Uzziah Reigns in Judah

(2 Kings 14:17-22)

1And all the people of Judah take Uzziah (and he [is] a son of sixteen years), and cause him to reign instead of his father Amaziah. 2He hath built Eloth, and restoreth it to Judah after the king’s lying with his fathers. 3A son of sixteen years [is] Uzziah in his reigning, and fifty and two years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother [is] Jecholiah of Jerusalem. 4And he doth that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that Amaziah his father did, 5and he is as one seeking God in the days of Zechariah who hath understanding in visions of God: and in the days of his seeking Jehovah, God hath caused him to prosper.

Uzziah's Victories

6And he goeth forth, and fighteth with the Philistines, and breaketh down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and buildeth cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines. 7And God helpeth him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who are dwelling in Gur-Baal and the Mehunim. 8And the Ammonites give a present to Uzziah, and his name goeth unto the entering in of Egypt, for he strengthened himself greatly. 9And Uzziah buildeth towers in Jerusalem, by the gate of the corner, and by the gate of the valley, and by the angle, and strengtheneth them; 10and he buildeth towers in the wilderness, and diggeth many wells, for he had much cattle, both in the low country and in the plain, husbandmen and vine-dressers in the mountains, and in Carmel; for he was a lover of the ground. 11And Uzziah hath a force, making war, going forth to the host, by troops, in the number of their reckoning by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Masseiah the officer, by the hand of Hananiah [one] of the heads of the king. 12The whole number of heads of the fathers of the mighty ones of valour [is] two thousand and six hundred; 13and by their hand [is] the force of the host, three hundred thousand, and seven thousand, and five hundred warriors, with mighty power to give help to the king against the enemy. 14And Uzziah prepareth for them, for all the host, shields, and spears, and helmets, and coats of mail, and bows, even to stones of the slings. 15And he maketh in Jerusalem inventions — a device of an inventor — to be on the towers, and on the corners, to shoot with arrows and with great stones, and his name goeth out unto a distance, for he hath been wonderfully helped till that he hath been strong.

Uzziah's Pride, Leprosy, Death

16And at his being strong his heart hath been high unto destruction, and he trespasseth against Jehovah his God, and goeth in unto the temple of Jehovah to make perfume upon the altar of perfume. 17And Azariah the priest goeth in after him, and with him priests of Jehovah eighty, sons of valour, 18and they stand up against Uzziah the king, and say to him, ‘Not for thee, O Uzziah, to make perfume to Jehovah, but for priests, sons of Aaron, who are sanctified to make perfume; go forth from the sanctuary, for thou hast trespassed, and [it is] not to thee for honour from Jehovah God.’ 19And Uzziah is wroth, and in his hand [is] a censer to make perfume, and in his being wroth with the priests — the leprosy hath risen in his forehead, before the priests, in the house of Jehovah, from beside the altar of perfume. 20And Azariah the head priest looketh unto him, and all the priests, and lo, he [is] leprous in his forehead, and they hasten him thence, and also he himself hath hastened to go out, for Jehovah hath plagued him. 21And Uzziah the king is a leper unto the day of his death, and inhabiteth a separate house — a leper, for he hath been cut off from the house of Jehovah, and Jotham his son [is] over the house of the king, judging the people of the land.

22And the rest of the matters of Uzziah, the first and the last, hath Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet written; 23and Uzziah lieth with his fathers, and they bury him with his fathers, in the field of the burying-place that the kings have, for they said, ‘He [is] a leper;’ and reign doth Jotham his son in his stead.