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2 Chronicles 26
New Living Translation

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. 2 After his father’s death, Uzziah rebuilt the town of Elath[a] and restored it to Judah.

3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem. 4 He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, just as his father, Amaziah, had done. 5 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.

6 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. 7 God helped him in his wars against the Philistines, his battles with the Arabs of Gur,[c] and his wars with the Meunites. 8 The Meunites[d] paid annual tribute to him, and his fame spread even to Egypt, for he had become very powerful.

9 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.
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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

  1. 2 Chronicles 26:1 In 2 Kin 14:21, Azariah
  2. 2 Chronicles 26:2 I.e., died
  3. 2 Chronicles 26:3 In 2 Kin 15:2, Jecoliah
  4. 2 Chronicles 26:5 Many mss in the fear of God
  5. 2 Chronicles 26:5 Lit in the days of his seeking
  6. 2 Chronicles 26:8 Lit name went to the entering of Egypt
  7. 2 Chronicles 26:10 Heb shephelah
  8. 2 Chronicles 26:11 Lit was going out to
  9. 2 Chronicles 26:11 Lit by the hand of
  10. 2 Chronicles 26:12 Lit fathers
  11. 2 Chronicles 26:14 Lit for them, for all
  12. 2 Chronicles 26:15 Lit name
  13. 2 Chronicles 26:16 Lit high
  14. 2 Chronicles 26:23 I.e., died
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