They confronted<n id="1" /> King Uzziah and said to him, &#8220;It is not proper for you, Uzziah, to offer incense to the <sc>Lordsc>. That is the responsibility of the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who are consecrated to offer incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have disobeyed<n id="2" /> and the <sc>Lordsc> God will not honor you!&#8221;

When they enter<n id="1" /> the tent of meeting, they must wash with<n id="2" /> water so that they do not die.<n id="3" /> Also, when they approach<n id="4" /> the altar to minister by burning incense<n id="5" /> as an offering made by fire<n id="6" /> to the <sc>Lordsc>,

Just then<n id="1" /> a prophet<n id="2" /> from Judah, sent by the <sc>Lordsc>, arrived in Bethel,<n id="3" /> as Jeroboam was standing near the altar ready to offer a sacrifice.

<p class="bodytext">But once he became powerful, his pride destroyed him.<n id="1" /> He disobeyed<n id="2" /> the <sc>Lordsc> his God. He entered the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple to offer incense on the incense altar.

Uzziah, who had an incense censer in his hand, became angry. While he was ranting and raving<n id="1" /> at the priests, a skin disease<n id="2" /> appeared on his forehead right there in front of the priests in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple near the incense altar.

It was a memorial for the Israelites, that no outsider who is not a descendant of<n id="1" /> Aaron should approach to burn incense before the <sc>Lordsc>, that he might not become like Korah and his company &#8211; just as the <sc>Lordsc> had spoken by the authority<n id="2" /> of Moses.

I chose your ancestor<n id="1" /> from all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifice on my altar, to burn incense, and to bear the ephod before me. I gave to your ancestor&#8217;s house all the fire offerings made by the Israelites.

<t /><p class="bodytext">On the fifteenth day of the eighth month (a date he had arbitrarily chosen)<n id="1" /> Jeroboam<n id="2" /> offered sacrifices on the altar he had made in Bethel.<n id="3" /> He inaugurated a festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to offer sacrifices.

<p class="bodytext">The sons of Amram:p> <p class="bodytext">Aaron and Moses.p> <p class="bodytext">Aaron and his descendants were chosen on a permanent basis to consecrate the most holy items, to offer sacrifices before the <sc>Lordsc>, to serve him, and to praise his name.<n id="1" />

Look, I am ready to build a temple to honor<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> my God and to dedicate it to him in order to burn fragrant incense before him, to set out the bread that is regularly displayed,<n id="2" /> and to offer burnt sacrifices each morning and evening, and on Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and at other times appointed by the <sc>Lordsc> our God. This is something Israel must do on a permanent basis.<n id="3" />

Of course, who can really build a temple for him, since the sky<n id="1" /> and the highest heavens cannot contain him? Who am I that I should build him a temple! It will really be only a place to offer sacrifices before him.<n id="2" />p>