2 Chronicles 26 – NIRV & AKCB

New International Reader’s Version

2 Chronicles 26:1-23

Uzziah King of Judah

1All the people of Judah made Uzziah king. He was 16 years old. They made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 2Uzziah rebuilt Elath. He brought it under Judah’s control again. He did it after Amaziah joined the members of his family who had already died.

3Uzziah was 16 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 52 years. His mother’s name was Jekoliah. She was from Jerusalem. 4Uzziah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. 5He tried to obey God during the days of Zechariah. Zechariah taught him to have respect for God. As long as Uzziah obeyed the Lord, God gave him success.

6Uzziah went to war against the Philistines. He broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod. Then he rebuilt some towns that were near Ashdod. He also rebuilt some other towns where Philistines lived. 7God helped him fight against the Philistines. He also helped him fight against the Meunites and against the Arabs who lived in Gur Baal. 8The Ammonites brought to Uzziah the gifts he required of them. He became famous all the way to the border of Egypt. That’s because he had become very powerful.

9Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem. They were at the Corner Gate, the Valley Gate and the angle of the wall. He made the towers very strong. 10He also built towers in the desert. He dug many wells, because he had a lot of livestock. The livestock were in the western hills and on the plains. Uzziah had people working in his fields and vineyards in the hills and in the rich lands. That’s because he loved the soil.

11Uzziah’s army was well trained. It was ready to march out by military groups according to their numbers. Jeiel and Maaseiah brought them together. Jeiel was the secretary. Maaseiah was the officer. They were under the direction of Hananiah. He was one of the royal officials. 12The total number of family leaders who were over the fighting men was 2,600. 13An army of 307,500 men was under their command. The men were trained for war. They were a powerful force. They helped the king against his enemies. 14Uzziah provided the entire army with shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows, and stones for their slings. 15In Jerusalem he invented machines to be used on the towers and on the corners of city walls. These machines were used by men who shot arrows from the walls. The machines were also used by men to throw large stones from the walls. Uzziah became famous everywhere. God greatly helped him until he became powerful.

16But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride brought him down. He wasn’t faithful to the Lord his God. He entered the Lord’s temple to burn incense on the altar for burning incense. 17Azariah the priest followed him in. So did 80 other brave priests of the Lord. 18They stood up to Uzziah. They said, “Uzziah, it isn’t right for you to burn incense to the Lord. Only the priests are supposed to do that. They are members of the family line of Aaron. They have been set apart to burn incense. So get out of here. Leave the temple. You haven’t been faithful. The Lord God won’t honor you.”

19Uzziah was holding a shallow cup. He was ready to burn incense in it. He became angry. He shouted at the priests in the Lord’s temple. He did it near the altar for burning incense. While he was shouting, a skin disease suddenly broke out on his forehead. 20Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him. They saw that Uzziah had a skin disease on his forehead. So they hurried him out of the temple. Actually, he himself really wanted to leave. He knew that the Lord was making him suffer.

21King Uzziah had the skin disease until the day he died. He lived in a separate house because he had the disease. And he wasn’t allowed to enter the Lord’s temple. Uzziah’s son Jotham was in charge of the palace. Jotham ruled over the people of the land.

22The other events of Uzziah’s rule from beginning to end were written down by Isaiah the prophet. Isaiah was the son of Amoz. 23Uzziah joined the members of his family who had already died. He was buried near them in a royal burial ground. People said, “He had a skin disease.” Uzziah’s son Jotham became the next king after him.

Akuapem Twi Contemporary Bible

2 Beresosɛm 26:1-23

Usia Di Yudahene

1Yuda manfo de Amasia babarima Usia a na wadi mfe dunsia tenaa ahengua so sɛ wɔn hene foforo. 2Usia agya wu akyi no, ɔsan kyekyeree Elot kurow no, na ɔdan maa Yuda. 3Usia dii ade no, na wadi mfirihyia dunsia, na odii hene wɔ Yerusalem mfirihyia aduonum abien. Na ne na a ofi Yerusalem no din de Yeholia. 4Na ɔteɛ wɔ Awurade ani so, sɛnea nʼagya Amasia teɛ no. 5Sakaria bere so no, Usia hwehwɛɛ Onyankopɔn akyi kwan, efisɛ ɔkaa Onyankopɔn suro ho nsɛm kyerɛɛ no. Na esiane sɛ ɔhene no hwehwɛɛ Onyankopɔn akyi kwan no nti, Onyankopɔn maa no nkɔso.

