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.