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The Ammonites paid taxes to Uzziah. And his name was known as far as the land of Egypt, for he became very strong.

But when he became strong, Uzziah's heart was so proud that his actions were sinful. He was not faithful to the Lord his God, for he went into the Lord's house to burn special perfume on the altar of special perfume.

Then Uzziah was angry, and he had a dish in his hand for burning special perfume. While he was angry with the religious leaders, a bad skin disease broke out on his forehead in front of the religious leaders in the Lord's house, beside the altar of special perfume.

Azariah the head religious leader and all the religious leaders looked at him and saw that he had a bad skin disease on his forehead. So they were quick to get him out of there, and he himself left in a hurry because the Lord had punished him.

King Uzziah had the bad skin disease to the day of his death. He lived in a separate house, suffering with the skin disease, for he was cut off from the house of the Lord. And his son Jotham was over the king's house, ruling the people of the land.

Uzziah died, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the grave which belonged to the kings. For they said, "He has a bad skin disease." And Jotham his son became king in his place.

Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king. And he ruled for sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok.

Jotham did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He did all that his father Uzziah had done, only he did not go into the house of the Lord. But the people still sinned much.

So Jotham became powerful, because he let the Lord his God lead him in all his ways.

Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, all his wars and his acts, are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

Jotham died and they buried him in the city of David. His son Ahaz became king in his place.

Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king. And he ruled for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done.

He burned special perfume in the valley of Ben-Hinnom. And he burned his sons in fire, following the hated ways of the nations whom the Lord had driven out before the sons of Israel.

So the Lord his God gave him into the hand of the king of Syria. The Syrians won the war against Ahaz and carried away many of his people to Damascus. He was also given into the hand of the king of Israel, who killed many of his people in the war.

They said, "You must not bring the people in here. For you plan to bring guilt upon us against the Lord, adding to our sins and our guilt. We are already so guilty that His burning anger is against Israel."

In the time of his trouble, this same King Ahaz became even less faithful to the Lord.

In every city of Judah he made high places to burn special perfume to other gods. And he made the Lord, the God of his fathers, very angry.

Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

Ahaz died, and they buried him in the city of Jerusalem. They did not bring him into the graves of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son ruled in his place.

Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old. And he ruled for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.