New International Reader's Version

2 Chronicles 26:11-22 New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

11. Uzziah's army was well trained. It was ready to march out by companies in keeping with their numbers. Jeiel and Maaseiah brought them together. Jeiel was the secretary. Maaseiah was the officer. They were under the direction of Hananiah. He was one of the royal officials.

12. The total number of family leaders who were over the fighting men was 2,600.

13. An army of 307,500 men was under their command. The men were trained for war. They were a powerful force. They helped the king against his enemies.

14. Uzziah provided the entire army with shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows, and stones for their slings.

15. In Jerusalem he made machines that were based on patterns that skilled men had drawn up. The machines were used on the towers and on the corners of walls. They could shoot arrows. They could also throw large stones. Uzziah became famous everywhere. God greatly helped him until he became powerful.

16. But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride brought him down. He wasn't faithful to the Lord his God. He entered the Lord's temple to burn incense on the altar for burning incense.

17. The priest Azariah followed him in. So did 80 other brave priests of the Lord.

18. They stood up to Uzziah. They said, "Uzziah, it isn't right for you to burn incense to the Lord. Only the priests are supposed to do that. They are members of the family line of Aaron. They have been set apart to burn incense. So get out of here. Leave the temple. You haven't been faithful. The Lord God won't honor you."

19. Uzziah was holding a shallow cup. He was ready to burn incense. He became angry. He shouted at the priests in the Lord's temple. He did it near the altar for burning incense. While he was shouting, a skin disease suddenly broke out on his forehead.

20. The chief priest Azariah looked at him. So did all of the other priests. They saw that Uzziah had a skin disease on his forehead. So they hurried him out of the temple. Actually, he himself really wanted to leave. He knew that the Lord was making him suffer.

21. King Uzziah had the skin disease until the day he died. He lived in a separate house because he had the disease. And he wasn't allowed to enter the Lord's temple. Uzziah's son Jotham was in charge of the palace. Jotham ruled over the people of the land.

22. The other events of Uzziah's rule from beginning to end were written down by the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah was the son of Amoz.