Uzziah Succeeds Amaziah

(2 Kings 14:21-22; 15:1-3)

1All the people of Judah made Uzziah king in place of his father Amaziah. Uzziah was sixteen years old at the time. 2He rebuilt Eloth and restored it to Judah after King Amaziaha had been laid to restb with his ancestors. 3Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned for 52 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah. She was from Jerusalem. 4He practiced what the LORD considered to be right, following the example set by his father Amaziah’s accomplishments. 5Uzziahc kept on seeking God during the lifetime of Zechariah, who taught him how to fear God, and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosperous.

Uzziah’s Initial Successes

6One time Uzziahd went out and battled the Philistines. He tore down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod, and built cities in the Ashdod area among the Philistines. 7God helped Uzziahe defeat the Philistines, the Arabians who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites. 8The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah, and his reputation extended as far as the border with Egypt as he became stronger and stronger. 9Uzziah also built towers in Jerusalem, at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and at the Anglef and fortified them. 10He also built watchtowers in the wilderness and had many cisterns hewed out, since he also possessed large herds, both in the Shephelahg and in the midland plains. He had many farmers and vinedressers throughout the hills and fertile lands because he loved farming.h

11Uzziah kept a standing army, equipped for battle, garrisoned in divisions according to an organizational structure devised by his royal secretary Jeiel and his officer Maaseiah, who reported to Hananiah, one of the king’s commanders. 12The number of senior leaders of the ancestral houses of his elite forces numbered 2,600. 13Uzziahi commanded an army of 307,500 who could fight formidably on behalf of the king against any enemy. 14In addition, Uzziah equipped the entire army with shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows, and stones for use in slings. 15He also had various siege engines built by skilled designers and placed them on the towers and on the corner ramparts that could fire arrows and very large stones. His reputation spread far and wide, and he was marvelously assisted until he grew very strong.

Uzziah’s Arrogance and Apostasy

(2 Kings 15:4-7)

16But after he had become strong, in his arrogance he acted corruptly and became unfaithful to the LORD his God, and he dared to enter the LORD’s Temple to burn incense on the incense altar. 17Azariah the priest ran after him, along with 80 of the LORD’s valiant priests, 18and they opposed King Uzziah. “Uzziah, it’s not for you to burn incense to the LORD,” they told him, “but for the priests to do, Aaron’s descendants who are consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary now, because you have been unfaithful and won’t receive any honor from the LORD God.”

19Uzziah flew into a rage while he held in his hand a censer to burn incense. As he got angry at the priests, leprosy broke out all over his forehead right in front of the priests beside the incense altar in the LORD’s Temple. 20So Azariah the chief priest and all the priests stared at Uzziah, who was infected with leprosy in his forehead! They all rushed at him and hurried him out of the Temple. Uzziahj was in a hurry to get out anyway, because the LORD had struck him.

21King Uzziah remained a leper until the day he died. Because he was a leper, he lived in a separate residence and remained disqualified to enter the LORD’s Temple. His son Jotham served in the royal palace, judging the people of the land. 22Now the rest of Uzziah’s accomplishments, from first to last, have been recorded by Amoz’s son Isaiah the prophet. 23Uzziah died, as had his ancestors, and they buried him alongside his ancestors in a grave in a field that belonged to the kings, because they said, “He was a leper.” Uzziah’sk son Jotham became king to replace him.