The Daily Audio Bible

Uzziah Reigns over Judah

26 And all the people of Judah took ^[a]Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah. ² He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers. ³ Uzziah was ^(A)sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was ^[b]Jechiliah of Jerusalem. ⁴ And he did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. ^5 (B)And he continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, ^(C)who had understanding ^[c]through the vision of God; and ^[d](D)as long as he sought Yahweh, God made him succeed.

Uzziah’s Fame Spreads Afar

⁶ Then he went out and ^(E)fought against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the area of Ashdod and among the Philistines. ^7 (F)And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites. ⁸ The Ammonites also gave ^(G)tribute to Uzziah, and his ^[e]fame extended to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong. ⁹ Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at ^(H)the Corner Gate and at the ^(I)Valley Gate and at the corner buttress and strengthened them. ¹⁰ He also built towers in the wilderness and ^(J)hewed many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the ^[f]Shephelah and in the plain. He also had plowmen and vinedressers in the hill country and the fertile fields, for he loved the soil. ¹¹ Moreover, Uzziah had a military force which could wage war, which went out for military duty by divisions according to the number of their muster, prepared by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king’s officials. ¹² The total number of the heads of the ^[g]households, of mighty men of valor, was 2,600. ¹³ And under their hand was a ^[h]mighty army of ^(K)307,500, who could wage war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. ¹⁴ Moreover, Uzziah prepared ^[i]for all the army shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows, and stones for slings. ¹⁵ 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 ^[j]fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.

Uzziah’s Pride

¹⁶ But ^(L)when he became strong, his heart was so ^[k]proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to Yahweh his God. And ^(M)he entered the temple of Yahweh to burn incense on the altar of incense. ¹⁷ Then ^(N)Azariah the priest entered after him and with him eighty priests of Yahweh, men of valor. ^18 (O)And they stood against Uzziah the king and said to him, “^(P)It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to Yahweh, ^(Q)but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are set apart as holy to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from Yahweh God.” ¹⁹ But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, ^(R)the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of Yahweh, beside the altar of incense. ²⁰ 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. ^21 (S)So King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death; and he lived in ^(T)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.

²² Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first to last, the prophet ^(U)Isaiah, the son of Amoz, has written. ²³ So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers ^(V)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 Reigns over Judah

27 ^(W)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. ² And he did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, according to all that his father Uzziah had done; ^(X)however he did not enter the temple of Yahweh. But the people continued acting corruptly. ³ He built the upper gate of the house of Yahweh, and he built extensively the wall of ^(Y)Ophel. ⁴ Moreover, he built ^(Z)cities in the hill country of Judah, and he built fortresses and towers on the wooded hills. ⁵ He fought also with the king of the sons of Ammon and prevailed over them. So the sons of Ammon gave him during that year ^[l]100 talents of silver, ^[m]10,000 kors of wheat, and 10,000 of barley. The sons of Ammon also brought back to him this amount in the second and in the third year. ^6 (AA)So Jotham became strong because he established his ways before Yahweh his God. ^7 (AB)Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, even all his wars and his ways, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. ⁸ He was ^(AC)twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. ⁹ And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Ahaz his son became king in his place.

Ahaz Reigns over Judah

28 ^(AD)Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and ^(AE)he did not do what was right in the sight of Yahweh, as David his father had done. ^2 (AF)But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel; he also ^(AG)made molten images for the Baals. ³ Moreover, ^(AH)he offered offerings in smoke in the valley of Ben-hinnom and ^(AI)burned his sons in the fire, ^(AJ)according to the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh had dispossessed from before the sons of Israel. ⁴ He also sacrificed and ^(AK)offered offerings in smoke on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.

Judah Carried Away by Aram

⁵ So, ^(AL)Yahweh his God gave him into the hand of the king of Aram; and they struck him and carried away from him a great number of captives and brought them to Damascus. And he was also given into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with a great slaughter. ⁶ Indeed, ^(AM)Pekah the son of Remaliah killed in Judah 120,000 in one day, all men of valor, because they had forsaken Yahweh, the God of their fathers. ⁷ And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king’s son and Azrikam the ruler of the house and Elkanah the second to the king.

