Uzziah’s Disease

16 But when he became strong, he grew arrogant,(A) and it led to his own destruction. He acted unfaithfully against the Lord his God by going into the Lord’s sanctuary to burn incense on the incense altar.(B) 17 The priest Azariah,(C) along with eighty brave priests of the Lord, went in after him. 18 They took their stand(D) against King Uzziah and said, “Uzziah, you have no right to offer incense to the Lord(E)—only the consecrated priests, the descendants of Aaron, have the right to offer incense.(F) Leave the sanctuary, for you have acted unfaithfully! You will not receive honor from the Lord God.”

19 Uzziah, with a firepan in his hand to offer incense, was enraged. But when he became enraged with the priests, in the presence of the priests in the Lord’s temple beside the altar of incense, a skin disease(G) broke out on his forehead. 20 Then Azariah the chief priest and all the priests turned to him and saw that he was diseased on his forehead. They rushed him out of there. He himself also hurried to get out because the Lord had afflicted him. 21 So King Uzziah was diseased to the time of his death.(H) He lived in quarantine[a](I) with a serious skin disease and was excluded from access to the Lord’s temple, while his son Jotham was over the king’s household governing the people of the land.

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Footnotes

  1. 26:21 Lit in a house of exemption from duty

16 But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride(A) led to his downfall.(B) He was unfaithful(C) to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense(D) on the altar of incense. 17 Azariah(E) the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the Lord followed him in. 18 They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is for the priests,(F) the descendants(G) of Aaron,(H) who have been consecrated to burn incense.(I) Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the Lord God.”

19 Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the Lord’s temple, leprosy[a](J) broke out on his forehead. 20 When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the Lord had afflicted him.

21 King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house[b](K)—leprous, and banned from the temple of the Lord. Jotham his son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 26:19 The Hebrew for leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin; also in verses 20, 21 and 23.
  2. 2 Chronicles 26:21 Or in a house where he was relieved of responsibilities