2 Chronicles Chapter 26 Back Next{26:1} All the people of
Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his
father Amaziah.
{26:2} He built
Eloth, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.
{26:3} Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty-two years in
Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Jechiliah, of Jerusalem.
{26:4} He did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.
{26:5} He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the vision of God: and as long as he sought Yahweh, God made him to prosper.
{26:6} He went forth and warred 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 country of Ashdod, and among the Philistines.
{26:7} God helped him against the Philistines, and against the
Arabians who lived in
Gur Baal, and the Meunim.
{26:8} The
Ammonites gave tribute to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entrance of
Egypt; for he grew exceeding strong.
{26:9} Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the
corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.
{26:10} He built towers in the wilderness, and dug out many
cisterns, for he had much livestock; in the lowland also, and in the plain: and he had farmers and vineyard keepers in the mountains and in the fruitful
fields; for he loved farming.
{26:11} Moreover Uzziah had an
army of fighting men, who went out to war by bands, according to the number of their reckoning made by
Jeiel the scribe and
Maaseiah the officer, under the hand of
Hananiah, one of the king's
captains.
{26:12} The whole number of the heads of fathers' households, even the mighty men of valor, was two thousand and six hundred.
{26:13} Under their hand was an army, three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, who made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.
{26:14} Uzziah prepared for them, even for all the army, shields, and spears, and
helmets, and
coats of mail, and
bows, and stones for slinging.
{26:15} He made in Jerusalem
engines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and on the
battlements, with which to shoot
arrows and great stones. His name spread far abroad; for he was marvelously helped, until he was strong.
{26:16} But when he was strong, his
heart was lifted up, so that he did corruptly, and he trespassed against Yahweh his God; for he went into Yahweh's temple to burn
incense on the
altar of incense.
{26:17} Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him eighty priests of Yahweh, who were valiant men:
{26:18} and they resisted Uzziah the king, and said to him, "It isn't 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 sanctuary; for you have trespassed; neither shall it be for your honor from Yahweh God."
{26:19} Then Uzziah was angry; and he had a
censer in his hand to burn incense; and while he was angry with the priests, the
leprosy broke forth in his
forehead before the priests in the house of Yahweh, beside the altar of incense.
{26:20} Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked on him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out quickly from there; yes, himself hurried also to go out, because Yahweh had struck him.
{26:21} Uzziah the king was a leper to the day of his
death, and lived in a separate house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of Yahweh: and
Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land.
{26:22} Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last,
Isaiah the prophet, the son of
Amoz, wrote.
{26:23} So Uzziah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the field of
burial which belonged to the kings; for they said, "He is a leper." Jotham his son reigned in his place.
2 Chronicles Chapter 26 Back Next