2 Chronicles 26

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. ² He was the one who rebuilt Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king rested with his ancestors. ³ Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah, of Jerusalem. ⁴ He did what was right in the eyes of our Father, just as his father Amaziah had done. ⁵ He devoted himself to seeking our Father in the days of Zechariah, who taught him to fear our Father; and as long as he sought our Father, he prospered.

⁶ He marched out and waged war against the Philistines. He broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod, and built cities near Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines. ⁷ Our Father helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabs who lived in Gur-baal, and against the Meunites. ⁸ The Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the border of Egypt, for he had grown very strong. ⁹ Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and at the Angle, and he fortified them. ^a a v9 The Angle was a specific projecting section of Jerusalem's city wall, distinct from the named gates. ¹⁰ He also built towers in the wilderness and dug many cisterns, for he had large herds in the lowlands and on the plain. He kept farmers and vinedressers in the hills and in the fertile fields, for he loved the soil. ¹¹ Uzziah had a trained army ready for battle, organized in divisions according to the muster recorded by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king's commanders. ¹² The total number of clan leaders commanding the mighty warriors was two thousand six hundred. ¹³ Under their command was an army of three hundred seven thousand five hundred, trained to make war with great power, to help the king against his enemies. ¹⁴ Uzziah equipped the whole army with shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows, and slingstones. ¹⁵ In Jerusalem he made devices invented by skillful men, to stand on the towers and the corners for shooting arrows and hurling large stones. His fame spread far and wide, for he was wonderfully helped until he became strong.

Uzziah's Pride and His Ruin

¹⁶ But after Uzziah grew strong, his heart became proud, and this led to his ruin. He was unfaithful to his Father, for he entered the temple of our Father to burn incense on the altar of incense. ¹⁷ Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of our Father, courageous men. ¹⁸ They confronted King Uzziah and said to him, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to our Father, but for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful, and this will bring you no honor from our Father."

¹⁹ Then Uzziah became furious. He had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and while he raged at the priests, a defiling skin disease broke out on his forehead, there before the priests in the house of our Father, beside the altar of incense. ²⁰ When Azariah the chief priest and all the priests turned toward him and saw the disease on his forehead, they rushed him out, and he himself hurried to leave, because our Father had struck him. ²¹ King Uzziah carried the disease until the day of his death. He lived in a separate house, afflicted, excluded from the house of our Father. Jotham his son was in charge of the palace, governing the people of the land.

²² As for the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from beginning to end, the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz recorded them. ²³ Uzziah rested with his ancestors and was buried near them in a burial field belonging to the kings, for they said, "He had a skin disease." And Jotham his son reigned in his place.