All the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah. 2He built Eloth, and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers. 3Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jechiliah, of Jerusalem. 4He did that which was right in the eyes of YAHWEH1, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 5He set himself to seek God2 in the days of Zakariyya3, who had understanding in the vision of God: and as long as he sought YAHWEH, God made him to prosper.
6He went forth and made war against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the country of Ashdod, and among the Philistines. 7God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gur Baal, and the Meunim. 8The Ammonites gave tribute to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entrance of Egypt; for he grew 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. 10He built towers in the wilderness, and hewed out many cisterns, for he had much cattle; in the lowland also, and in the plain: and he had farmers and vineyard keepers in the mountains and in the fruitful fields; for he loved farming. 11Moreover Uzziah had an army of fighting men, who went out to war by bands, according to the number of their reckoning made by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king’s captains. 12The whole number of the heads of fathers’ households, even the mighty men of valour, was two thousand and six hundred. 13Under their hand was an army, three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, who made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. 14Uzziah prepared for them, even for all the army, shields, and spears, and helmets, and coats of mail, and bows, and stones for slinging. 15He made in Jerusalem engines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and on the battlements, with which to shoot arrows and great stones. His name spread far abroad; for he was marvelously helped, until he was strong.
16But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up, so that he did corruptly, and he trespassed against YAHWEH his God; for he went into the Temple of YAHWEH to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him eighty priests of YAHWEH, who were valiant men: 18and they withstood Uzziah the king, and said to him, “It isn’t for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to YAHWEH, but to the priests the sons of Harun4, who are consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have trespassed; neither shall it be for your honour from YAHWEH God.”
19Then Uzziah was angry; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense; and while he was angry with the priests, the leprosy broke forth in his forehead before the priests in the House of YAHWEH, beside the altar of incense. 20Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked on him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out quickly from there. Indeed, he himself also hurried to leave, because YAHWEH had struck him. 21Uzziah the king was a leper to the day of his death, and lived in a separate house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the House of YAHWEH: and Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.
22Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, Shaya5 the prophet, son of Amoz, wrote. 23So Uzziah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the field of burial which belonged to the kings; for they said, “He is a leper:” and Jotham his son reigned in his place.
- 26:4 YAHWEH, God’s personal Name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15: ‘God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”’ ↩︎
- 26:5 God, English translation of elohim. Elohim (Hebrew) is related to allah (Arabic) and alaha (Syriac), all of which translate as “God,” and refer to the one true God. ↩︎
- 26:5 Zakariyya, this Arabic name is derived from the Hebrew name Zechariah, which means “YAHWEH remembers.” ↩︎
- 26:18 Harun, this Arabic name and the English name Aaron, are both derived from the Hebrew name Aharon, possibly meaning “exalted” or “high mountain.” ↩︎
- 26:22 Shaya, this Arabic name is derived from the Hebrew name Isaiah, which means “YAHWEH is salvation.” ↩︎