猶大王烏西雅

26 全體猶大人立十六歲的烏西雅為王,繼承他父親亞瑪謝的王位。 亞瑪謝與祖先同眠後,烏西雅為猶大收復了以祿城,並重新修建。 烏西雅十六歲登基,在耶路撒冷執政五十二年。他母親叫耶可利雅,是耶路撒冷人。 他效法他父親亞瑪謝,做耶和華視為正的事。 撒迦利亞在世之日,烏西雅尋求上帝,撒迦利亞教導他敬畏上帝。當他尋求上帝時,上帝就使他亨通。

他出兵攻打非利士人,把迦特、雅比尼和亞實突的城牆夷平後,在亞實突境內及非利士人的其他地區興建城邑。 上帝幫助他攻打非利士人和住在姑珥·巴力的阿拉伯人及米烏尼人。 亞捫人向他進貢,烏西雅的名聲傳到埃及,因他極其強大。

烏西雅在耶路撒冷的角門、谷門和城牆拐角的地方建造城樓,並加固城樓, 10 又在曠野建造瞭望塔,挖了許多水井,因為他在高原和平原有很多牲畜。他雇人在山區和沃野為他耕種和照料葡萄園,因為他喜愛農耕。

11 烏西雅有支可以隨時列隊出戰的軍兵,歸書記耶利和官長瑪西雅召集,由王的將軍哈拿尼雅統領。 12 率領戰士的族長有兩千六百名, 13 他們手下有三十萬七千五百精兵,隨時幫助王攻打敵人。 14 烏西雅為全軍備有盾牌、矛槍、頭盔、鎧甲、弓箭和投石器用的石頭, 15 又讓巧匠在耶路撒冷設計和製造兵器,安放在城樓和角樓上,用來發射弓箭和石頭。烏西雅威名遠揚,因為他得到非常的幫助,極其強盛。

16 烏西雅強盛後,便心高氣傲,以致走向滅亡。他干犯他的上帝耶和華,擅自進入耶和華的殿在香壇上燒香。 17 祭司亞撒利雅率領八十位耶和華勇敢的祭司跟著進殿, 18 阻止烏西雅王,說:「烏西雅啊,給耶和華燒香不是你可以做的事,乃是承受聖職做祭司的亞倫子孫的事。離開聖所吧!你已干犯耶和華上帝,必不能從祂那裡得榮耀。」 19 手拿香爐要燒香的烏西雅大怒,正當他在耶和華殿裡的香壇旁向眾祭司發怒的時候,他額頭上突然患了痲瘋病。 20 亞撒利雅大祭司和眾祭司見狀,就催促他出殿,他急忙出去了,因為耶和華降災給他。 21 烏西雅王到死一直有痲瘋病。他被隔離在別的宮中,不得進耶和華的殿。他兒子約坦管理王室,治理國家。

22 烏西雅其他的事蹟,自始至終都是亞摩斯的兒子以賽亞先知記載的。 23 烏西雅與祖先同眠後,葬在他祖墳附近、王室的墳場,因為他有痲瘋病。他兒子約坦繼位。

26 Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah.

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

Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.

And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah did.

And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.

And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines.

And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gurbaal, and the Mehunims.

And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entering in of Egypt; for he strengthened himself exceedingly.

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

10 Also he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much cattle, both in the low country, and in the plains: husbandmen also, and vine dressers in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he loved husbandry.

11 Moreover Uzziah had an host of fighting men, that went out to war by bands, according to the number of their account by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the ruler, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king's captains.

12 The whole number of the chief of the fathers of the mighty men of valour were two thousand and six hundred.

13 And under their hand was an army, three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.

14 And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to cast stones.

15 And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.

16 But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense.

17 And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the Lord, that were valiant men:

18 And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God.

19 Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar.

20 And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the Lord had smitten him.

21 And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord: and Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land.

22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, write.

23 So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings; for they said, He is a leper: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.

Uzziah Rules in Judah

26 All the people of Judah had crowned Amaziah’s sixteen-year-old son, Uzziah, as king in place of his father. After his father’s death, Uzziah rebuilt the town of Elath[a] and restored it to Judah.

Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem. He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, just as his father, Amaziah, had done. Uzziah sought God during the days of Zechariah, who taught him to fear God.[b] And as long as the king sought guidance from the Lord, God gave him success.

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. God helped him in his wars against the Philistines, his battles with the Arabs of Gur,[c] and his wars with the Meunites. The Meunites[d] paid annual tribute to him, and his fame spread even to Egypt, for he had become very powerful.

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 Judah[e] 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 stones[f] 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, leprosy[g] 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.

Footnotes

  1. 26:2 As in Greek version (see also 2 Kgs 14:22; 16:6); Hebrew reads Eloth, a variant spelling of Elath.
  2. 26:5 As in Syriac and Greek versions; Hebrew reads who instructed him in divine visions.
  3. 26:7 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads Gur-baal.
  4. 26:8 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads Ammonites. Compare 26:7.
  5. 26:10 Hebrew the Shephelah.
  6. 26:15 Or to shoot arrows and hurl large stones.
  7. 26:19 Or a contagious skin disease. The Hebrew word used here and throughout this passage can describe various skin diseases.