King Uzziah of Judah
(2 Kings 14.212 222 15.1-7)1-3 After the death of King Amaziah, the people of Judah crowned his son Uzziah king, even though he was only 16 at the time. Uzziah ruled 52 years from Jerusalem, the hometown of his mother Jecoliah. During his rule, he recaptured and rebuilt the town of Elath.
4 He obeyed the Lord by doing right, as his father Amaziah had done. 5 Zechariah was Uzziah's advisor and taught him to obey God. And so, as long as Zechariah was alive, Uzziah was faithful to God, and God made him successful.
6 While Uzziah was king, he started a war against the Philistines. He smashed the walls of the cities of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod, then rebuilt towns around Ashdod and in other parts of Philistia. 7 God helped him defeat the Philistines, the Arabs living in Gur-Baal, and the Meunites. 8 Even the Ammonites paid taxes to Uzziah. He became very powerful, and people who lived as far away as Egypt heard about him.
9 In Jerusalem, Uzziah built fortified towers at the Corner Gate, the Valley Gate, and the place where the city wall turned inward. 10 He also built defense towers out in the desert.
He owned such a large herd of livestock in the western foothills and in the flatlands, that he had cisterns dug there to catch the rainwater. He loved farming, so he had crops and vineyards planted in the hill country wherever there was fertile soil, and he hired farmers to take care of them.
11 Uzziah's army was always ready for battle. Jeiel and Maaseiah were the officers who kept track of the number of soldiers, and these two men were under the command of Hananiah, one of Uzziah's officials. 12-13 There were 307,500 trained soldiers, all under the command of 2,600 clan leaders. These powerful troops protected the king against any enemy. 14 Uzziah supplied his army with shields, spears, helmets, armor, bows, and stones used for slinging. 15 Some of his skilled workers invented machines that could shoot arrows and sling large stones. Uzziah set these up in Jerusalem at his defense towers and at the corners of the city wall.
God helped Uzziah become more and more powerful, and he was famous all over the world.
Uzziah Becomes Too Proud
16 Uzziah became proud of his power, and this led to his downfall.
One day, Uzziah disobeyed the Lord his God by going into the temple and burning incense as an offering to him. 17 Azariah the priest and 80 other brave priests followed Uzziah into the temple 18 and said, “Your Majesty, this isn't right! You are not allowed to burn incense to the Lord. That must be done only by priests who are descendants of Aaron. You will have to leave! You have sinned against the Lord, and so he will no longer bless you.”
19 Uzziah, who was standing next to the incense altar at the time, was holding the incense burner, ready to offer incense to the Lord. He became very angry when he heard Azariah's warning, and leprosy suddenly appeared on his forehead! 20 Azariah and the other priests saw it and immediately told him to leave the temple. Uzziah realized that the Lord had punished him, so he hurried to get outside.
21 Uzziah had leprosy the rest of his life. He was no longer allowed in the temple or in his own palace. That's why his son Jotham lived there and ruled in his place.
22 Everything else Uzziah did while he was king is in the records written by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. 23 Since Uzziah had leprosy, he could not be buried in the royal tombs. Instead, he was buried in a nearby cemetery that the kings owned. His son Jotham then became king.
1 Then all the people of Iudah tooke Vzziah, which was sixteene yeere olde, and made him King in the steade of his father Amaziah. 2 He buylt Eloth, and restored it to Iudah after that the King slept with his fathers. 3 Sixteene yeere olde was Vzziah, when he began to reigne, and he reigned two and fiftie yere in Ierusalem, and his mothers name was Iecoliah of Ierusalem. 4 And hee did vprightly in the sight of the Lord, according to al that his father Amaziah did. 5 And he sought God in the dayes of Zechariah (which vnderstoode the visions of God) and when as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper. 6 For he went forth and fought against the Philistims and brake downe the wall of Gath, and the wall of Iabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities in Ashdod, and among the Philistims. 7 And God helped him against ye Philistims, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gur-baal and Hammeunim. 8 And the Ammonites gaue gifts to Vzziah, and his name spred to the entring in of Egypt: for he did most valiantly. 9 Moreouer Uzziah buylt towres in Ierusalem at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at the turning, and made them strong. 10 And he built towres in the wildernesse, and digged many cisternes: for he had much cattell both in the valleyes and playnes, plowmen, and dressers of vines in the mountaines, and in Carmel: for he loued husbandrie. 11 Vzziah had also an hoste of fighting men that went out to warre by bandes, according to the count of their nomber vnder the hande of Ieiel the Scribe, and Maaseiah the ruler, and vnder the hand of Hananiah, one of the Kings captaines. 12 The whole nomber of the chiefe of the families of the valiant men were two thousande and sixe hundreth. 13 And vnder their hande was the armie for warre, three hundreth and seuen thousand, and fiue hundreth that fought valiantly to helpe the King against the enemie. 14 And Vzziah prepared them throughout all the hoste, shieldes, and speares, and helmets, and brigandines, and bowes, and stones to sling. 15 He made also very artificial engins in Ierusalem, to be vpon the towres and vpon the corners, to shoote arrowes and great stones: and his name spred farre abroade, because God did helpe him marueilously, till he was mightie. 16 But when he was strong, his heart was lift vp to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the Temple of the Lord to burne incense vpon the altar of incense. 17 And Azariah the Priest went in after him, and with him foure score Priests of the Lord, valiant men. 18 And they withstoode Vzziah the King, and said vnto him, It perteineth not to thee, Vzziah, to burne incense vnto the Lord, but to the Priests the sonnes of Aaron, that are consecrated for to offer incense: goe forth of the Sanctuarie: for thou hast transgressed, and thou shalt haue none honour of the Lord God. 19 Then Vzziah was wroth, and had incense in his hand to burne it: and while he was wroth with the Priestes, the leprosie rose vp in his forehead before the Priestes in the house of the Lord beside the incense altar. 20 And when Azariah the chiefe Priest with al the Priestes looked vpon him, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they caused him hastily to depart thence: and he was euen compelled to go out, because the Lord had smitten him. 21 And Vzziah the king was a leper vnto the day of his death, and dwelt as a leper in an house apart, because he was cut off from the house of ye Lord: and Iotham his sonne ruled ouer the Kings house, and iudged the people of the land. 22 Concerning the rest of the acts of Vzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the Prophet the sonne of Amoz write. 23 So Vzziah slept with his fathers, and they buryed him with his fathers in the fielde of the burial, which perteined to the kings: for they said, He is a leper. And Iotham his sonne reigned in his steade.