2 Chronicles 26

Thomson(i) 1 And all the people of the country took Ozias when he was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amasias. 2 He had rebuilt Ailath and restored it to Juda, after the king slept with his fathers. 3 Ozias was sixteen years old when be began to reign, and he reigned fifty two years in Jerusalem, and his mother's name was Jechelia, of Jerusalem. 4 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amasias had done; 5 and he continued to seek the Lord all the days of Zacharias, who instructed him in the fear of the Lord. In his days indeed he sought the Lord, and the Lord prospered him. 6 And he went out and warred against the Philistines, and demolished the walls of Geth, and the walls of Jabner, and the walls of Azotus, and rebuilt the cities of Azotus, and among the Philistines. 7 And the Lord strengthened him against the Philistines, and against the Arabs, who dwelt in Petra, and against the Minaians. 8 So that the Minaians gave gifts to Ozias; for his fame reached even to the entrance of Egypt; for he was very powerful. 9 And Ozias built towers in Jerusalem; that over the gate of the corner, and that over the gate of the valley, and those on the corners. And when he had fortified it, 10 he built towers in the wilderness, and dug many wells, for he bad much cattle at Sephale, and in the plains, and vine dressers in the hilly country, and on Karmel, for he was fond of husbandry. 11 Moreover Ozias had an army of fighting men, which went out in array for battle, and came in, in array, to be numbered. And they were numbered by Jeiel the scribe and Maasias the judge, under the direction of Ananias the king's lieutenant. 12 The whole number of the chiefs, the officers of the army, was two thousand six hundred; 13 and the army of fighting men with them was three hundred and seven thousand five hundred. These were trained for battle to assist the king against enemies. 14 And Ozias provided for them; for all this army, shields and spears, and helmets, and breast plates, and bows, and slings to cast stones. 15 And he made in Jerusalem machines, contrived with great art, to be placed in the towers and at the corners, for shooting darts and throwing huge stones. And the fame of his preparations was spread far and wide, for he was wonderfully assisted until he became exceeding strong. 16 But when he became strong his heart was elated to his destruction; for he trespassed against the Lord his God and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17 And Azarias the priest went in after him and with him eighty priests of the Lord, valiant men. 18 And they withstood king Ozias and said to him, it doth not belong to thee, Ozias, to burn incense to the Lord; but only to the priests the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for thou hast revolted from the Lord, and this will not be for honour to thee from the Lord God. 19 At this Ozias was inflamed with wrath, and had in his hand the censer to burn incense in the temple. But when his anger kindled against the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests, in the house of the Lord, at the altar of incense. 20 And when Azarias the chief priest, with the other priests, turned towards him, behold he was leprous on the forehead, so they hurried him out thence. He indeed himself hasted to go out, because the Lord had convicted him. 21 So Ozias the king was a leper to the day of his death, and as a leper, dwelt in the house of Apphusoth; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord, and Joatham, his son, was over the kingdom, administering justice to the people of the land. 22 Now the rest of the acts of Ozias, the first and the last, are written by Jessias the prophet. 23 And when Ozias slept with his fathers, they buried him in the field of the burying place of the kings; for they said he is a leper. And Joatham his son, reigned in his stead.