2 Chronicles 26

Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah.

1All the people of Judah chose Uzziah to be their new king. He was sixteen years old. He took the place of his father Amaziah.

2He built Eloth, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.

2Uzziah rebuilt the town of Eloth. He made it part of Judah again. This happened after his father the king died.

3Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.

3Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for fifty-two years. His mother was Jecoliah, from Jerusalem.

4And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did.

4Uzziah did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. He did the same good things his father Amaziah had done.

5And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.

5Zechariah taught Uzziah to honor God. Uzziah looked to God while Zechariah was alive. As long as he looked to the LORD, God made things go well for him.

6And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines.

6Uzziah went out to fight the Philistines. He broke down the walls of the towns of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. Then he built towns near Ashdod and in Philistine land.

7And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gurbaal, and the Mehunims.

7God helped him fight the Philistines. God also helped him fight the Arabs who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites.

8And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entering in of Egypt; for he strengthened himself exceedingly.

8The Ammonites brought Uzziah gifts to show that he was over them. People heard about him far away, all the way to the edge of Egypt. He had become very strong.

9Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.

9Uzziah built strong towers in Jerusalem. He put them at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and where the wall turned. He made them very strong.

10Also he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much cattle, both in the low country, and in the plains: husbandmen also, and vine dressers in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he loved husbandry.

10He also built towers out in the dry land. He dug many pits to hold water, because he had many animals. His animals fed in the low hills and the flat land. He had farmers and grape growers in the hill country and in the good fields. He loved working the soil.

11Moreover Uzziah had an host of fighting men, that went out to war by bands, according to the number of their account by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the ruler, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king’s captains.

11Uzziah had an army of fighting men who were ready for war. They went out in groups. Jeiel the writer and Maaseiah the officer kept the list of their names. They worked under Hananiah, one of the king's leaders.

12The whole number of the chief of the fathers of the mighty men of valour were two thousand and six hundred.

12There were 2,600 family leaders in charge of these brave fighting men.

13And under their hand was an army, three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.

13Under those leaders was an army of 307,500 men. They fought with great power to help the king against his enemies.

14And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to cast stones.

14Uzziah gave the whole army shields, spears, and helmets. He also gave them coats of armor, bows, and stones for slings.

15And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.

15In Jerusalem he had skilled men build war machines. These stood on the towers and on the corners of the wall. They shot arrows and threw large stones. His name became known far and wide, because God helped him greatly and he grew strong.

NoteThe KJV calls these "engines." They were machines built for war that could shoot arrows or hurl big stones from the city walls.

16But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.

16But when Uzziah was strong, he became proud, and that pride ruined him. He was not faithful to the LORD his God. He went into the LORD's temple to burn incense on the incense altar.

NoteIncense is a sweet-smelling smoke made by burning special spices. Burning it in the temple was a gift to God, and only priests were allowed to do it.

17And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men:

17Azariah the priest went into the temple after him. Eighty brave priests of the LORD went with him.

18And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God.

18They stood in front of King Uzziah and spoke up. They said, "Uzziah, you are not allowed to burn incense to the LORD. Only the priests, who come from Aaron's family, may do that. They were set apart for this work. Leave this holy place. You have done wrong. The LORD God will not honor you for this."

19Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar.

19Uzziah was holding a pan for burning incense. He became very angry at the priests. While he was raging at them, a skin disease broke out on his forehead. The priests saw it happen right there beside the incense altar, inside the LORD's house.

NoteThe KJV word "leprosy" covered several serious skin diseases, not only the one called leprosy today. The "censer" he held was a small pan for burning incense.

20And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him.

20Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him. They saw the disease on his forehead. They rushed him out of the temple. He hurried out too, because the LORD had struck him.

21And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD: and Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.

21King Uzziah had this skin disease until the day he died. He lived by himself in a separate house. He was not allowed to go to the LORD's temple. His son Jotham ran the king's house and led the people of the land.

NoteThe KJV says he lived in "a several house." In 1611 English that meant a separate house, on his own, away from other people.

22Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, write.

22The rest of Uzziah's story, from start to finish, was written down by Isaiah son of Amoz. Isaiah was a prophet, someone who told people what God said.

23So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings; for they said, He is a leper: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.

23Uzziah died and was buried near his fathers. They buried him in a burial field that belonged to the kings, because people said, "He had a skin disease." His son Jotham became king after him.