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.
猶大王烏西雅
1全體猶大人立十六歲的烏西雅為王，繼承他父親亞瑪謝的王位。 2亞瑪謝王與祖先同眠後，烏西雅為猶大收復了以祿城，並重新修建。 3烏西雅十六歲登基，在耶路撒冷執政五十二年。他母親叫耶可利雅，是耶路撒冷人。 4他事事效法他父親亞瑪謝，做耶和華視為正的事。 5撒迦利亞在世之日，烏西雅尋求上帝，撒迦利亞教導他敬畏上帝。當他尋求耶和華時，上帝就使他亨通。
6他出兵攻打非利士人，把迦特、雅比尼和亞實突的城牆夷平後，在亞實突境內及非利士人的其他地區興建城邑。 7上帝幫助他攻打非利士人和住在姑珥·巴力的阿拉伯人及米烏尼人。 8亞捫人向他進貢，烏西雅的名聲傳到埃及，因他非常強大。
9烏西雅在耶路撒冷的角門、谷門和城牆拐角的地方建造城樓，並加固城樓， 10又在曠野建造瞭望塔，挖了許多水井，因為他在高原和平原有很多牲畜。他雇人在山區和沃野為他耕種田地和照料葡萄園，因為他喜愛農耕。
11烏西雅有支可以隨時列隊出戰的軍兵，由書記耶利和官長瑪西雅召集，歸王的將軍哈拿尼雅統領。 12率領戰士的族長有兩千六百名， 13他們手下有三十萬七千五百精兵，幫助王攻打敵人。 14烏西雅為全軍備有盾牌、矛槍、頭盔、鎧甲、弓箭和投石器用的石頭， 15又讓巧匠在耶路撒冷設計和製造兵器，安放在城樓和角樓上，用來發射弓箭和大石頭。烏西雅威名遠揚，因為他得到非常的幫助，極其強盛。
16烏西雅強盛後，便心高氣傲，以致走向滅亡。他干犯他的上帝耶和華，擅自進入耶和華的殿在香壇上燒香。 17祭司亞撒利雅率領八十位耶和華勇敢的祭司跟著進殿， 18阻止烏西雅王，說：「烏西雅啊，給耶和華燒香不是你可以做的事，而是承受聖職做祭司的亞倫子孫的事。離開聖所吧！你已干犯耶和華上帝，必不能從祂那裡得榮耀。」 19手拿香爐要燒香的烏西雅大怒，正當他在耶和華殿裡的香壇旁向眾祭司發怒的時候，他額頭上突然患了痲瘋病。 20亞撒利雅大祭司和眾祭司見狀就催促他出殿，他急忙出去了，因為耶和華降災給他。 21烏西雅王到死一直有痲瘋病。他被隔離在別的宮中，不得進耶和華的殿。他兒子約坦管理王室，治理國家。
22烏西雅其他的事自始至終都是亞摩斯的兒子以賽亞先知記載的。 23烏西雅與祖先同眠後，葬在他祖墳附近一個王室的墳場，因為他有痲瘋病。他兒子約坦繼位。
