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. He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king [b]lay down with his fathers. 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. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, in accordance with everything that his father Amaziah had done. (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

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. (F)God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites. The Ammonites gave (G)tribute to Uzziah, and his [f]fame extended to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong. 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.

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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

Uzziah Succeeds Amaziah(A)

26 All the people of Judah made Uzziah king in place of his father Amaziah. Uzziah was sixteen years old at the time. He rebuilt Eloth and restored it to Judah after King Amaziah[a] had been laid to rest[b] with his ancestors. Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned for 52 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah. She was from Jerusalem. He practiced what the Lord considered to be right, following the example set by his father Amaziah’s accomplishments. Uzziah[c] kept on seeking God during the lifetime of Zechariah, who taught him how to fear God, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosperous.

Uzziah’s Initial Successes

One time Uzziah[d] went out and battled the Philistines. He tore down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod, and built cities in the Ashdod area among the Philistines. God helped Uzziah[e] defeat the Philistines, the Arabians who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites. The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah, and his reputation extended as far as the border with Egypt as he became stronger and stronger. Uzziah also built towers in Jerusalem, at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and at the Angle[f] and fortified them. 10 He also built watchtowers in the wilderness and had many cisterns hewed out, since he also possessed large herds, both in the Shephelah[g] and in the midland plains. He had many farmers and vinedressers throughout the hills and fertile lands because he loved farming.[h]

11 Uzziah kept a standing army, equipped for battle, garrisoned in divisions according to an organizational structure devised by his royal secretary Jeiel and his officer Maaseiah, who reported to Hananiah, one of the king’s commanders. 12 The number of senior leaders of the ancestral houses of his elite forces numbered 2,600. 13 Uzziah[i] commanded an army of 307,500 who could fight formidably on behalf of the king against any enemy. 14 In addition, Uzziah equipped the entire army with shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows, and stones for use in slings. 15 He also had various siege engines built by skilled designers and placed them on the towers and on the corner ramparts that could fire arrows and very large stones. His reputation spread far and wide, and he was marvelously assisted until he grew very strong.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 26:2 Lit. after the king
  2. 2 Chronicles 26:2 Lit. after the king slept
  3. 2 Chronicles 26:5 Lit. He
  4. 2 Chronicles 26:6 Lit. he
  5. 2 Chronicles 26:7 Lit. him
  6. 2 Chronicles 26:9 Or the Corner Portion; i.e., a portion of Jerusalem’s wall near an armory; cf. Neh 3:19
  7. 2 Chronicles 26:10 I.e. the verdant central lowlands of Israel; cf. Josh 10:40
  8. 2 Chronicles 26:10 Lit. loved the ground
  9. 2 Chronicles 26:13 Lit. He