2 Chronicles 26
New Century Version
Uzziah King of Judah
26 Then all the people of Judah made Uzziah[a] king in place of his father Amaziah. Uzziah was sixteen years old. 2 He rebuilt the town of Elath and made it part of Judah again after Amaziah died.
3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he ruled fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah, and she was from Jerusalem. 4 He did what the Lord said was right, just as his father Amaziah had done. 5 Uzziah obeyed God while Zechariah was alive, because he taught Uzziah how to respect and obey God. And as long as Uzziah obeyed the Lord, God gave him success.
6 Uzziah fought a war against the Philistines. He tore down the walls around their towns of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod and built new towns near Ashdod and in other places among the Philistines. 7 God helped Uzziah fight the Philistines, the Arabs living in Gur Baal, and the Meunites. 8 Also, the Ammonites made the payments Uzziah demanded. He was very powerful, so his name became famous all the way to the border of Egypt.
9 Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, the Valley Gate, and where the wall turned, and he made them strong. 10 He also built towers in the desert and dug many wells, because he had many cattle on the western hills and in the plains. He had people who worked his fields and vineyards in the hills and in the fertile lands, because he loved the land.
11 Uzziah had an army of trained soldiers. They were counted and put in groups by Jeiel the royal secretary and Maaseiah the officer. Hananiah, one of the king’s commanders, was their leader. 12 There were twenty-six hundred leaders over the soldiers. 13 They were in charge of an army of three hundred seven thousand five hundred men who fought with great power to help the king against the enemy. 14 Uzziah gave his army shields, spears, helmets, armor, bows, and stones for their slings. 15 In Jerusalem Uzziah made cleverly designed devices. These devices on the towers and corners of the city walls were used to shoot arrows and large rocks. So Uzziah became famous in faraway places, because he had much help until he became powerful.
16 But when Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his ruin. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God; he went into the Temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar for incense. 17 Azariah and eighty other brave priests who served the Lord followed Uzziah into the Temple. 18 They told him he was wrong and said to him, “You don’t have the right to burn incense to the Lord. Only the priests, Aaron’s descendants, should burn the incense, because they have been made holy. Leave this holy place. You have been unfaithful, and the Lord God will not honor you for this.”
19 Uzziah was standing beside the altar for incense in the Temple of the Lord, and in his hand was a pan for burning incense. He was very angry with the priests. As he was standing in front of the priests, a skin disease broke out on his forehead. 20 Azariah, the leading priest, and all the other priests looked at him and saw the skin disease on his forehead. So they hurried him out of the Temple. Uzziah also rushed out, because the Lord was punishing him. 21 So King Uzziah had the skin disease until the day he died. He had to live in a separate house and could not enter the Temple of the Lord. His son Jotham was in charge of the palace, and he governed the people of the land.
22 The other things Uzziah did as king, from beginning to end, were written down by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. 23 Uzziah died and was buried near his ancestors in a graveyard that belonged to the kings. This was because people said, “He had a skin disease.” And his son Jotham became king in his place.
Footnotes
- 26:1 Uzziah Also called Azariah.
2 Chronicles 26
King James Version
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.
2 He built Eloth, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.
3 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.
4 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah did.
5 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.
6 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.
7 And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gurbaal, and the Mehunims.
8 And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entering in of Egypt; for he strengthened himself exceedingly.
9 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.
2 Chronik 26
Hoffnung für Alle
König Usija von Juda (2. Könige 14,21‒22; 15,1‒4)
26 Die Judäer ernannten Amazjas Sohn Usija[a] zum neuen König. Er war damals 16 Jahre alt. 2 Gleich nach dem Tod seines Vaters eroberte er die Stadt Elat zurück und baute sie wieder auf.
3 Usija wurde mit 16 Jahren König und regierte 52 Jahre in Jerusalem. Seine Mutter hieß Jecholja und stammte aus Jerusalem. 4 Wie sein Vater Amazja tat auch er, was dem Herrn gefiel. 5 Solange der Hohepriester Secharja noch lebte und ihn anleitete, bemühte Usija sich, Gott zu dienen. In dieser Zeit, in der er dem Willen Gottes folgte, schenkte der Herr ihm großen Erfolg.
