1Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.
2He built Eloth and gave it back 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. His mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.
4He did what was right in the sight of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done.
5He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who understood the visions of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.
6He went out and made war against the Philistines. He broke down the wall of Gath, the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and he built cities around Ashdod and among the Philistines.
7God helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabians who lived in Gurbaal, and against the Mehunims.
8The Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah. His name spread far, as far as the entrance of Egypt, for he made himself very strong.
9Uzziah also built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and he made them strong.
10He also built towers in the desert and dug many wells, for he had much cattle, both in the low country and in the plains. He had farmers too, and men to care for the vines in the mountains and in Carmel, for he loved farming.
11Uzziah also had an army of fighting men who went out to war in bands. They were counted by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king's captains.
12The whole number of the heads of families over these mighty men of valour was two thousand six hundred.
13Under their command was an army of three hundred and seven thousand five hundred men, who made war with great power to help the king against the enemy.
14Uzziah prepared for them, for the whole army, shields, spears, helmets, coats of armour, bows, and slings to throw stones.
15In Jerusalem he made machines, designed by skilful men, to stand on the towers and on the corners of the walls, to shoot arrows and great stones. His name spread far and wide, for he was helped in a wonderful way until he was strong.
16But when he was strong, his heart grew proud, and that led to his ruin. He sinned against the LORD his God. He went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.
17Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him eighty priests of the LORD, who were brave men.
18They stood against Uzziah the king and said to him, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD. That is for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are set apart to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have sinned. This will bring you no honour from the LORD God."
19Then Uzziah was angry. He had a censer in his hand to burn incense. While he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, in front of the priests, in the house of the LORD, beside the incense altar.
20Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there was leprosy on his forehead. They pushed him out from there. He himself also hurried to get out, because the LORD had struck him.
21Uzziah the king was a leper until the day of his death. He lived in a separate house, being a leper, for he was cut off from the house of the LORD. His son Jotham was over the king's house and judged the people of the land.
22The rest of the acts of Uzziah, from first to last, were written by Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz.
23So Uzziah slept with his fathers. They buried him with his fathers in the burial field that belonged to the kings, for they said, "He is a leper." And his son Jotham reigned in his place.