Uzziah Reigns in Judah
(2 Kings 14:21–22; 2 Kings 15:1–7)

1And all the people of Judah took Uzziah†—and he was a son of sixteen years—and they made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 2He rebuilt Eloth† and restored it to Judah after the king rested with his fathers.

3Uzziah was a son of sixteen years in his reigning, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. And the name of His mother was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. 4And he did right in the eyes of YHWH, according to all that Amaziah his father had done. 5And He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the fear† of God. And in the days of his seeking YHWH, God made him prosper.

6And he went out and made war against the Philistines. And he broke down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod. And he built cities around Ashdod and among the Philistines. 7And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabs dwelling in Gur-baal, and against the Meunites. 8And the Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah, and his name spread as far as the entrance of Egypt; for he became strong even to exceedingly.

9And Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem by the Gate of the Corner, and by the Gate of the Valley, and by the Angle, and he fortified them. 10And he built towers in the desert, and he dug many wells, for were unto him much livestock both in the Shephelah† and in the plains, and plowmen and vinedressers in the hill country and in Carmel; for he was a lover of the ground.

11And unto Uzziah was an army making war, going forth to the host by troops, in the number of their reckoning by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, by the hand of Hananiah of the captains of the king. 12All the number of the heads of the fathers of the mighty men of valor was two thousand and six hundred. 13And under their hand was the force of the host, three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred making war with mighty power to help the king against the enemy.

14And Uzziah prepared for them, for all the host, shields, and spears, and helmets, and body armor, and bows, and stones of the slings. 15And he made in Jerusalem devices invented by skillful men to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot† the arrows and the large stones. And his fame spread even to a distance, for he was marvelously helped until that he became strong.

16And at his strength, his heart was lifted up to destruction, and he trespassed against YHWH his God, and he went into the temple of YHWH to burn incense on the altar of incense.

17And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him priests of YHWH—eighty sons of valor— 18and they stood up against Uzziah the king and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to YHWH, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed; and honor is not unto you from YHWH God.”

19And Uzziah became furious, and in his hand was a censer to burn incense. And in his being angry with the priests, the leprosy† broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of YHWH, from beside the altar of incense. 20And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous on his forehead, and they rushed him out of that place. And indeed, he hurried to get out, because YHWH had struck him.

21And Uzziah the king was a leper until the day of his death, and He dwelt in isolation in a house of being leprous, for he was cut off from the house of YHWH. And Jotham his son was over the house of the king, judging the people of the land.

22And the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from the first to the last, Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet wrote. 23And Uzziah rested with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of burial that was unto the kings. For they said, “He was a leper.” And Jotham his son reigned in his place.

Footnotes:

1 Uzziah is also called Azariah; throughout this chapter; see 2 Kings 14:21.
2 Eloth is a variant of Elath; see LXX, 2 Kings 14:22, and 2 Kings 16:6.
5 Many Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, and Syriac; other Hebrew manuscripts through the vision
10 Or foothills or lowlands; that is, the western foothills of Judea
15 Or to protect those who shoot
19 Leprosy was a term used for various skin diseases; see Leviticus 13.