2 Chronicles 26

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Al the people then chose Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in succession to hisfather Amaziah.	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 It was he who rebuilt Elath, recovering it for Judah, after the king had fal en asleep with his ancestors.	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 came to the throne and he reigned for fifty-two years inJerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.	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 did what is pleasing to Yahweh, just as his father Amaziah had done;	4 He pleased the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done.
5 he consulted God throughout the lifetime of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. And aslong as he consulted Yahweh, God gave him success.	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 on campaign against the Philistines, demolished the wal s of Gath, the wal s of Jabneh andthe wal s of Ashdod, and built towns in the area of Ashdod and elsewhere in Philistine territory.	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, the Arabs living at Gur-Baal and the Meunites.	7 God helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabs who dwelt in Gurbaal, and against the Meunites.
8 The Meunites paid tribute to Uzziah and his fame spread as far as the frontier of Egypt, since he keptgrowing stronger and stronger.	8 The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah and his fame spread as far as Egypt, for he grew stronger and stronger.
9 Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem, at the Corner Gate, at the Val ey Gate and at the Angle, and fortifiedthem.	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 too, and dug many storage-wel s, for he had large herds in the lowlandsand on the tableland, and farmers and vine dressers in the hil s and fertile lands: for he loved the land.	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 had a trained army ready to go on campaign, organised in companies manned as detailed bythe scribe Jeiel and the staff-officer Maaseiah, and commanded by Hananiah one of the king's generals.	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 heads of families of the military champions numbered in al two thousand six hundred.	12 The entire number of family heads over these valiant warriors was two thousand six hundred,
13 Under them was an army of three hundred and seven thousand five hundred men ready for war, apowerful force to support the king against the enemy.	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 shields, spears, helmets, armour, bows and sling-stones for the entire army.	14 Uzziah provided for them--for the entire army--bucklers, lances, helmets, breastplates, bows and slingstones.
15 He also erected expertly contrived devices for the towers and angles of Jerusalem from which toshoot arrows and drop large stones. His fame spread far and wide, for he was miraculously helped to becomestrong.	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 once he was strong, his arrogance was such that it led to his downfall; he was unfaithful toYahweh his God by entering the Temple of Yahweh to burn incense on the altar of incense.	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 Azariah the priest with eight brave priests of Yahweh followed him in;	17 But Azariah the priest, and with him eighty other priests of the LORD, courageous men, followed him.
18 confronting King Uzziah, they said to him, 'Uzziah, you are not al owed to burn incense to Yahweh;only the Aaronite priests consecrated for the purpose may burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have beenunfaithful and wil have no honour from Yahweh God.'	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, censer in hand to burn incense, flew into a rage. But while he was raging at the priests, avirulent skin-disease broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests, in the Temple of Yahweh, there bythe altar of incense.	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 When Azariah the chief priest and al the other priests turned towards him, there was skin-disease onhis forehead and they hurried him outside, and he himself was equal y anxious to get out, because Yahweh hadstruck him.	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 was afflicted with skin-disease til his dying day. Because of this, he lived confined to hisroom 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 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 rest of the history of Uzziah, from first to last, has been written by the prophet Isaiah son ofAmoz.	22 The prophet Isaiah, son of Amos, wrote the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last.
23 Then Uzziah fell asleep with his ancestors and was buried with them in the field beside the burialground of the kings since, it was reasoned, he was afflicted with virulent skin-disease. His son Jotham thensucceeded him.	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.