26:1 Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.
26:2 He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his fathers.
26:3 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.
26:4 He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done.
26:5 He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.
26:6 He went to war against the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod. He then rebuilt towns near Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines.
26:7 God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabs who lived in Gur Baal and against the Meunites.
26:8 The Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the border of Egypt, because he had become very powerful.
26:9 Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate and at the angle of the wall, and he fortified them.
26:10 He also built towers in the desert and dug many cisterns, because he had much livestock in the foothills and in the plain. He had people working his fields and vineyards in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil.
26:11 Uzziah had a well-trained army, ready to go out by divisions according to their numbers as mustered by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer under the direction of Hananiah, one of the royal officials.
26:12 The total number of family leaders over the fighting men was 2,600
26:13 Under their command was an army of 307,500 men trained for war, a powerful force to support the king against his enemies.
26:14 Uzziah provided shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows and slingstones for the entire army.
26:15 In Jerusalem he made machines designed by skillful men for use on the towers and on the corner defenses to shoot arrows and hurl large stones. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.
26:16 But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.
26:17 Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the LORD followed him in.
26:18 They confronted him and said, “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the LORD God.”
26:19 Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the LORD’S temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead.
26:20 When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the LORD had afflicted him.
26:21 King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house –leprous, and excluded from the temple of the LORD. Jotham his son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.
26:22 The other events of Uzziah’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.
26:23 Uzziah rested with his fathers and was buried near them in a field for burial that belonged to the kings, for people said, “He had leprosy.” And Jotham his son succeeded him as king.
26:1 And 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 It was he who built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers.
26:3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Jechiliah, from Jerusalem.
26:4 And he did what was right in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that Amaziah his father had done.
26:5 And he set himself to seek after God during the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the vision of God; and as long as he sought after Jehovah, God caused him to prosper.
26:6 And he went out and waged war against the Philistines. And he broke down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod, and he built cities in the vicinity of Ashdod and among the Philistines.
26:7 And God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabians who dwelt in Gur-baal and against the Meunim.
26:8 And the Ammonites gave tribute to Uzziah; and his fame went as far as the entrance of Egypt, for he became exceedingly strong.
26:9 And Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate and at the Valley Gate and at the Angle, and he fortified them.
26:10 And he built towers in the wilderness and hewed out many cisterns, for he had much cattle, both in the lowlands and in the plain; he had farmers and vinedressers in the hills and in the fruitful fields, for he loved the soil.
26:11 Furthermore Uzziah had an army of soldiers that went out to war in companies according to the number of their muster done 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 heads of fathers’ houses, of mighty men of valor, was two thousand six hundred.
26:13 And under their hand was an army force of three hundred seven thousand five hundred who could make war with mighty power to help the king against the enemy.
26:14 And Uzziah prepared for them, for all the army, shields and spears and helmets and body armor and bows and sling stones.
26:15 And in Jerusalem he made machines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and at the corners for shooting with arrows and great stones. And his fame went out far abroad, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.
26:16 But when he had become strong, his heart became uplifted, to his own destruction. And he trespassed against Jehovah his God and went into the temple of Jehovah to burn incense upon the incense altar.
26:17 And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with Azariah were eighty priests of Jehovah who were valiant men.
26:18 And they withstood Uzziah the king and said to him, It does not belong to you, Uzziah, to burn incense to Jehovah, but to the priests, the sons of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed and there will be no honor for you from Jehovah God.
26:19 Then Uzziah became angry, and in his hand was a censer for burning incense. And when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of Jehovah beside the incense altar.
26:20 And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there he was, leprous on his forehead; and they rushed him out of there, and he himself also hurried out to go out, for Jehovah had stricken him.
26:21 So Uzziah the king was a leper until the day of his death; and he dwelt in a separate house as a leper, for he was cut off from the house of Jehovah. And Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.
26:22 And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, wrote down the rest of the acts of Uzziah, the first and the last.
26:23 And Uzziah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the burial field which belonged to the kings, for they said, He is a leper. And Jotham his son reigned in his place.