6 Usija führte Krieg gegen die Philister. Er eroberte die Städte Gat, Jabne und Aschdod und riss ihre Mauern nieder. Andere Städte in der Gegend von Aschdod und im übrigen Gebiet der Philister baute er aus. 7 Gott half Usija aber nicht nur gegen die Philister, sondern auch gegen die Araberstämme in Gur-Baal und gegen die Mëuniter. 8 Die Ammoniter mussten Usija Tribut zahlen. Er wurde ein sehr mächtiger König. Sein Ruf drang bis nach Ägypten.
9 In Jerusalem ließ Usija beim Ecktor, beim Taltor und beim »Winkel« Festungstürme bauen. 10 Auch im Steppengebiet baute er Wachtürme. Außerdem ließ er viele Zisternen graben, denn er besaß große Viehherden im jüdischen Hügelland und auf der Hochebene. Er beschäftigte viele Landwirte und Weinbauern, die in den fruchtbaren Ebenen und in den Bergen arbeiteten, denn er liebte die Landwirtschaft.
11 Usija besaß ein gut ausgebildetes Heer. Der Hofsekretär Jeïël und der königliche Verwalter Maaseja hatten unter der Aufsicht von Hananja, einem hohen Beamten des Königs, die Männer gemustert und verschiedene Abteilungen gebildet. 12 Die Abteilungen standen unter dem Befehl von 2600 erfahrenen Hauptleuten. 13 Insgesamt gehörten zum Heer 307.500 mutige Soldaten. Der König konnte sich im Krieg voll und ganz auf sie verlassen. 14 Usija bewaffnete seine Soldaten mit Schilden und Speeren, mit Helmen, Brustpanzern, Bogen und Schleudersteinen. 15 Auf den Türmen und Mauerecken von Jerusalem ließ er Wurfvorrichtungen aufstellen, mit denen man Pfeile abschießen und große Steine schleudern konnte.
Usija wird hochmütig (2. Könige 15,5‒7)
Durch Gottes Hilfe wurde Usija ein mächtiger und sehr berühmter Mann.
16 Doch die Macht stieg ihm zu Kopf. Er setzte sich über die Weisungen des Herrn, seines Gottes, hinweg und drang schließlich sogar in den Tempel ein, um auf dem Räucheropferaltar selbst Weihrauch zu verbrennen. 17 Doch der Hohepriester Asarja folgte ihm mit achtzig Priestern des Herrn, die alle mutige Männer waren. 18 Sie stellten Usija zur Rede: »Es steht dir nicht zu, dem Herrn Räucheropfer darzubringen! Das ist die Aufgabe der Priester, der Nachkommen von Aaron, denn nur sie sind dazu auserwählt. Geh aus dem Heiligtum! Du hast dich über Gottes Gebot hinweggesetzt, und dafür wird der Herr dich bestimmt nicht belohnen!« 19 Usija stand neben dem Altar und hielt die Räucherpfanne bereits in der Hand. Ihn packte der Zorn, als er die Warnung der Priester hörte. In diesem Moment brach an seiner Stirn Aussatz aus. 20 Als Asarja und die anderen Priester das sahen, trieben sie ihn schnell aus dem Tempel. Auch Usija beeilte sich hinauszukommen, denn der Aussatz war ein Zeichen dafür, dass der Herr ihn gestraft hatte.
21 König Usija blieb bis zu seinem Tod aussätzig. Wegen seiner Krankheit musste er für den Rest seines Lebens in einem abgesonderten Haus wohnen, er durfte auch nie mehr den Tempel des Herrn betreten. Die Regierungsgeschäfte und die Aufsicht über den Palast übergab man seinem Sohn Jotam.
22 Alles Weitere über Usijas Leben hat der Prophet Jesaja, der Sohn von Amoz, aufgeschrieben. 23 Als Usija starb, wurde er wegen seines Aussatzes nicht im Grab der königlichen Familie beigesetzt, sondern daneben. Sein Sohn Jotam trat die Nachfolge an.
Footnotes
- 26,1 In 2. Könige wird er Asarja genannt.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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