Uzziah King of Judah^(A)

26 Then all the people of Judah made Uzziah [^Calso called Azariah] 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 [^Llay down/^Tslept with his fathers/ancestors].

³ Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] 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 [^Lwas pleasing/proper in the eyes/sight of the Lord], just as his father Amaziah had done [^Cin the beginning]. ⁵ Uzziah ·obeyed [sought] God while Zechariah was alive, because he taught Uzziah how to ·respect and obey [fear] God [Prov. 1:7]. And as long as Uzziah ·obeyed [sought] the Lord, God ·gave him success [made him prosper].

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 [^Lagainst] the Philistines, the Arabs living in Gur Baal, and the Meunites. ⁸ Also, the Ammonites ·made the payments Uzziah demanded [paid tribute to Uzziah]. He was very powerful, so his ·name became famous all the way [fame spread/extended] to the border of Egypt.

⁹ Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, the Valley Gate, and ·where the wall turned [at the angle of the wall], and he ·made them strong [fortified them]. ¹⁰ He also built towers in the ·desert [wilderness] and dug many ·wells [cisterns], because he had many cattle ·on the western hills [^Lin the Shephelah] and in the plains. He had people who worked his fields and vineyards in the hills and in ·the fertile lands [or Carmel], because he loved the ·land [soil].

¹¹ Uzziah had an army of trained soldiers. They were counted and put in ·groups [divisions; units] by Jeiel the ·royal secretary [scribe] and Maaseiah the ·officer [official]. Hananiah, one of the king’s ·commanders [officers], ·was their leader [directed them]. ¹² There were twenty-six hundred ·leaders [family/clan heads] over the soldiers. ¹³ They ·were in charge of [commanded] an army of three hundred seven thousand five hundred men who ·fought with great power [or were a powerful force] 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 [expertly; carefully] designed ·devices [machines]. These ·devices [machines] 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 [was marvelously/tremendously helped to become] powerful.