Israel’s Future Blessing

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.

Jotham Succeeds Uzziah in Judah

27 ^(W)Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. ² He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah had done; ^(X)however he did not enter the temple of the Lord. But the people continued acting corruptly. ³ He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord, and he built the wall of ^(Y)Ophel extensively. ⁴ Moreover, he built ^(Z)cities in the hill country of Judah, and he built fortresses and towers on the wooded hills. ⁵ He fought with the king of the Ammonites and prevailed over them so that during that year the Ammonites gave him ^[o]a hundred talents of silver, ^[p]ten thousand kors of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. The Ammonites also paid him this amount in the second year and in the third. ^6 (AA)So Jotham became powerful because he directed his ways before the Lord his God. ^7 (AB)Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, all his wars and his ways, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. ⁸ He was ^(AC)twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for sixteen years. ⁹ And Jotham ^[q]lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and his son Ahaz became king in his place.

Confidence in God’s Protection.

For the music director; on a stringed instrument. A Psalm of David.

Laborers in the Vineyard

20 “For ^(A)the kingdom of heaven is like ^[a]a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his ^(B)vineyard. ² When he had agreed with the laborers for a ^[b]denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³ And he went out about the ^[c]third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace; ⁴ and to those he said, ‘You go into the vineyard also, and whatever is right, I will give you.’ And so they went. ⁵ Again he went out about the ^[d]sixth and the ninth hour, and did ^[e]the same thing. ⁶ And about the ^[f]eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he *said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’ ⁷ They *said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He *said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’

⁸ “Now when ^(C)evening came, the ^[g]owner of the vineyard *said to his ^(D)foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, starting with the last group to the first.’ ⁹ When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a ^[h]denarius. ¹⁰ And so when those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; ^[i]but each of them also received a denarius. ¹¹ When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, ¹² saying, ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day’s work and the ^(E)scorching heat.’ ¹³ But he answered and said to one of them, ‘^(F)Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take what is yours and go; but I want to give to this last person the same as to you. ¹⁵ Is it not lawful for me to do what I want with what is my own? Or is your ^(G)eye ^[j]envious because I am ^[k]generous?’ ¹⁶ So ^(H)the last shall be first, and the first, last.”

Death, Resurrection Foretold

^17 (I)As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the road He said to them, ¹⁸ “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man ^(J)will be ^[l]handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, ¹⁹ and they ^(K)will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and flog and crucify, and on ^(L)the third day He will be raised up.”

Request for Preferred Treatment

^20 (M)Then the mother of ^(N)the ^[m]sons of Zebedee came to ^[n]Jesus with her sons, ^(O)bowing down and making a request of Him. ²¹ And He said to her, “What do you desire?” She *said to Him, “Say that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine ^(P)shall sit, one at Your right, and one at Your left.” ²² But Jesus replied, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able ^(Q)to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They *said to Him, “We are able.” ²³ He *said to them, “^(R)My cup you shall drink; but to sit at My right and at My left is not Mine to give, ^(S)but it is for those for whom it has been ^(T)prepared by My Father.”

²⁴ And after hearing this, the other ten disciples became indignant with the two brothers. ^25 (U)But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles domineer over them, and ^[o]those in high position exercise authority over them. ²⁶ It ^[p]is not this way among you, ^(V)but whoever wants to become ^[q]prominent among you shall be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever desires to be first among you shall be your slave; ²⁸ just as ^(W)the Son of Man ^(X)did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His ^[r]life as a ransom for many.”

Sight for Those Who Are Blind

^29 (Y)As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. ³⁰ And two people who were blind, sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, ^(Z)have mercy on us, ^(AA)Son of David!” ³¹ But the crowd sternly warned them to be quiet; yet they cried out all the more, “Lord, ^(AB)Son of David, have mercy on us!” ³² And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” ³³ They *said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” ³⁴ Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.