The Second Book of the Chronicles

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 26 -

(2 Kings 14:21–22; 2 Kings 15:1–7)

All the people of Judah took Uzziah,(a) who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.

Uzziah was the one who rebuilt Eloth (b) and restored it to Judah after King Amaziah (c) 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.

And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done.

He sought God throughout the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear (d) 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

(e)

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.

The total number of family leaders of the mighty men of valor was 2,600.

Under their authority was an army of 307,500 trained for war, a powerful force to support the king against his enemies.

Uzziah supplied the entire army with shields, spears, helmets, armor, bows, and slingstones.

And in Jerusalem he made skillfully designed devices to shoot

(f)

arrows and catapult large stones from the towers and corners. So his fame spread far and wide, for he was helped tremendously so that 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.

Then Azariah the priest, along with eighty brave priests of the LORD, went in after him.

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

(g)

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

(h)

in a field of burial that belonged to the kings; for the people said, “He was a leper.” And his son Jotham reigned in his place.

Footnotes

(a)26:1 Uzziah is also called Azariah; throughout this chapter; see 2 Kings 14:21.

(b)26:2 Eloth is a variant of Elath; see LXX, 2 Kings 14:22, and 2 Kings 16:6.

(d)26:5 Many Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, and Syriac; other Hebrew manuscripts through the vision

(e)26:10 Hebrew Shephelah or lowlands; that is, the western foothills of Judea

(f)26:15 Or to protect those who shoot

(g)26:19 Leprosy was a term used for various skin diseases; see Leviticus 13.

(h)26:23 Literally with his fathers

(2 Kings 14:21–22; 2 Kings 15:1–7)

All the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah.

He built Eloth and restored it to Judah. After that the king slept with his fathers.

Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jechiliah, of Jerusalem.

He did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.

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 the LORD, God made him prosper.

He went out and fought against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the country of Ashdod, and among the Philistines.

God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gur Baal, and the Meunim.

The Ammonites gave tribute to Uzziah. His name spread abroad even to the entrance of Egypt, for he grew exceedingly strong.

Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.

He built towers in the wilderness, and dug out many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the lowlands and in the plains. He had farmers and vineyard keepers in the mountains and in the fruitful fields, for he loved farming.

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.

The whole number of the heads of fathers’ households, even the mighty men of valor, was two thousand six hundred.

Under their hand was an army, three hundred seven thousand five hundred, who made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.

Uzziah prepared for them, even for all the army, shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and stones for slinging.

In Jerusalem, he made devices, 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, because he was marvelously helped until he was strong.

But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up, so that he did corruptly and he trespassed against the LORD his God, for he went into the LORD’s temple to burn incense on the altar of incense.

Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him eighty priests of the LORD, who were valiant men.

They resisted Uzziah the king, and said to him, “It isn’t for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed. It will not be for your honor from the LORD God.”

Then Uzziah was angry. He had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and while he was angry with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the LORD’s house, beside the altar of incense.

Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead; and they thrust him out quickly from there. Indeed, he himself also hurried to go out, because the LORD had struck him.

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 LORD’s house. Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.

Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, wrote.

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.