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
17 Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty brave priests of the Lord.
And immediately Azarias the priest going in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the Lord, most valiant men,
18 They stood up to him, and told him, “It's not your place to burn incense to the Lord. Only the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been set apart as holy may burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have sinned, and the Lord God will not bless you.”
Withstood the king and said: It doth not belong to thee, Ozias, to burn incense to the Lord, but to the priests, that is, to the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated for this ministry: go out of the sanctuary, do not despise: for this thing shall not be accounted to thy glory by the Lord God.
19 Uzziah, who was holding a censer in his hand to offer incense, became furious. But as he raged at the priests in the Lord's Temple in front of the altar of incense, leprosy appeared on his forehead.
And Ozias was angry, and holding in his hand the censer to burn incense, threatened the priests. And presently there rose a leprosy in his forehead before the priests, in the house of the Lord at the altar of incense.
20 When Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him and saw the leprosy on his forehead, they rushed him out. In fact he too was in a hurry to leave, because the Lord had struck him.
And Azarias the high priest, and all the rest of the priests looked upon him, and saw the leprosy in his forehead, and they made haste to thrust him out. Yea himself also being frightened, hasted to go out, because he had quickly felt the stroke of the Lord.
21 King Uzziah was a leper until the day he died. He lived by himself as a leper, barred from entering the Lord's Temple, while his son Jotham was placed in charge or the king's affairs and governed the country.
And Ozias the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and he dwelt in a house apart being full of the leprosy, for which he had been cast out of the house of the Lord. And Joatham his son governed the king’s house, and judged the people of the land.
22 The rest of what Uzziah did, from beginning to end, was written down by the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz.
But the rest of the acts of Ozias first and last were written by Isaias the son of Amos, the prophet.
23 Uzziah died and was buried near them in a cemetery belonging to the kings, for people said, “He was a leper.” His son Jotham took over as king.
And Ozias slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the field of the royal sepulchres, because he was a leper: and Joatham his son reigned in his stead.

< 2 Chronicles 26 >