Uzziah King of Judah
1Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah,26:1 Also called Azariah who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 2He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his ancestors.
3Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem. 4He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. 5He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear26:5 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac; other Hebrew manuscripts vision of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.
6He went to war against the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod. He then rebuilt towns near Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines. 7God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabs who lived in Gur Baal and against the Meunites. 8The Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the border of Egypt, because he had become very powerful.
9Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate and at the angle of the wall, and he fortified them. 10He also built towers in the wilderness and dug many cisterns, because he had much livestock in the foothills and in the plain. He had people working his fields and vineyards in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil.
11Uzziah had a well-trained army, ready to go out by divisions according to their numbers as mustered by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer under the direction of Hananiah, one of the royal officials. 12The total number of family leaders over the fighting men was 2,600. 13Under their command was an army of 307,500 men trained for war, a powerful force to support the king against his enemies. 14Uzziah provided shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows and slingstones for the entire army. 15In Jerusalem he made devices invented for use on the towers and on the corner defenses so that soldiers could shoot arrows and hurl large stones from the walls. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.
16But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the Lord followed him in. 18They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the Lord God.”
19Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the Lord’s temple, leprosy26:19 The Hebrew for leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin; also in verses 20, 21 and 23. broke out on his forehead. 20When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the Lord had afflicted him.
21King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house26:21 Or in a house where he was relieved of responsibilities—leprous, and banned from the temple of the Lord. Jotham his son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.
22The other events of Uzziah’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. 23Uzziah rested with his ancestors and was buried near them in a cemetery that belonged to the kings, for people said, “He had leprosy.” And Jotham his son succeeded him as king.
Uziya Mfumu ya Yuda
1Kenaka anthu onse a ku Yuda anatenga Uziya amene anali wa zaka 16, namuyika kukhala mfumu mʼmalo mwa Amaziya abambo ake. 2Iye anamanganso mzinda wa Eloti ndi kuwubwezeranso ku Yuda abambo ake atamwalira.
3Uziya anali wa zaka 16 pamene anakhala mfumu ndipo analamulira mu Yerusalemu kwa zaka 70. Dzina la amayi ake linali Yekoliya wa ku Yerusalemu. 4Iye anachita zolungama pamaso pa Yehova, monga momwe anachitira Amaziya abambo ake. 5Iye anapembedza Mulungu nthawi ya Zekariya, amene ankamulangiza za kuopa Mulungu amene anamupatsa chipambano.
6Iyeyo anapita kukachita nkhondo ndi Afilisti ndipo anagwetsa makoma a Gati, Yabine ndi Asidodi. Ndipo kenaka anamanganso mizinda ya pafupi ndi Asidodi ndi malo ena pafupi ndi Afilisti. 7Mulungu anamuthandiza polimbana ndi Afilisti ndi Aarabu amene amakhala ku Guri-Baala ndiponso polimbana ndi Ameuni. 8Aamoni ankabweretsa msonkho kwa Uziya ndipo mbiri yake inamveka mpaka ku malire a dziko la Igupto chifukwa anali wamphamvu kwambiri.
9Uziya anamanga nsanja ku Yerusalemu ku Chipata Chapangodya, ku Chigwa cha Chipata ndi pokhotera mpanda, ndipo anayikamo chitetezo. 10Iye anamanganso nsanja ku chipululu ndi kukumbanso zitsime zambiri chifukwa anali ndi ziweto zambiri mʼmbali mwa phiri ndi ku zigwa. Iye anali ndi anthu amene ankagwira ntchito mʼminda yake ndiponso mʼminda yake ya mphesa mʼphiri ndi malo achonde, pakuti ankakonda nthaka.
11Uziya anali ndi gulu lankhondo lophunzitsidwa bwino, lokonzekera kupita ku nkhondo mʼmagulu monga mwa chiwerengero chawo chimene mlembi Yeiyeli ndi Maaseya anasonkhanitsa motsogozedwa ndi Hananiya mmodzi mwa akuluakulu a mfumu. 12Chiwerengero chonse cha atsogoleri a mʼmabanja oyangʼanira anthu ochita nkhondo chinali 2,600. 13Pansi pa ulamuliro wawo panali asilikali 307,500 ophunzitsidwa nkhondo, gulu lamphamvu lothandiza mfumu kulimbana ndi adani ake. 14Uziya anawapangira asilikaliwo zishango, mikondo, zipewa zankhondo, malaya ankhondo achitsulo, mauta ndi miyala yogendera. 15Mu Yerusalemu anapanga makina okonzedwa ndi anthu aluso amene amagwiritsidwa ntchito pa malo otetezera a pa nsanja ndi pa ngodya kuponyera mivi ndi kugubuduzira miyala. Mbiri yake inamveka kutali ndi ponseponse pakuti anathandizidwa kwambiri mpaka anakhala wamphamvu kwambiri.
16Koma pamene Uziya anakhala wamphamvu kwambiri, kunyada kwake kunamuwononga. Iye sanakhulupirike kwa Yehova Mulungu wake, ndipo analowa mʼNyumba ya Yehova kukafukiza lubani pa guwa lofukizira. 17Wansembe Azariya pamodzi ndi ansembe a Yehova ena 80 olimba mtima anamutsatira. 18Iwo anatsutsana naye ndipo anati, “Sibwino kuti inu mfumu muzifukiza lubani koma zidzukulu za Aaroni, zimene zinapatulidwa kuti zizifukiza lubani. Chokani pa malo opatulika ano, pakuti inu mwakhala osakhulupirika, ndipo simudzalemekezedwa ndi Yehova Mulungu.”
19Uziya, amene anali ndi chofukizira mʼmanja mwake wokonzeka kuti afukize lubani, anapsa mtima. Iye anakwiyira ansembewo. Ndipo ansembe aja akuona patsogolo pa guwa lofukizira lubani mʼNyumba ya Mulungu, khate linayamba pamphumi pake. 20Azariya, mkulu wa ansembe pamodzi ndi ansembe ena onse atamuyangʼana anaona kuti anali ndi khate pamphumi pake, ndipo anamutulutsa mofulumira. Ndipo iye mwini anafulumira kutuluka, chifukwa Yehova anamulanga.
21Mfumu Uziya anali ndi khate mpaka tsiku limene anamwalira. Iye amakhala mʼnyumba ya yekha ngati wakhate, ndipo samalowa mʼNyumba ya Yehova. Yotamu mwana wake ndiye amayangʼanira nyumba yaufumu ndipo ankalamulira anthu a mʼdzikomo.
22Ntchito zina za mfumu Uziya, kuyambira pachiyambi mpaka pa mapeto, zinalembedwa ndi mneneri Yesaya mwana wa Amozi. 23Uziya analondola makolo ake, ndipo anamuyika pamodzi ndi makolo ake ku malo a manda a mafumu, koma osati mʼmanda mwawomo poti anthu anati, “Iyeyu anali ndi khate.” Ndipo Yotamu mwana wake analowa ufumu mʼmalo mwake.