Uzziah
1All the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and, made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 2He rebuilt Elath and recovered it for Judah, after the death of Amaziah. 3Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king and he reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jecoliah, of Jerusalem. 4He did what is pleasing to Yahweh, just as his father Amaziah had done; 5he sought God in the lifetime of Zechariah, who taught him the fear of God. And for as long as he sought Yahweh, God gave him prosperity.
6He went out to fight the Philistines, tore down the walls of Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod, then rebuilt the towns in the area of Ashdod and in Philistine territory. 7God helped him defeat the Philistines, the Arabs, the inhabitants of Gurbaal and the Meunites. 8The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah. His fame spread as far as the border of Egypt, since he had become very powerful indeed.
9Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem, at the Gate of the Corner, at the Gate of the Valley and at the Angle; and he fortified these. 10He built towers in the wilderness too, and dug a great many cisterns, for he had large herds in the lowlands and on the tableland; and he had farmers and vinedressers in the hills and on the fertile lands; he was fond of agriculture.
11Uzziah had an army ready for battle. They set out for war by turns, according to the census carried out by the scribe Jeiel and the registrar Maaseiah. Their commander was Hananiah, one of the king’s officers. 12The total number of heads of families among these valiant warriors was two thousand six hundred. 13Under their command was a trained army of three hundred and seven thousand five hundred fighting men, a powerful force to support the king against the enemy. 14Uzziah provided them with shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows and sling stones, for each battle. 15In Jerusalem he constructed engines, invented by experts, which were mounted on the towers and at the corners to fire arrows and great stones. His fame spread far and wide; for he was extraordinary in getting help until he was strong.
16But, as his power increased, he became so proud that he lost what he had gained. He defied Yahweh his God by going into the House to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17Azariah the priest followed King Uzziah in, with eighty brave priests of Yahweh, 18to resist him. They said to him, “Uzziah, it is not for you to burn incense to Yahweh, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, consecrated for the purpose. Leave the sanctuary; you have offended Yahweh God and you no longer have his blessing.” 19Uzziah, censer in hand for the burning incense, became angry with the priests and immediately, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests, in Yahweh’s House, there by the altar of incense. 20Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests turned toward him and saw the leprosy on his forehead. They quickly hurried him out, and he himself was anxious to go, since Yahweh had punished him.
21King Uzziah was a leper till his dying day. He lived in an isolated house, a leper, excluded from Yahweh’s House. Jotham, his son, was master of the palace, and ruled the people of the country.
22The rest of the history of Uzziah, from first to last, has been written by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. 23Then Uzziah rested with his ancestors and they buried him in the ground where the tomb of the kings is, for they said, “He is a leper.” His son Jotham succeeded him.
