Uzziah’s Projects

1Then all the people of Judah appointed his son, Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, as king in place of his father, Amaziah. 2He built up Eloth, and he restored it to the dominion of Judah. After this, the king slept with his fathers. 3Uzziah was sixteen years old when he had begun to reign. And he reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Jecoliah, from Jerusalem. 4And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, in accord with all that his father, Amaziah, had done. 5And he sought the Lord, during the days of Zechariah, who understood and saw God. And while he was seeking the Lord, he directed him in all things. 6Indeed, he went out and fought against the Philistines. And he destroyed the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod. Also, he built towns in Ashdod, and among the Philistines. 7And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians, who were living in Gurbaal, and against the Ammonites. 8And the Ammonites weighed out gifts to Uzziah. And his name became widely known, even to the entrance of Egypt, because of his frequent victories. 9And Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem, above the gate of the corner, and above the gate of the valley, and others on the same side of the wall, and he fortified them. 10Then he also constructed towers in the wilderness, and dug many cisterns, because he had much cattle, both in the plains and in the starkness of the wilderness. Also, he had vineyards and dressers of vines in the mountains and at Carmel. Certainly, he was a man devoted to agriculture. 11Now the army of his warriors, who would go forth to battle, was under the hand of Jeiel, the scribe, and Maaseiah, the teacher, and under the hand of Hananiah, who was among the king’s commanders. 12And the entire number of the leaders, by the families of strong men, was two thousand six hundred. 13And the entire army under them was three hundred and seven thousand five hundred, who were fit for war, and who fought on behalf of the king against the adversaries. 14Also, Uzziah prepared for them, that is, for the entire army, shields, and spears, and helmets, and breastplates, and bows, as well as slings for the casting of stones. 15And in Jerusalem, he made various kinds of machines, which he placed in the towers, and at the corners of the walls, so as to shoot arrows and large stones. And his name went forth to far away places, for the Lord was helping him and had strengthened him. 16But when he had become strong, his heart was lifted up, even to his own destruction. And he neglected the Lord his God. And entering into the temple of the Lord, he intended to burn incense upon the altar of incense. 17And entering immediately after him, Azariah the priest, and with him eighty priests of the Lord, very valiant men, 18withstood the king, and they said: “It is not your office, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord; rather, it is the office of the priests, that is, of the sons of Aaron, who have been consecrated for this same ministry. Depart from the sanctuary, otherwise you will be in contempt. For this act will not be reputed to you for your glory by the Lord God.” 19And Uzziah, having become angry, while holding in his hand the censer so that he might burn incense, threatened the priests. And immediately a leprosy arose on his forehead, in the sight of the priests, in the house of the Lord, at the altar of incense. 20And when the high priest Azariah, and all the rest of the priests, had gazed upon him, they saw the leprosy on his forehead, and they hurried to expel him. Then too, he himself, becoming terrified, rushed to depart, because immediately he had become aware of the wound of the Lord. 21And so, king Uzziah was a leper, even until the day of his death. And he lived in a separate house, being full of leprosy, because of which he had been ejected from the house of the Lord. Then Jotham, his son, directed the house of the king, and he was judging the people of the land. 22But the rest of the words of Uzziah, the first and the last, were written by the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz. 23And Uzziah slept with his fathers. And they buried him in the field of the royal sepulchers, because he was a leper. And Jotham, his son, reigned in his place.