26:1 All the people of Judah took Uzziah, 1 who was sixteen years old, and made him king in his father Amaziah’s place. 26:2 Uzziah 2 built up Elat and restored it to Judah after King Amaziah 3 had passed away. 4
26:3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. 5 His mother’s name was Jecholiah, who was from Jerusalem. 26:4 He did what the Lord approved, just as his father Amaziah had done. 6 26:5 He followed 7 God during the lifetime of 8 Zechariah, who taught him how to honor God. As long as he followed 9 the Lord, God caused him to succeed. 10
26:6 Uzziah attacked 11 the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. He built cities in the region of Ashdod and throughout Philistine territory. 12 26:7 God helped him in his campaigns 13 against the Philistines, the Arabs living in Gur Baal, and the Meunites. 26:8 The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah and his fame reached 14 the border of Egypt, for he grew in power.
26:9 Uzziah built and fortified towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, Valley Gate, and at the Angle. 15 26:10 He built towers in the desert and dug many cisterns, for he owned many herds in the lowlands 16 and on the plain. He had workers in the fields and vineyards in the hills and in Carmel, 17 for he loved agriculture. 18
26:11 Uzziah had an army of skilled warriors trained for battle. They were organized by divisions according to the muster rolls made by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer under the authority of Hananiah, a royal official. 26:12 The total number of family leaders who led warriors was 2,600. 26:13 They commanded an army of 307,500 skilled and able warriors who were ready to defend 19 the king against his enemies. 26:14 Uzziah supplied shields, spears, helmets, breastplates, bows, and slingstones for the entire army. 26:15 In Jerusalem he made war machines carefully designed to shoot arrows and large stones from the towers and corners of the walls. He became very famous, for he received tremendous support and became powerful. 20
1 tn The parallel account in 2 Kgs 15:1-8 has the variant spelling “Azariah.”
2 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Uzziah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
3 tn Heb “after the king”; the referent (Amaziah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4 tn “slept with his fathers.”
5 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
6 tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the
7 tn Heb “sought.”
8 tn Heb “in the days of.”
9 tn Heb “in the days of his seeking.”
10 tn Or “prosper.”
11 tn Heb “went out and fought.”
12 tn Heb “in Ashdod and among the Philistines.”
13 tn The words “in his campaigns” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons
14 tn Heb “and his name went to.”
15 tn On the meaning of the Hebrew word מִקְצוֹעַ (miqtsoa’), see HALOT 628 s.v. עַ(וֹ)מִקְצֹ. The term probably refers to an “angle” or “corner” somewhere on the eastern wall of Jerusalem.
16 tn Heb “Shephelah.”
17 tn Heb “workers and vinedressers in the hills and in Carmel.” The words “he had” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
18 tn Heb “for a lover of the ground he [was].”
19 tn Heb “help.”
20 tn Heb “and his name went out to a distant place, for he did extraordinarily to be helped until he was strong.”