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Then all the people of JudahtookUzziah, who was sixteenyearsold, and made him king in the room of his fatherAmaziah.
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He builtEloth, and restored it to Judah, after that the kingslept with his fathers.
3Sixteenyearsold was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reignedfifty and twoyears in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.
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And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fatherAmaziahdid.
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And he soughtGod in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.
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And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and builtcities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines.
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And Godhelped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gurbaal, and the Mehunims.
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And the Ammonitesgavegifts to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entering in of Egypt; for he strengthened himself exceedingly.
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Moreover Uzziahbuilttowers in Jerusalem at the cornergate, and at the valleygate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.
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Also he builttowers in the desert, and diggedmanywells: for he had muchcattle, both in the low country, and in the plains: husbandmen also, and vine dressers in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he lovedhusbandry.
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Moreover Uzziah had an host of fightingmen, that went out to war by bands, according to the number of their account by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the ruler, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king's captains.
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The whole number of the chief of the fathers of the mighty men of valour were two thousand and sixhundred.
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And under their hand was an army, threehundredthousand and seventhousand and fivehundred, that madewar with mightypower, to help the king against the enemy.
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And Uzziahprepared for them throughout all the hostshields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to cast stones.
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And he made in Jerusalemengines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shootarrows and greatstones withal. And his namespread far abroad; for he was marvellouslyhelped, till he was strong.
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But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
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And Azariah the priest went inafter him, and with him fourscorepriests of the LORD, that were valiantmen:
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And they withstoodUzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORDGod.
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Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his foreheadbefore the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incensealtar.
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And Azariah the chiefpriest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him.
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And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a severalhouse, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD: and Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land.
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Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, write.
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So Uzziahslept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings; for they said, He is a leper: and Jotham his sonreigned in his stead.