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Uzziah

king of Judah

King of Judah who built and fortified widely and became leprous after burning incense in the temple.

Also called Azariah, Ozias.

6 passages

2 Kings 14:21-22

Made King at Sixteen, Rebuilds Elath

21And all the people of Judah took Azariah, which was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.

Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old. They made him king in place of his father Amaziah.

22He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.

Azariah rebuilt the town of Elath and made it part of Judah again. He did this after his father the king died.

2 Kings 15:1-7

Reign of Azariah, Leprosy, and Death

1In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign.

Jeroboam had been king of Israel for 27 years. Then Azariah, son of Amaziah, became king of Judah.

2Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.

Azariah was 16 when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 52 years. His mother was Jecholiah, from Jerusalem.

3And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done;

He did what was right in the LORD's eyes. He did what his father Amaziah had done.

4Save that the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places.

But he did not take down the high places. These were hilltop places for worship. People still made offerings and burned sweet-smelling incense there.

5And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the house, judging the people of the land.

The LORD made the king sick with a skin disease. He had it until the day he died. So he lived in a separate house. His son Jotham ran the palace and led the people.

6And the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

The other things Azariah did are written down. They are in the book called the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.

7So Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.

Then Azariah died like his fathers before him. They buried him near them in the City of David. His son Jotham became king after him.

2 Chronicles 26:1-5

Crowned Young and Seeking God

1Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah.

All 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.

Uzziah 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.

Uzziah 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.

Uzziah 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.

Zechariah 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.

2 Chronicles 26:6-15

Wars, Building, Army, and Engines of War

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.

Uzziah 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.

God 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.

The 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.

Uzziah 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.

He 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.

Uzziah 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.

There 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.

Under 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.

Uzziah 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.

In 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.

2 Chronicles 26:16-21

Burning Incense, Struck With Leprosy

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.

But 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.

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

Azariah 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.

They 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.

Uzziah 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.

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.

Azariah 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.

King 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.

2 Chronicles 26:22-23

Death and Burial in a Separate Field

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

The 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.

Uzziah 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.

Every passage here is the King James text. Nothing on this page retells the story; it only puts the pieces in order.

Uzziah, king of Judah | The Plain Bible