2 Chronicles, 26

1. All the people then chose Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in succession to his father Amaziah.

1. And all the people of Judah took Uzzi'ah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amazi'ah.

2. It was he who rebuilt Elath, recovering it for Judah, after the king had fallen asleep with his ancestors.

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

3. Uzziah was sixteen years old when he came to the throne and he reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.

3. Uzzi'ah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoli'ah of Jerusalem.

4. He did what is pleasing to Yahweh, just as his father Amaziah had done;

4. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Amazi'ah had done.

5. he consulted God throughout the lifetime of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. And as long as he consulted Yahweh, God gave him success.

5. He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechari'ah, who instructed him in the fear of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.

6. He went on campaign against the Philistines, demolished the walls of Gath, the walls of Jabneh and the walls of Ashdod, and built towns in the area of Ashdod and elsewhere in Philistine territory.

6. He went out 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 territory of Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines.

7. God helped him against the Philistines, the Arabs living at Gur-Baal and the Meunites.

7. God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabs that dwelt in Gurba'al, and against the Me-u'nites.

8. The Meunites paid tribute to Uzziah and his fame spread as far as the frontier of Egypt, since he kept growing stronger and stronger.

8. The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzzi'ah, and his fame spread even to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong.

9. Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem, at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate and at the Angle, and fortified them.

9. Moreover Uzzi'ah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate and at the Valley Gate and at the Angle, and fortified them.

10. He built towers in the desert too, and dug many storage-wells, for he had large herds in the lowlands and on the tableland, and farmers and vine dressers in the hills and fertile lands: for he loved the land.

10. And he built towers in the wilderness, and hewed out many cisterns, for he had large herds, both in the Shephe'lah and in the plain, and he had farmers and vinedressers in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil.

11. Uzziah had a trained army ready to go on campaign, organised in companies manned as detailed by the scribe Jeiel and the staff-officer Maaseiah, and commanded by Hananiah one of the king's generals.

11. Moreover Uzzi'ah had an army of soldiers, fit for war, in divisions according to the numbers in the muster made by Je-i'el the secretary and Ma-asei'ah the officer, under the direction of Hanani'ah, one of the king's commanders.

12. The heads of families of the military champions numbered in all two thousand six hundred.

12. The whole number of the heads of fathers' houses of mighty men of valor was two thousand six hundred.

13. Under them was an army of three hundred and seven thousand five hundred men ready for war, a powerful force to support the king against the enemy.

13. Under their command was an army of three hundred and seven thousand five hundred, who could make war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.

14. Uzziah provided shields, spears, helmets, armour, bows and sling-stones for the entire army.

14. And Uzzi'ah prepared for all the army shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and stones for slinging.

15. He also erected expertly contrived devices for the towers and angles of Jerusalem from which to shoot arrows and drop large stones. His fame spread far and wide, for he was miraculously helped to become strong.

15. In Jerusalem he made engines, invented by skilful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and great stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong.

16. But once he was strong, his arrogance was such that it led to his downfall; he was unfaithful to Yahweh his God by entering the Temple of Yahweh to burn incense on the altar of incense.

16. But when he was strong he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was false to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.

17. Azariah the priest with eight brave priests of Yahweh followed him in;

17. But Azari'ah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the LORD who were men of valor;

18. confronting King Uzziah, they said to him, 'Uzziah, you are not allowed to burn incense to Yahweh; only the Aaronite priests consecrated for the purpose may burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honour from Yahweh God.'

18. and they withstood King Uzzi'ah, and said to him, "It is not for you, Uzzi'ah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary; for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the LORD God."

19. Uzziah, censer in hand to burn incense, flew into a rage. But while he was raging at the priests, a virulent skin-disease broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests, in the Temple of Yahweh, there by the altar of incense.

19. Then Uzzi'ah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests leprosy broke out on his forehead, in the presence of the priests in the house of the LORD, by the altar of incense.

20. When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests turned towards him, there was skin-disease on his forehead and they hurried him outside, and he himself was equally anxious to get out, because Yahweh had struck him.

20. And Azari'ah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead! And they thrust him out quickly, and he himself hastened to go out, because the LORD had smitten him.

21. King Uzziah was afflicted with skin-disease till his dying day. Because of this, he lived confined to his room and was excluded from the Temple of Yahweh, while Jotham his son, who was master of the palace, governed the people of the country.

21. And King Uzzi'ah was a leper to the day of his death, and being a leper dwelt in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the LORD. And Jotham his son was over the king's household, governing the people of the land.

22. The rest of the history of Uzziah, from first to last, has been written by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.

22. Now the rest of the acts of Uzzi'ah, from first to last, Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz wrote.

23. Then Uzziah fell asleep with his ancestors and was buried with them in the field beside the burial ground of the kings since, it was reasoned, he was afflicted with virulent skin-disease. His son Jotham then succeeded him.

23. And Uzzi'ah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the burial field which belonged to the kings, for they said, "He is a leper." And Jotham his son reigned in his stead.