Study Desk

Now it happened as soon as the kingdom was strong in his grasp, that he killed his servants who had struck down the king his father.

But he did not put their sons to death, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, which Yahweh commanded, saying, "Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor sons be put to death for their fathers, but each shall be put to death for his own sin."

Now Amaziah strengthened himself and led his people forth, and went to the Valley of Salt and struck down 10,000 of the sons of Seir.

Now it happened that after Amaziah came from striking down the Edomites, he brought the gods of the sons of Seir, set them up as his gods, worshiped them, and burned incense to them.

And Judah was defeated by Israel, and they fled each to his tent.

Then they carried him on horses and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.

And all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah.

He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers.

Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Jechiliah of Jerusalem.

And he did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.

The Ammonites also gave tribute to Uzziah, and his fame extended to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong.

In Jerusalem he also made devices of war devised by skillful designers to be on the towers and on the corners for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones. Hence his fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.

But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to Yahweh his God. And he entered the temple of Yahweh to burn incense on the altar of incense.

But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of Yahweh, beside the altar of incense.

And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous on his forehead; and they hurried him out of there, and he himself also hastened to get out because Yahweh had smitten him.

So King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death; and he lived in a separate house, being a leper, for he was cut off from the house of Yahweh. And Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land.

So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the grave which belonged to the kings, for they said, "He is a leper." And Jotham his son became king in his place.

Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok.

And he did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, according to all that his father Uzziah had done; however he did not enter the temple of Yahweh. But the people continued acting corruptly.

So Jotham became strong because he established his ways before Yahweh his God.