2 Chronicles 26

All the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king lay down with his fathers. Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all his father Amaziah had done. He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper. He went out and fought the Philistines, breaking down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. He built cities in the region of Ashdod and among the Philistines. God helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabs living in Gur-baal, and against the Meunites. The Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the entrance to Egypt, for he had become exceedingly strong. Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, the Valley Gate, and the angle of the wall, and fortified them. He built towers in the wilderness and dug many cisterns, for he had much livestock in the lowlands and on the plain. He had farmers and vinedressers in the hills and fertile fields, for he loved the soil. Uzziah had an army of fighting men who went out in divisions, according to the enrollment made by Jeuel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king's commanders. The total number of ancestral family heads among the mighty men of valor was two thousand six hundred. Under their command was an army of three hundred and seven thousand five hundred, who waged war with great strength to help the king against the enemy. Uzziah supplied the whole army with shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows, and slingstones. In Jerusalem he made devices designed by a skilled craftsman to be placed on the towers and corners, to shoot arrows and large stones. His fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped until he became strong. But when he became strong, his heart was lifted up to his ruin. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the incense altar. Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the LORD, men of courage. They confronted King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful. This will bring you no honor from the LORD God.” Uzziah became furious, with a censer in his hand to burn incense. While he was furious with the priests, a skin disease broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the incense altar. Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him and saw the skin disease on his forehead. They hurried him out of there, and he himself hastened to leave, for the LORD had struck him. King Uzziah had the skin disease until the day of his death. He lived in a separate house, afflicted with the skin disease, for he had been cut off from the house of the LORD. His son Jotham was over the king's palace, judging the people of the land. The rest of Uzziah's acts, from first to last, were written by Isaiah the prophet, son of Amoz. Uzziah lay down with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the royal burial field, for they said, “He has a skin disease.” His son Jotham reigned in his place.

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