CHAPTER 26
All
the people
of Judah
took
Uzziah,
who
was sixteen
years old,
and made him king
in place of
his father
Amaziah.
Uzziah was the one
who rebuilt
Eloth
and restored
it to Judah
after
King Amaziah
rested
with
his fathers.
Uzziah
was sixteen
years old
when he became king,
and he reigned
in Jerusalem
fifty-two
years.
His mother’s
name
was Jecoliah;
she was from
Jerusalem.
He sought
God
throughout the days
of Zechariah,
who instructed him
in the fear
of God.
And as long as
he sought
the LORD,
God
gave him success.
Uzziah went out
to wage war
against the Philistines,
and he tore down
the walls
of Gath,
Jabneh,
and
Ashdod.
Then he built
cities
near Ashdod
and among the Philistines.
God
helped
him against
the Philistines,
against
the Arabs
living
in Gur-baal,
and against the Meunites.
The Ammonites
brought
tribute
to Uzziah,
and his fame
spread
as far
as the border
of Egypt,
for
he had become
exceedingly
powerful.
Uzziah
built
towers
in Jerusalem
at
the Corner
Gate,
the Valley
Gate,
and the angle in the wall,
and he fortified them.
Since
he had
much
livestock
in the foothills
and in the plain,
he built
towers
in the desert
and dug
many
cisterns.
And since
he was
a lover
of the soil,
he had farmers
and vinedressers
in the hill country
and in the fertile fields.
Uzziah
had
an army
ready
for battle
that went out
to war
by assigned divisions,
as recorded
by
Jeiel
the scribe
and Maaseiah
the officer
under
the direction
of Hananiah,
one of the royal
officers.
Under
their authority
was an army
of 307,500
equipped
for combat,
a powerful force
to support
the king
against
his enemies.
And in Jerusalem
he made
skillfully
designed
devices
to shoot
arrows
and catapult large
stones
from
the towers
and
corners.
So his fame
spread
far and wide,
for
he was marvelously
helped
until
he became powerful.
But when Uzziah grew powerful,
his arrogance
led to his own destruction.
He was unfaithful
to the LORD
his God,
for he entered
the temple
of the LORD
to burn incense
on
the altar
of incense.
They took their stand
against
King
Uzziah
and said,
“Uzziah,
you have no
right to offer incense
to the LORD.
Only
the priests,
the descendants
of Aaron,
are consecrated
to burn incense.
Leave
the sanctuary,
for
you have acted unfaithfully;
you will not
receive honor
from
the LORD
God."
Uzziah,
with a censer
in his hand
to offer incense,
was enraged.
But while he raged
against
the priests
in their presence
in the house
of the LORD
before
the altar
of incense,
leprosy
broke out
on his forehead.
When Azariah
the chief
priest
and all
the priests
turned
to him
and saw
his
leprous
forehead,
they rushed him
out.
Indeed,
he himself
hurried
to get out,
because
the LORD
had afflicted him.
So King
Uzziah
was
a leper
until
the day
of his death.
He lived
in isolation,
leprous
and
cut off
from the house
of the LORD,
while his son
Jotham
had charge
of the royal
palace
to govern
the people
of the land.
As for the rest
of the acts
of Uzziah,
from beginning
to end,
they are recorded
by the prophet
Isaiah
son
of Amoz.
And Uzziah
rested
with
his fathers
and was buried
near
them
in the field
of burial
which belonged
to the kings;
for
the people said,
“He was
a leper.”
And his son
Jotham
became king
in his place.