1 Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah. 2 He built Eloth and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers. 3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 4 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did. 5 And he persisted in seeking God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and in those days that he sought the LORD, God prospered him.
6 For he went forth and warred against the Philistines and broke down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod and built cities about Ashdod and among the Philistines. 7 And God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gurbaal and against the Mehunims. 8 And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah; and his name spread abroad even to the entrance of Egypt, for he strengthened himself exceedingly. 9 Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate and at the valley gate and at the corners and fortified them. 10 He also built towers in the desert and dug many wells, for he had much livestock, both in the low country and in the plains, husbandmen also and vine dressers in the mountains and in Carmel, for he loved agriculture. 11 Moreover Uzziah had an army of fighting men that went out to war in companies, according to the number of their account by the hand of Jeiel, the scribe, and Maaseiah, the governor, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king’s princes. 12 The whole number of the chief of the fathers of the mighty men of valour were two thousand six hundred. 13 And under their hand was an army, a host of three hundred and seven thousand five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. 14 And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host shields and spears and helmets and coats of mail and bows and slings to cast stones. 15 And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks to shoot arrows and great stones with. And his name spread far abroad, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.
16 But when he was strengthened, his heart lifted itself up unto corruption, for he rebelled against the LORD his God, entering into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense. 17 And Azariah, the priest, went in after him, and with him eighty priests of the LORD, that were valiant men. 18 And they withstood Uzziah, the king, and said unto him, It does not pertain unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests, the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense; go out of the sanctuary, for thou hast rebelled; neither shall it be for thy glory before the LORD God. 19 Then Uzziah was angry and had a censer in his hand to burn incense; and in this his anger with the priests, the leprosy rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, next to the altar of incense. 20 And Azariah, the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from there, and he also hastened to go out because the LORD had smitten him. 21 And Uzziah, the king, was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a separate house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD; and Jotham, his son, was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.
22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last were written by Isaiah, the prophet, the son of Amoz. 23 So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the royal burial field, for they said, He is a leper. And Jotham, his son, reigned in his stead.