2 Chronicles 26

1 All the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.

Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.

2 It was he who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah. After that the king slept with his ancestors.

He was the builder of Eloth, which he got back for Judah after the death of the king.

3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign. He reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem.

Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he was ruling in Jerusalem for fifty-two years; his mother's name was Jechiliah of Jerusalem.

4 He did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, following the example of his father, Amaziah, in everything.

He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Amaziah had done.

5 He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who taught him to honor God. As long as he sought Yahweh, God made him prosper.

He gave himself to searching after God in the days of Zechariah, who made men wise in the fear of God; and as long as he was true to the Lord, God made things go well for him.

6 Uzziah went out and fought against the Philistines. He broke down the city walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod; he built cities in the country of Ashdod and among the Philistines.

He went out and made war against the Philistines, pulling down the walls of Gath and Jabneh and Ashdod, and building towns in the country round Ashdod and among the Philistines.

7 God helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabians who lived in Gurbaal, and against the Meunites.

And God gave him help against the Philistines, and against the Arabians living in Gur-baal, and against the Meunim.

8 The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread, even to the entrance of Egypt, because he was becoming more powerful.

The Ammonites gave offerings to Uzziah: and news of him went out as far as the limit of Egypt; for he became very great in power.

9 In addition, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.

Uzziah made towers in Jerusalem, at the doorway in the angle and at the doorway in the valley and at the turn of the wall, arming them.

10 He built watchtowers in the wilderness and dug many cisterns, for he had much cattle, in the lowlands as well as in the plains. He had farmers and vine growers in the hill country and in the fruitful fields, for he loved farming.

And he put up towers in the waste land and made places for storing water, for he had much cattle, in the low hills and in the table land; and he had farmers and vine-keepers in the mountains and in the fertile land, for he was a lover of farming.

11 In addition, Uzziah had an army of fighting men who went out to war in groups which were organized by their number that were counted by Jeiel, the scribe, and Maaseiah, the officer, under the authority of Hananiah, one of the king's commanders.

In addition, Uzziah had an army of fighting-men who went out to war in bands, as they had been listed by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the ruler, under the authority of Hananiah, one of the king's captains.

12 The whole number of the leaders of the families who led the mighty men was 2,600.

The heads of families, the strong men of war, were two thousand, six hundred.

13 Under their hand was an army of 307,500 men that made war with mighty power to help the king against the enemy.

And under their orders was a trained army of three hundred and seven thousand, five hundred, of great strength in war, helping the king against any who came against him.

14 Uzziah prepared for them—for all the army—shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and stones for slinging.

And Uzziah had all these forces armed with body-covers and spears and head-covers and coats of metal and bows and stones for sending from leather bands.

15 In Jerusalem he built machines that were designed by skillful men to be on the towers and on the battlements to shoot arrows and large stones. His fame spread to distant lands, for he was greatly helped and so he became very powerful.

And in Jerusalem he made machines, the invention of expert men, to be placed on the towers and angles of the walls for sending arrows and great stones. And his name was honoured far and wide; for he was greatly helped till he was strong.

16 But when Uzziah had become powerful, his heart was lifted up so that he acted corruptly; he trespassed against Yahweh, his God, for he went into the house of Yahweh to burn incense on the altar of incense.

But when he had become strong, his heart was lifted up in pride, causing his destruction; and he did evil against the Lord his God; for he went into the Temple of the Lord for the purpose of burning perfumes on the altar of perfumes.

17 Azariah, the priest, went in after him, and with him eighty priests of Yahweh, who were brave men.

And Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty of the Lord's priests, who were strong men;

18 They resisted Uzziah, the king, and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to Yahweh, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the holy place, for you have been unfaithful and you will not be honored by Yahweh God.”

And they made protests to Uzziah the king, and said to him, The burning of perfumes, Uzziah, is not your business but that of the priests, the sons of Aaron, who have been made holy for this work: go out of the holy place, for you have done wrong, and it will not be to your honour before God.

19 Then Uzziah became angry. He was holding a censer in his hand to burn incense. While he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of Yahweh, beside the altar of incense.

Then Uzziah was angry; and he had in his hand a vessel for burning perfume; and while his wrath was bitter against the priests, the mark of the leper's disease came out on his brow, before the eyes of the priests in the house of the Lord by the altar of perfumes.

20 Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and, behold, he had become leprous on his forehead. They quickly drove him out of there. Indeed, he hurried to go out, because Yahweh had struck him.

And Azariah, the chief priest, and all the priests, looking at him, saw the mark of the leper on his brow, and they sent him out quickly and he himself went out straight away, for the Lord's punishment had come on him.

21 Uzziah, the king, was a leper to the day of his death and lived in a separate house since he was a leper, for he was cut off from the house of Yahweh. Jotham, his son, was over the king's house and ruled the people of the land.

So King Uzziah was a leper till the day of his death, living separately in his private house; for he was cut off from the house of God; and Jotham his son was ruling over his house, judging the people of the land.

22 The other matters concerning Uzziah, from first to last, were recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.

Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, were recorded by Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz.

23 So Uzziah slept with his ancestors; they buried him with his ancestors in a burial ground that belonged to the kings, for they said, “He is a leper.” Jotham, his son, became king in his place.

So Uzziah went to rest with his fathers; and they put his body into the earth in the field used for the resting-place of the kings, for they said, He is a leper: and Jotham his son became king in his place.