1 All the people of Judah chose Uzziah, though he was but sixteen years of age, and proclaimed him king to succeed his father Amaziah.
2 He rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah; this was after King Amaziah had gone to rest with his ancestors.
3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother, named Jecoliah, was from Jerusalem.
4 He pleased the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done.
5 He was prepared to seek God as long as Zechariah lived, who taught him to fear God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.
6 He went out and fought the Philistines and razed the walls of Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod (and built cities in the district of Ashdod and in Philistia).
7 God helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabs who dwelt in Gurbaal, and against the Meunites.
8 The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah and his fame spread as far as Egypt, for he grew stronger and stronger.
9 Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and at the Angle, and he fortified them.
10 He built towers in the desert and dug numerous cisterns, for he had many cattle. He had plowmen in the foothills and the plains, and vinedressers in the highlands and the garden land. He was a lover of the soil.
11 Uzziah also had a standing army of fit soldiers divided into bands according to the number in which they were mustered by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the recorder, under the command of Hananiah, one of the king's officials.
12 The entire number of family heads over these valiant warriors was two thousand six hundred,
13 and at their disposal was a mighty army of three hundred seven thousand five hundred fighting men of great valor to help the king against his enemies.
14 Uzziah provided for them--for the entire army--bucklers, lances, helmets, breastplates, bows and slingstones.
15 He also built machines in Jerusalem, devices contrived to stand on the towers and at the angles of the walls to shoot arrows and cast large stones. His fame spread far and wide, and his power was ascribed to the marvelous help he had received.
16 But after he had become strong, he became proud to his own destruction and broke faith with the LORD, his God. He entered the temple of the LORD to make an offering on the altar of incense.
17 But Azariah the priest, and with him eighty other priests of the LORD, courageous men, followed him.
18 They opposed King Uzziah, saying to him: "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who have been consecrated for this purpose. Leave the sanctuary, for you have broken faith and no longer have a part in the glory that comes from the LORD God."
19 Uzziah, who was holding a censer for burning the incense, became angry, but at the moment he showed his anger to the priests, while they were looking at him in the house of the LORD beside the altar of incense, leprosy broke out on his forehead.
20 Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests examined him, and when they saw that his forehead was leprous, they expelled him from the temple. He himself fled willingly, for the LORD had afflicted him.
21 King Uzziah remained a leper to the day of his death. As a leper he dwelt in a segregated house, for he was excluded from the house of the LORD. Therefore his son Jotham was regent of the palace and ruled the people of the land.
22 The prophet Isaiah, son of Amos, wrote the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last.
23 Uzziah rested with his ancestors; he was buried with them in the field adjoining the royal cemetery, for they said, "He was a leper." His son Jotham succeeded him as king.
Versículos relacionados com 2 Chronicles, 26:
2 Chronicles 26 narrates the reign of Uzziah, a king of Judah who began well, but ended up falling into pride and disobedience to God. During his reign, Judah prospered and Uzzias became a powerful king, but his pride led him to enter the temple and try to offer incense, something only the priests were allowed to do. As a result, he was punished by God with leprosy. Below are five verses related to the topics covered in 2 chronicles 26:
Proverbs 16:18: "Pride precedes ruin, and arrogance comes before the fall." This verse is relevant to chapter 26, as Uzzias fell into disgrace because of his pride and arrogance.
2 Chronicles 26:5: "He sought God during the life of Zechariah, the master of the seers who gave him instruction in the fear of God." This verse shows that Uzziah began his reign seeking God and following his teachings.
Proverbs 16:32: "It is better the patient than the warrior, it is better to control his spirit than to conquer a city." This verse is relevant to Uziah, who was a successful warrior, but could not control his spirit of pride and disobedience.
2 Chronicles 26:16: "But when it was powerful, his heart became so proud that he acted infidelity against the Lord, his God. He entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense." This verse shows how Uzias became proud and disobedient to God, which eventually led to his fall.
Isaiah 6:1: "In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a tall and exalted throne, and the flap of his dress filled the temple." This verse shows that Uzziah was an important king in Judah and that his death had a great impact. It can also be interpreted as a sign of divine punishment on Uzziah for their disobedience.
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