6Otuu Filistifo so sa, na obubuu Gat, Yabne ne Asdod afasu. Na ɔkyekyeree nkurow afoforo wɔ Asdod fam ne mmeaemmeae bi a ɛwɔ Filistia. 7Ɛnyɛ ɔko a ɔne Filistifo koe no mu nko ara na Onyankopɔn boaa no, na mmom ɔko a ɔne Arabfo a wɔwɔ Gur Baal koe ne Meunifo ko mu nso, ɔboaa no. 8Meunifo no tuaa sonkahiri maa no, na ne din hyeta koduu Misraim, efisɛ na ɔwɔ tumi a ɛso.

9Usia26.9 Usia dii nkonim wɔ anafo-apuei ne anafo-apuei fam. Israelhene oniɔdenfo Yeroboam II nso hwɛɛ Yuda atifi fam so. sisii ɔwɛn abantenten wɔ Yerusalem wɔ Twɔtwɔw Pon ano, Obon Pon ano ne ɔfasu no ntwea mu no. 10Ɔsan sisii abankɛse wɔ sare so, tutuu mmura bebree, efisɛ na ɔyɛn mmoa pii wɔ Yuda bepɔw ase hɔ. Na ɔyɛ ɔbarima a nʼani gye kua ho. Na ɔwɔ adwumayɛfo bebree a wɔhwɛ ne mfuw ne ne bobeturo a ɛwɔ mmepɔw no nsian mu ne obon nsasebere no so.

11Na Usia wɔ asraafo a wɔyɛ akofo akɛse a wɔwɔ akodi mu ntetewee. Na wɔyɛ akuw akuw a wɔasiesie wɔn ho ama ɔko. Na Yeiel a ɔyɛ asraafodɔm no kyerɛwfo, ne ne boafo Maaseia na wɔboaboa akofo kuw kɛse yi ano. Na wɔhyɛ Hanania a ɔyɛ ɔhene no mpanyimfo no mu baako ase. 12Mmusua ntuanofo mpenu ahansia na na wɔma saa akofo abenfo yi akwankyerɛ. 13Na asraafodɔm no dodow yɛ mpem ahaasa ne ason, ahannum a wɔn nyinaa nim de. Na wɔada wɔn ho so sɛ wɔbɛboa ɔhene no ako atia ɔtamfo biara. 14Usia maa asraafodɔm no nyinaa nkatabo, mpeaw, nnadekyɛw, agyiraehyɛde, bɛmma ne ahwimmo abo. 15Afei, abenfo bi yɛɛ mfi de sisii Yerusalem afasu no so a ɛtow agyan ne abo fi abantenten no so ne fasu twɔtwɔw so. Nʼanuonyam hyetae, efisɛ Awurade boaa no yiye kosii sɛ onyaa tumi kɛse.

Usia Bɔne Ne Nʼasotwe

16Nanso onyaa tumi kɛse no, ɔyɛɛ ahantan a ɛnam so ma ɔhwee ase. Ɔyɛɛ bɔne tiaa Awurade ne Nyankopɔn, efisɛ ɔkɔɔ Awurade Asɔredan kronkronbea hɔ, kɔhyew nnuhuam wɔ afɔremuka no so. 17Ɔsɔfopanyin Asaria ne Awurade asɔfo foforo aduɔwɔtwe, akokodurufo kɔhwehwɛɛ no. 18Wɔka sii ɔhene Usia anim se, “Ɛnyɛ wo Usia na ɛsɛ sɛ wohyew nnuhuam ma Awurade. Ɛyɛ asɔfo nko ara, Aaron mmabarima a, wɔayi wɔn asi hɔ ama saa dwumadi no nko ara adwuma. Fi kronkronbea ha kɔ, efisɛ woayɛ bɔne. Onyankopɔn renhyɛ wo anuonyam wɔ eyi ho.”

19Usia bo fuw yiye, na wamfa nnuhuamhyew kuruwa a na okura no ansi fam. Ɔne asɔfo no gyina nnuhuam afɔremuka no anim wɔ Awurade Asɔredan no mu no, prɛko pɛ, kwata totɔɔ ne moma so. 20Bere a Asaria ne asɔfo a wɔaka no huu kwata no, wopiapiaa no fii hɔ. Na ɔhene no ankasa pɛɛ sɛ ofi hɔ ntɛm, efisɛ Awurade na na wabɔ no. 21Enti kwata yɛɛ ɔhene Usia kosii sɛ owui. Wɔpam no fi nnipa mu maa ɔno nko ara tenae a wankɔ Awurade Asɔredan mu. Wɔde ne babarima Yotam tenaa ahemfi hɔ ma odii nnipa a wɔwɔ asase no so no so. 22Amos babarima Yesaia akyerɛw Usia ahenni ho nsɛm nkae fi mfiase kosi awiei ato hɔ. 23Usia wui, na esiane sɛ kwata yɛɛ no nti, wosiee no bɛn ahemfo amusiei. Na ne babarima Yotam na odii nʼade sɛ ɔhene.