2 Chronicles 26 - Easy To Read Version

¹ Then the people of Judah chose Uzziah to be the new king in place of Amaziah. Amaziah was Uzziah’s father. Uzziah was 16 years old when this happened.

² Uzziah built again the town of Elath and gave it back to Judah. Uzziah did this after Amaziah died and was buried with his ancestors. {\cf2\super [295]}

³ Uzziah was 16 years old when he became king. He ruled 52 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah. Jecoliah was from Jerusalem.

⁴ Uzziah did the things the Lord wanted him to do. He obeyed God the same as his father Amaziah had done.

⁵ Uzziah followed God in the time of Zechariah’s life. Zechariah taught Uzziah how to respect and obey God. When Uzziah was obeying the Lord, God gave him success.

⁶ Uzziah fought a war against the Philistine people. He tore down the walls around the towns of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. Uzziah built towns near the town of Ashdod and in other places among the Philistine people.

⁷ God helped Uzziah fight the Philistines, the Arabs living in the town of Gur Baal, and the Meunites.

⁸ The Ammonites paid tribute {\cf2\super [296]} to Uzziah. Uzziah’s name became famous all the way to the border of Egypt. He was famous because he was very powerful.

⁹ Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and at the place where the wall turned. Uzziah made those towers strong.

¹⁰ Uzziah built towers in the desert. He also dug many wells. He had much cattle in the hill country and in the flat lands. Uzziah had farmers in the mountains and in the lands where growth was good. He also had men that took care of fields where grapes grew. He loved farming.

¹¹ Uzziah had an army of trained soldiers. Those soldiers were put in groups by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer. Hananiah was their leader. Jeiel and Maaseiah counted those soldiers and put them into groups. Hananiah was one of the king’s officers.

¹² There were 2,600 leaders over the soldiers.

¹³ Those family leaders were in charge of an army of 307,500 men that fought with great power. Those soldiers helped the king against the enemy.

¹⁴ Uzziah gave the army shields, spears, helmets, armor, bows, and stones for the slings. {\cf2\super [297]}

¹⁵ In Jerusalem Uzziah made machines that were invented by clever men. Those machines were put on the towers and corner walls. These machines shot arrows and large rocks. Uzziah became famous. People knew his name in far away places. He had much help and became a powerful king.

¹⁶ But when Uzziah became strong, his pride caused him to be destroyed. He was not faithful to the Lord his God. He went into the Lord’s temple {\cf2\super [298]} to burn incense {\cf2\super [299]} on the altar {\cf2\super [300]} for burning incense.

¹⁷ Azariah the priest and 80 brave priests that served the Lord followed Uzziah into the temple.

¹⁸ They told Uzziah he was wrong. They said to him, “Uzziah, it is not your job to burn incense to the Lord. It is not good for you to do this. The priests and Aaron’s descendants {\cf2\super [301]} are the ones that burn incense to the Lord. These priests were trained for holy service to burn incense. Go out of the Most Holy Place. {\cf2\super [302]} You have not been faithful. The Lord God will not honor you for this!”

¹⁹ But Uzziah was angry. He had a bowl in his hand for burning incense. {\cf2\super [303]} While Uzziah was very angry at the priests, leprosy {\cf2\super [304]} came up on his forehead. This happened in front of the priests in the Lord’s temple {\cf2\super [305]} by the altar {\cf2\super [306]} for burning incense.

²⁰ Azariah the leading priest and all the priests looked at Uzziah. They could see the leprosy on his forehead. The priests quickly forced Uzziah out from the temple. Uzziah himself hurried out because the Lord had punished him.

²¹ Uzziah the king was a leper. {\cf2\super [307]} He could not enter the Lord’s temple. Uzziah’s son Jotham controlled the king’s house and became governor for the people.

²² The other things that Uzziah did, from beginning to the end, were written by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.

²³ Uzziah died and was buried near his ancestors. {\cf2\super [308]} Uzziah was buried in the field near the king’s burial places. Why? Because the people said, “Uzziah has leprosy. {\cf2\super [309]} ” And Jotham became the new king in Uzziah’s place. Jotham was Uzziah’s son.