2 Chronicles 26 – NIVUK & ASCB

New International Version – UK

2 Chronicles 26:1-23

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 for 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 armour, bows and slingstones for the entire army. 15In Jerusalem he made devices invented for use on the towers and on the corner defences 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 honoured 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 excluded 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.

Asante Twi Contemporary Bible

2 Berɛsosɛm 26:1-23

Usia Di Ɔhene Wɔ Yuda

1Yuda manfoɔ de Amasia babarima Usia a na wadi mfeɛ dunsia tenaa ahennwa so sɛ wɔn ɔhene foforɔ. 2Usia agya wuo akyi no, ɔsane kyekyeree Elot kuro no, na ɔdane maa Yuda. 3Usia dii adeɛ no, na wadi mfirinhyia dunsia, na ɔdii ɔhene wɔ Yerusalem mfirinhyia aduonum mmienu. Ne maame a ɔfiri Yerusalem no din de Yeholia. 4Na ɔtene wɔ Awurade ani so, sɛdeɛ nʼagya Amasia teɛ no. 5Sakaria berɛ so no, Usia hwehwɛɛ Onyankopɔn akyiri ɛkwan, ɛfiri sɛ, ɔkaa Onyankopɔn suro ho nsɛm kyerɛɛ no. Na ɛsiane sɛ ɔhene no hwehwɛɛ Awurade akyiri kwan no enti, Onyankopɔn maa no nkɔsoɔ.

6Ɔtuu Filistifoɔ so sa, na ɔbubuu Gat, Yabne ne Asdod afasuo. Na ɔkyekyeree nkuro afoforɔ wɔ Asdod fam ne mmeammea bi a ɛwɔ Filistia. 7Ɛnyɛ ɔko a ɔne Filistifoɔ koeɛ no mu nko ara na Onyankopɔn boaa no, na mmom ɔko a ɔne Arabfoɔ a wɔwɔ Gur Baal koeɛ ne Meunifoɔ ko mu nso, ɔboaa no. 8Meunifoɔ no tuaa apeatoɔ maa no, na ne din hyeta kɔduruu Misraim, ɛfiri sɛ, na ɔwɔ tumi a ɛso.

9Usia26.9 Usia dii nkonim wɔ anafoɔ-apueeɛ ne anafoɔ-atɔeɛ fam. Israelhene oniɛdenfoɔ Yeroboam II nso hwɛɛ Yuda atifi fam so. sisii ɔwɛn abantenten wɔ Yerusalem wɔ Twɛtwɛwa Ɛpono ano, Bɔnhwa Ɛpono ano ne ɔfasuo no ntwea mu no so. 10Ɔsane sisii abankɛseɛ wɔ ɛserɛ so, tutuu nsubura bebree, ɛfiri sɛ, na ɔyɛn mmoa pii wɔ Yuda bepɔ ase hɔ. Na ɔyɛ ɔbarima a nʼani gye kua ho. Na ɔwɔ adwumayɛfoɔ bebree a wɔhwɛ ne mfuo ne ne bobefuo a ɛwɔ mmepɔ no nsianeɛ mu ne bɔnhwa nsase bereɛ no so.

11Na Usia wɔ asraafoɔ a wɔyɛ akofoɔ akɛseɛ a wɔwɔ akodie mu nteteeɛ. Na wɔyɛ akuakuo a wɔasiesie wɔn ho ama ɔko. Na Yeiel a ɔyɛ akodɔm no twerɛfoɔ ne ne ɔboafoɔ Maaseia na wɔboaboa akofoɔ kɛseɛ yi ano. Na wɔhyɛ Hanania a ɔyɛ ɔhene no mpanimfoɔ no mu baako ase. 12Mmusua ntuanofoɔ mpenu ahansia na na wɔma saa akofoɔ abenfoɔ yi akwankyerɛ. 13Na akodɔm no dodoɔ yɛ ɔpehasa ne nson ne ahanum a wɔn nyinaa nim de. Na wɔada wɔn ho so sɛ wɔbɛboa ɔhene no ako atia ɔtamfoɔ biara. 14Usia maa akodɔm no nyinaa akokyɛm, mpea, nnadeɛ kyɛ, nkataboɔ, bɛmma ne ahwimmoɔ aboɔ. 15Afei, abenfoɔ bi yɛɛ mfidie de sisii Yerusalem afasuo no so a ɛto agyan ne aboɔ firi abantenten no so ne ɔfasuo twɛtwɛwa so. Nʼanimuonyam hyetaeɛ, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade boaa no yie kɔsii sɛ ɔnyaa tumi kɛseɛ.

Usia Bɔne Ne Nʼasotwe

16Nanso, ɔnyaa tumi kɛseɛ no, ɔyɛɛ ahantan a ɛnam so maa ɔhwee ase. Ɔyɛɛ bɔne tiaa Awurade ne Onyankopɔn, ɛfiri sɛ ɔkɔɔ Awurade Asɔredan kronkronbea hɔ, kɔhyee nnuhwam wɔ afɔrebukyia no so. 17Ɔsɔfopanin Asaria ne Awurade asɔfoɔ foforɔ aduɔwɔtwe, akokoɔdurufoɔ kɔhwehwɛɛ no. 18Wɔka sii ɔhene Usia anim sɛ, “Ɛnyɛ wo Usia na ɛsɛ sɛ wohye nnuhwam ma Awurade. Ɛyɛ asɔfoɔ nko ara, Aaron mmammarima a, wɔayi wɔn asi hɔ ama saa dwumadie no nko ara adwuma. Firi kronkronbea ha kɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, woayɛ bɔne. Onyankopɔn renhyɛ wo animuonyam wɔ yei ho.”

19Usia bo fuu yie, na wamfa nnuhwamhyeɛ kuruwa a na ɛkura no no ansi fam. Ɔne asɔfoɔ no gyina nnuhwam afɔrebukyia no anim wɔ Awurade Asɔredan no mu no, prɛko pɛ, kwata totɔɔ ne moma so. 20Ɛberɛ a Asaria ne asɔfoɔ a aka no hunuu kwata no, wɔpiapiaa no firii hɔ. Na ɔhene no ankasa pɛɛ sɛ ɔfiri hɔ ntɛm, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade na wabɔ no. 21Enti, kwata yɛɛ ɔhene Usia kɔsii sɛ ɔwuiɛ. Wɔpamoo no firii nnipa mu maa ɔno nko ara tenaeɛ a wankɔ Awurade Asɔredan mu. Wɔde ne babarima Yotam tenaa ahemfie hɔ ma ɔdii nnipa a wɔwɔ asase no so so. 22Amos babarima Yesaia atwerɛ Usia ahennie ho nsɛm nkaeɛ firi ahyɛaseɛ kɔsi awieeɛ ato hɔ. 23Usia wuiɛ, na ɛsiane sɛ kwata yɛɛ no enti, wɔsiee no bɛn ahemfo amusieeɛ. Na ne babarima Yotam na ɔdii nʼadeɛ sɛ ɔhene.