^8 (AN)Then the sons of Israel carried away captive of ^(AO)their brothers 200,000 women, sons, and daughters; and they plundered also a great deal of spoil from them and brought the spoil to Samaria. ⁹ But a prophet of Yahweh was there, whose name was Oded; and ^(AP)he went out before the army which came to Samaria and said to them, “Behold, because of the ^(AQ)wrath of Yahweh, the God of your fathers, against Judah, He has given them into your hand, and you have killed them in a rage ^(AR)which has even reached heaven. ¹⁰ So now you are ^[n]intending to ^(AS)subdue for yourselves the people of Judah and Jerusalem for male and female slaves. Surely, do you not have your own matters of guilt against Yahweh your God? ¹¹ So now, listen to me and return the captives ^(AT)whom you carried away from your brothers, ^(AU)for the burning anger of Yahweh is against you.” ¹² Then some of the heads of the sons of Ephraim—Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai—arose against those who were coming from the engagement of the army, ¹³ and said to them, “You must not bring the captives in here, for you are ^[o]intending to bring upon us guilt against Yahweh adding to our sins and our guilt; for our guilt is great so that His burning anger is against Israel.” ¹⁴ So the armed men left the captives and the plunder before the commanders and all the assembly. ¹⁵ Then ^(AV)the men who were designated by name arose, took hold of the captives, and they clothed all their naked ones from the spoil; and they gave them clothes and sandals, fed them and ^(AW)gave them drink, anointed them with oil, led all their feeble ones on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, ^(AX)the city of palm trees, to their brothers; then they returned to Samaria.

Ahaz Sends to Assyria for Help

^16 (AY)At that time King Ahaz sent to the ^[p]kings of Assyria for help. ^17 (AZ)Indeed, again the Edomites had come and struck Judah and carried away captives. ^18 (BA)And the Philistines also had raided the cities of the ^[q]Shephelah and of the ^[r]Negev of Judah, and had captured Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, and Soco with its towns, Timnah with its towns, and Gimzo with its towns, and they settled there. ¹⁹ For Yahweh humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of ^(BB)Israel, for he had caused it to be out of control in Judah and was very unfaithful to Yahweh. ²⁰ So ^(BC)Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came against him and distressed him instead of strengthening him. ^21 (BD)Although Ahaz took a portion out of the house of Yahweh and out of the house of the king and of the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria, it did not help him.

²² Now in the time of his distress this same King Ahaz ^(BE)became yet more unfaithful to Yahweh. ^23 (BF)Indeed, he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had struck him, and said, “^(BG)Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But they became the stumbling of him and all Israel. ²⁴ Ahaz gathered together the utensils of the house of God. Then he ^(BH)cut the utensils of the house of God in pieces; and he ^(BI)closed the doors of the house of Yahweh and ^(BJ)made altars for himself in every corner of Jerusalem. ²⁵ Now in each and every city of Judah he made high places to offer offerings in smoke to other gods, and provoked Yahweh, the God of his fathers, to anger. ^26 (BK)Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. ^27 (BL)So Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, for they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of ^(BM)Israel; and Hezekiah his son became king in his place.

Be Subject to Government

13 Every ^[a](A)person is to be in ^(B)subjection to the governing authorities. For ^(C)there is no authority except ^[b]from God, and those which exist have been appointed by God. ² Therefore ^[c]whoever resists that authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. ³ For ^(D)rulers are not a cause of fear for ^[d]good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of that authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; ⁴ for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword in vain, for it is a minister of God, an ^(E)avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. ⁵ Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of that wrath, but also because of ^(F)conscience. ⁶ For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. ^7 (G)Render to all what is due them: ^(H)tax to whom tax is due; ^(I)custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

⁸ Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for ^(J)he who loves ^[e]his neighbor has fulfilled the law. ⁹ For this, “^(K)You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, “^(L)You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰ Love does not work evil against a neighbor; therefore ^(M)love is the fulfillment of the Law.

¹¹ And do this, knowing the time, that it is ^(N)already the hour for you to ^(O)awaken from sleep; for now ^[f]salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. ^12 (P)The night is almost gone, and ^(Q)the day is at hand. Therefore let us lay aside ^(R)the deeds of darkness and put on ^(S)the armor of light. ¹³ Let us ^(T)walk properly as in the day, ^(U)not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. ¹⁴ But ^(V)put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh ^(W)in regard to its lusts.

Yahweh Is My Shepherd

A Psalm of David.