2 Chronicles 26

Uzziah’s Reign

1 All the people of Judah took Uzziah,t who was sixteen years old, and made him king in his father Amaziah’s place.

2 Uzziaht built up Elat and restored it to Judah after King Amaziaht had passed away.t
3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem.s His mother’s name was Jecholiah, who was from Jerusalem.4 He did what the Lord approved, just as his father Amaziah had done.t

5 He followedt God during the lifetime oft Zechariah, who taught him how to honor God. As long as he followedt the Lord, God caused him to succeed.t
6 Uzziah attackedt the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. He built cities in the region of Ashdod and throughout Philistine territory.t7 God helped him in his campaignst against the Philistines, the Arabs living in Gur Baal, and the Meunites.

8 The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah and his fame reachedt the border of Egypt, for he grew in power.
9 Uzziah built and fortified towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, Valley Gate, and at the Angle.t

10 He built towers in the desert and dug many cisterns, for he owned many herds in the lowlandst and on the plain. He had workers in the fields and vineyards in the hills and in Carmel,t for he loved agriculture.t
11 Uzziah had an army of skilled warriors trained for battle. They were organized by divisions according to the muster rolls made by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer under the authority of Hananiah, a royal official.12 The total number of family leaders who led warriors was 2,600.13 They commanded an army of 307,500 skilled and able warriors who were ready to defendt the king against his enemies.14 Uzziah supplied shields, spears, helmets, breastplates, bows, and slingstones for the entire army.

15 In Jerusalem he made war machines carefully designed to shoot arrows and large stones from the towers and corners of the walls. He became very famous, for he received tremendous support and became powerful.t
16 But once he became powerful, his pride destroyed him.t He disobeyedt the Lord his God. He entered the Lord’s temple to offer incense on the incense altar.17 Azariah the priest and eighty other brave priests of the Lord followed him in.18 They confrontedt King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not proper for you, Uzziah, to offer incense to the Lord. That is the responsibility of the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who are consecrated to offer incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have disobeyedt and the Lord God will not honor you!”19 Uzziah, who had an incense censer in his hand, became angry. While he was ranting and ravingt at the priests, a skin diseaset appeared on his forehead right there in front of the priests in the Lord’s temple near the incense altar.20 When Azariah the high priest and the other priests looked att him, there was a skin disease on his forehead. They hurried him out of there; even the kingt himself wanted to leave quickly because the Lord had afflicted him.

21 King Uzziah suffered from a skin disease until the day he died. He lived in separate quarters,t afflicted by a skin disease and banned from the Lord’s temple. His son Jotham was in charge of the palace and ruled over the people of the land.
22 The rest of the events of Uzziah’s reign, from start to finish, were recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.t

23 Uzziah passed awayt and was buried near his ancestorst in a cemeteryt belonging to the kings. (This was because he had a skin disease.)t His son Jotham replaced him as king.

2 Chronicles 26

King Uzziah of Judah

1 All the people of Judah chose Amaziah's sixteen-year-old son Uzziah to succeed his father as king. (

2 It was after the death of Amaziah that Uzziah recaptured Elath and rebuilt the city.)
3 Uzziah became king at the age of sixteen, and he ruled in Jerusalem for fifty-two years. His mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem. 4 Following the example of his father, he did what was pleasing to the LORD.

5 As long as Zechariah, his religious adviser, was living, he served the LORD faithfully, and God blessed him.
6 Uzziah went to war against the Philistines. He tore down the walls of the cities of Gath, Jamnia, and Ashdod, and built fortified cities near Ashdod and in the rest of Philistia. 7 God helped him defeat the Philistines, the Arabs living at Gurbaal, and the Meunites.

8 The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah, and he became so powerful that his fame spread even to Egypt.
9 Uzziah strengthened the fortifications of Jerusalem by building towers at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and where the wall turned.

10 He also built fortified towers in the open country and dug many cisterns, because he had large herds of livestock in the western foothills and plains. Because he loved farming, he encouraged the people to plant vineyards in the hill country and to farm the fertile land.
11 He had a large army ready for battle. Its records were kept by his secretaries Jeiel and Maaseiah under the supervision of Hananiah, a member of the king's staff. 12 The army was commanded by 2,600 officers. 13 Under them were 307,500 soldiers able to fight effectively for the king against his enemies. 14 Uzziah supplied the army with shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows and arrows, and stones for slinging.

15 In Jerusalem his inventors made equipment for shooting arrows and for throwing large stones from the towers and corners of the city wall. His fame spread everywhere, and he became very powerful because of the help he received from God.

Uzziah Is Punished for His Pride

16 But when King Uzziah became strong, he grew arrogant, and that led to his downfall. He defied the LORD his God by going into the Temple to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17 Azariah the priest, accompanied by eighty strong and courageous priests, followed the king

18 to resist him. They said, “Uzziah! You have no right to burn incense to the LORD. Only the priests who are descended from Aaron have been consecrated to do this. Leave this holy place. You have offended the LORD God, and you no longer have his blessing.”
19 Uzziah was standing there in the Temple beside the incense altar and was holding an incense burner. He became angry with the priests, and immediately a dreaded skin disease broke out on his forehead.

20 Azariah and the other priests stared at the king's forehead in horror and then forced him to leave the Temple. He hurried to get out, because the LORD had punished him.

21 For the rest of his life King Uzziah was ritually unclean because of his disease. Unable to enter the Temple again, he lived in his own house, relieved of all duties, while his son Jotham governed the country.
22 The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz recorded all the other things that King Uzziah did during his reign.

23 Uzziah died and was buried in the royal burial ground, but because of his disease he was not buried in the royal tombs. His son Jotham succeeded him as king.