2 Chronicles 26

Uzziah Succeeds Amaziah in Judah

1And all the people of Judah took 1Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah. 2He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers. 3Uzziah was 2sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was 3Jechiliah of Jerusalem. 4He did right in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 54He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, 5who had understanding 6through the vision of God; and 78as long as he sought the Lord, God prospered him.

Uzziah Succeeds in War

6Now he went out and 9warred against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the area of Ashdod and among the Philistines. 710God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites. 8The Ammonites also gave 11tribute to Uzziah, and his 12fame extended to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong. 9Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at 13the Corner Gate and at the 14Valley Gate and at the corner buttress and fortified them. 10He built towers in the wilderness and 15hewed many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the 16lowland and in the plain. He also had plowmen and vinedressers in the hill country and the fertile fields, for he loved the soil. 11Moreover, Uzziah had an army ready for battle, which 17entered combat by divisions according to the number of their muster, 18prepared by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the official, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king’s officers. 12The total number of the heads of the 19households, of valiant warriors, was 2,600. 13Under their direction was an 20elite army of 21307,500, who could wage war with great power, to help the king against the enemy. 14Moreover, Uzziah prepared 22for all the army shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows and sling stones. 15In Jerusalem he made engines of war invented by skillful men to be on the towers and on the corners for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones. Hence his 23fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.

Pride Is Uzziah’s Undoing

16But 24when he became strong, his heart was so 25proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the Lord his God, for 26he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17Then 27Azariah the priest entered after him and with him eighty priests of the Lord, valiant men. 1828They opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, “29It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, 30but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from the Lord God.” 19But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, 31the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the altar of incense. 20Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous on his forehead; and they hurried him out of there, and he himself also hastened to get out because the Lord had smitten him. 2132King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death; and he lived in 33a separate house, being a leper, for he was cut off from the house of the Lord. And Jotham his son was over the king’s house judging the people of the land.

22Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first to last, the prophet 34Isaiah, the son of Amoz, has written. 23So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers 35in the field of the grave which belonged to the kings, for they said, “He is a leper.” And Jotham his son became king in his place.