2 Chronicles 26

Chapter 26

Uzziah Rules in Judah

1 All the people of Judah had crowned Amaziah’s sixteen-year-old son, Uzziah, as king in place of his father.

2 After his father’s death, Uzziah rebuilt the town of Elatht and restored it to Judah.
3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem.4 He did what was pleasing in the LORD’s sight, just as his father, Amaziah, had done.

5 Uzziah sought God during the days of Zechariah, who taught him to fear God.t And as long as the king sought guidance from the LORD, God gave him success.
6 Uzziah declared war on the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. Then he built new towns in the Ashdod area and in other parts of Philistia.7 God helped him in his wars against the Philistines, his battles with the Arabs of Gur,t and his wars with the Meunites.

8 The Meunitest paid annual tribute to him, and his fame spread even to Egypt, for he had become very powerful.
9 Uzziah built fortified towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and at the angle in the wall.

10 He also constructed forts in the wilderness and dug many water cisterns, because he kept great herds of livestock in the foothills of Judaht and on the plains. He was also a man who loved the soil. He had many workers who cared for his farms and vineyards, both on the hillsides and in the fertile valleys.
11 Uzziah had an army of well-trained warriors, ready to march into battle, unit by unit. This army had been mustered and organized by Jeiel, the secretary of the army, and his assistant, Maaseiah. They were under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king’s officials.12 These regiments of mighty warriors were commanded by 2,600 clan leaders.

13 The army consisted of 307,500 men, all elite troops. They were prepared to assist the king against any enemy.
14 Uzziah provided the entire army with shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and sling stones.

15 And he built structures on the walls of Jerusalem, designed by experts to protect those who shot arrows and hurled large stonest from the towers and the corners of the wall. His fame spread far and wide, for the LORD gave him marvelous help, and he became very powerful.

Uzziah’s Sin and Punishment

16 But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. He sinned against the LORD his God by entering the sanctuary of the LORD’s Temple and personally burning incense on the incense altar.17 Azariah the high priest went in after him with eighty other priests of the LORD, all brave men.

18 They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD. That is the work of the priests alone, the descendants of Aaron who are set apart for this work. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have sinned. The LORD God will not honor you for this!”
19 Uzziah, who was holding an incense burner, became furious. But as he was standing there raging at the priests before the incense altar in the LORD’s Temple, leprosyt suddenly broke out on his forehead.20 When Azariah the high priest and all the other priests saw the leprosy, they rushed him out. And the king himself was eager to get out because the LORD had struck him.

21 So King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in isolation in a separate house, for he was excluded from the Temple of the LORD. His son Jotham was put in charge of the royal palace, and he governed the people of the land.
22 The rest of the events of Uzziah’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.

23 When Uzziah died, he was buried with his ancestors; his grave was in a nearby burial field belonging to the kings, for the people said, “He had leprosy.” And his son Jotham became the next king.

2 CHRONICLES 26

King Uzziah of Judah

(2 Kings 14.21,22; 15.1-7)

1-3 After the death of King Amaziah, the people of Judah crowned his son Uzziaht king, even though he was only 16 at the time. Uzziah ruled 52 years from Jerusalem, the hometown of his mother Jecoliah. During his rule, he recaptured and rebuilt the town of Elath.
4 He obeyed the [Lord] by doing right, as his father Amaziah had done.

5 Zechariah was Uzziah's advisor and taught him to obey God. And so, as long as Zechariah was alive, Uzziah was faithful to God, and God made him successful.
6 While Uzziah was king, he started a war against the Philistines. He smashed the walls of the cities of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod, then rebuilt towns around Ashdod and in other parts of Philistia. 7 God helped him defeat the Philistines, the Arabs living in Gur-Baal, and the Meunites.

8 Even the Ammonites paid taxes to Uzziah. He became very powerful, and people who lived as far away as Egypt heard about him.
9 In Jerusalem, Uzziah built fortified towers at the Corner Gate, the Valley Gate, and the place where the city wall turned inward.t

10 He also built defense towers out in the desert.
He owned such a large herd of livestock in the western foothills and in the flatlands, that he had cisterns dug there to catch the rainwater. He loved farming, so he had crops and vineyards planted in the hill country wherever there was fertile soil, and he hired farmers to take care of them.
11 Uzziah's army was always ready for battle. Jeiel and Maaseiah were the officers who kept track of the number of soldiers, and these two men were under the command of Hananiah, one of Uzziah's officials. 12-13 There were 307,500 trained soldiers, all under the command of 2,600 clan leaders. These powerful troops protected the king against any enemy. 14 Uzziah supplied his army with shields, spears, helmets, armor, bows, and stones used for slinging.

15 Some of his skilled workers invented machines that could shoot arrows and sling large stones. Uzziah set these up in Jerusalem at his defense towers and at the corners of the city wall.
God helped Uzziah become more and more powerful, and he was famous all over the world.

Uzziah Becomes //Too Proud

16 Uzziah became proud of his power, and this led to his downfall.
One day, Uzziah disobeyed the [Lord] his God by going into the temple and burning incense as an offering to him.t 17 Azariah the priest and 80 other brave priests followed Uzziah into the temple

18 t and said, “Your Majesty, this isn't right! You are not allowed to burn incense to the [Lord]. That must be done only by priests who are descendants of Aaron. You will have to leave! You have sinned against the [Lord], and so he will no longer bless you.”
19 Uzziah, who was standing next to the incense altar at the time, was holding the incense burner, ready to offer incense to the [Lord]. He became very angry when he heard Azariah's warning, and leprosyt suddenly appeared on his forehead!

20 Azariah and the other priests saw it and immediately told him to leave the temple. Uzziah realized that the [Lord] had punished him, so he hurried to get outside.

21 Uzziah had leprosy the rest of his life. He was no longer allowed in the temple or in his own palace. That's why his son Jotham lived there and ruled in his place.
22 Everything else Uzziah did while he was king is in the records written by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. 23 t Since Uzziah had leprosy, he could not be buried in the royal tombs. Instead, he was buried in a nearby cemetery that the kings owned. His son Jotham then became king.