2 Chronicles 26
New American Standard Bible
Uzziah Succeeds Amaziah in Judah
26 Now all the people of Judah took [a]Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 2 He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king [b]lay down with his fathers. 3 Uzziah was (A)sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was [c]Jechiliah of Jerusalem. 4 He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, in accordance with everything that his father Amaziah had done. 5 (B)He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, (C)who had understanding [d]through the vision of God; and [e](D)as long as he sought the Lord, God made him successful.
Uzziah Succeeds in War
6 Now he went out and (E)fought against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the area of Ashdod and among the Philistines. 7 (F)God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites. 8 The Ammonites gave (G)tribute to Uzziah, and his [f]fame extended to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong. 9 Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at (H)the Corner Gate, the (I)Valley Gate, and at the corner buttress, and he fortified them. 10 He also built towers in the wilderness and (J)carved out many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the [g]lowland and in the plain. He also had plowmen and vinedressers in the hill country and the fertile fields, for he loved the soil. 11 Moreover, Uzziah had an army ready for battle, which [h]entered combat by divisions according to the number of their muster, [i]recorded by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the official, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king’s officers. 12 The total number of the heads of the [j]households, of valiant warriors, was 2,600. 13 Under their direction was an army of (K)307,500, who could wage war with great power, to help the king against the enemy. 14 Moreover, Uzziah prepared [k]for all the army shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows, and slingstones. 15 In Jerusalem he made machines of war invented by skillful workmen to be on the towers and the corners, for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones. So his [l]fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.
Pride Is Uzziah’s Undoing
16 But (L)when he became strong, his heart was so [m]proud that he acted corruptly, and he was untrue to the Lord his God, for (M)he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17 Then (N)Azariah the priest entered after him, and with him eighty priests of the Lord, valiant men. 18 (O)They opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, “(P)It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, (Q)but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been untrue and will have no honor from the Lord God.” 19 But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, (R)leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the altar of incense. 20 Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous on his forehead; and they quickly removed him from there, and he himself also hurried to get out because the Lord had stricken him. 21 (S)King Uzziah had leprosy to the day of his death; and he lived in (T)a separate house, afflicted as he was with leprosy, for he was cut off from the house of the Lord. And his son Jotham was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.
22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, the first to the last, the prophet (U)Isaiah, the son of Amoz, has written. 23 So Uzziah [n]lay down with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers (V)in the field of the grave which belonged to the kings, for they said, “He had leprosy.” And his son Jotham became king in his place.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 26:1 In 2 Kin 14:21, Azariah
- 2 Chronicles 26:2 I.e., died
- 2 Chronicles 26:3 In 2 Kin 15:2, Jecoliah
- 2 Chronicles 26:5 Many mss in the fear of God
- 2 Chronicles 26:5 Lit in the days of his seeking
- 2 Chronicles 26:8 Lit name went to the entering of Egypt
- 2 Chronicles 26:10 Heb shephelah
- 2 Chronicles 26:11 Lit was going out to
- 2 Chronicles 26:11 Lit by the hand of
- 2 Chronicles 26:12 Lit fathers
- 2 Chronicles 26:14 Lit for them, for all
- 2 Chronicles 26:15 Lit name
- 2 Chronicles 26:16 Lit high
- 2 Chronicles 26:23 I.e., died
2 Chronicles 26
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Reign of Uzziah
26 Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king to succeed his father Amaziah.(A) 2 He rebuilt Eloth and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his ancestors. 3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 4 He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. 5 He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear[a] of God, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.(B)
6 He went out and made war against the Philistines and broke down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod; he built cities in the territory of Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines.(C) 7 God helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabs who lived in Gur-baal, and against the Meunites.(D) 8 The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread even to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong.(E) 9 Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and at the Angle and fortified them.(F) 10 He built towers in the wilderness and dug out many cisterns, for he had large herds, both in the Shephelah and in the plain, and he had farmers and vinedressers in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil. 11 Moreover, Uzziah had an army of soldiers, fit for war, in divisions according to the numbers in the muster made by the secretary Jeiel and the officer Maaseiah, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king’s commanders. 12 The whole number of the heads of ancestral houses of mighty warriors was two thousand six hundred. 13 Under their command was an army of three hundred seven thousand five hundred, who could make war with mighty power to help the king against the enemy.(G) 14 Uzziah provided for all the army the shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and stones for slinging. 15 In Jerusalem he set up machines, invented by skilled workers, on the towers and the corners for shooting arrows and large stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped until he became strong.
Pride and Apostasy
16 But when he had become strong he grew proud, to his destruction. For he acted unfaithfully toward the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to make offering on the altar of incense.(H) 17 But the priest Azariah went in after him, with eighty priests of the Lord who were men of valor;(I) 18 they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to make offering to the Lord, but for the priests the descendants of Aaron, who are consecrated to make offering. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have acted unfaithfully, and it will bring you no honor from the Lord God.”(J) 19 Then Uzziah was enraged. Now he had a censer in his hand to make offering, and when he became enraged with the priests a defiling disease broke out on his forehead, in the presence of the priests in the house of the Lord, by the altar of incense.(K) 20 When the chief priest Azariah, and all the priests, looked at him, he was diseased on his forehead. They hurried him out, and he himself hurried to get out, because the Lord had struck him. 21 King Uzziah had a defiling disease to the day of his death, and being diseased lived in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the Lord. His son Jotham was in charge of the palace of the king, governing the people of the land.(L)
22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from first to last, the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz wrote.(M) 23 Uzziah slept with his ancestors; they buried him near his ancestors in the burial field that belonged to the kings, for they said, “He had a defiling disease.” His son Jotham succeeded him.(N)
Footnotes
- 26.5 Gk: Heb the visions
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.