¹⁰ The Lord’s anger^(A) burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down^(B) because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.

¹⁵ And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded^(A) in accordance with the word of the Lord.^(B)

¹³ It was because you, the Levites,^(A) did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us.^(B) We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.^(C)”

¹⁵ “After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move,^(A) only then are the Kohathites^(B) to come and do the carrying.^(C) But they must not touch the holy things^(D) or they will die.^(E) The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the tent of meeting.

³⁰ That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.^{(A) 31} But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.^{(B) 32} Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined^(C) so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.^(D)

¹⁶ But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride^(A) led to his downfall.^(B) He was unfaithful^(C) to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense^(D) on the altar of incense. ¹⁷ Azariah^(E) the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the Lord followed him in. ¹⁸ They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is for the priests,^(F) the descendants^(G) of Aaron,^(H) who have been consecrated to burn incense.^(I) Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the Lord God.”

¹⁹ Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the Lord’s temple, leprosy^[a](J) broke out on his forehead. ²⁰ When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the Lord had afflicted him.

¹⁹ But God struck down^(A) some of the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy^[a] of them to death because they looked^(B) into the ark of the Lord. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the Lord had dealt them.

⁶ So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.”^(A)

³⁵ And fire came out from the Lord^(A) and consumed^(B) the 250 men who were offering the incense.