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Uzziah King of Judah(A)
26 Then all the people of Judah made Uzziah [C also called Azariah] king in place of his father Amaziah. Uzziah was sixteen years old. 2 He rebuilt the town of Elath and made it part of Judah again after Amaziah ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors].
3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah, and she was from Jerusalem. 4 He did what ·the Lord said was right [L was pleasing/proper in the eyes/sight of the Lord], just as his father Amaziah had done [C in the beginning]. 5 Uzziah ·obeyed [sought] God while Zechariah was alive, because he taught Uzziah how to ·respect and obey [fear] God [Prov. 1:7]. And as long as Uzziah ·obeyed [sought] the Lord, God ·gave him success [made him prosper].
6 Uzziah fought a war against the Philistines. He tore down the walls around their towns of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod and built new towns near Ashdod and in other places among the Philistines. 7 God helped Uzziah ·fight [L against] the Philistines, the Arabs living in Gur Baal, and the Meunites. 8 Also, the Ammonites ·made the payments Uzziah demanded [paid tribute to Uzziah]. He was very powerful, so his ·name became famous all the way [fame spread/extended] to the border of Egypt.
9 Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, the Valley Gate, and ·where the wall turned [at the angle of the wall], and he ·made them strong [fortified them]. 10 He also built towers in the ·desert [wilderness] and dug many ·wells [cisterns], because he had many cattle ·on the western hills [L in the Shephelah] and in the plains. He had people who worked his fields and vineyards in the hills and in ·the fertile lands [or Carmel], because he loved the ·land [soil].
11 Uzziah had an army of trained soldiers. They were counted and put in ·groups [divisions; units] by Jeiel the ·royal secretary [scribe] and Maaseiah the ·officer [official]. Hananiah, one of the king’s ·commanders [officers], ·was their leader [directed them]. 12 There were twenty-six hundred ·leaders [family/clan heads] over the soldiers. 13 They ·were in charge of [commanded] an army of three hundred seven thousand five hundred men who ·fought with great power [or were a powerful force] to help the king against the enemy. 14 Uzziah gave his army shields, spears, helmets, armor, bows, and stones for their slings. 15 In Jerusalem Uzziah made ·cleverly [expertly; carefully] designed ·devices [machines]. These ·devices [machines] on the towers and corners of the city walls were used to shoot arrows and large rocks. So Uzziah became famous in faraway places, because he ·had much help until he became [was marvelously/tremendously helped to become] powerful.
Uzziah’s Downfall(B)
16 But when Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his ·ruin [downfall]. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God; he went into the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord to burn incense on the altar for incense [C which only priests should do]. 17 Azariah and eighty other brave priests who served the Lord followed Uzziah into the ·Temple [L house]. 18 They ·told him he was wrong [confronted the king] and said to him, “·You don’t have the right [It is not for you, Uzziah,] to burn incense to the Lord. Only the priests, Aaron’s descendants, should burn the incense, because they have been ·made holy [consecrated; set apart]. ·Leave this holy place [Get out of the sanctuary]. You have ·been unfaithful [sinned; disobeyed], and the Lord God will not honor you for this.”
19 Uzziah was standing beside the altar for incense in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, and in his hand was a ·pan for burning incense [censer]. He was ·very angry [furious] with the priests. As he was standing in front of the priests, ·a skin disease [T leprosy; C the term does not refer to modern leprosy (Hansen’s disease), but to various skin disorders; Lev. 13:2] broke out on his forehead. 20 Azariah, the leading priest, and all the other priests looked at him and saw the ·skin disease [T leprosy] on his forehead. So they hurried him out of the ·Temple [L house]. Uzziah also rushed to get out, because the Lord ·was punishing [had struck/afflicted] him. 21 So King Uzziah had ·the skin disease [T leprosy] until the day he died. He had to live in a separate house and could not enter the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. His son Jotham was in charge of the ·palace [L house], and he ·governed [ruled over; judged] the people of the land.
22 The ·other things Uzziah did as king [rest of the events/acts/history of Uzziah’s reign], from ·beginning to end [first to last], were written down by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. 23 Uzziah ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried near his ·ancestors [fathers] in a ·graveyard [burial field] that belonged to the kings. This was because people said, “He ·had a skin disease [T was a leper; v. 19].” And his son Jotham became king in his place.
Jotham King of Judah(C)
27 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. 2 Jotham did what ·the Lord said was right [L was pleasing/proper in the eyes/sight of the Lord], just as his father Uzziah had done. But Jotham did not enter the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord [C a reference to Uzziah’s sin, 26:16–21]. But the people continued ·doing wrong [sinning; in their corrupt practices]. 3 Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, and he added greatly to the wall at Ophel. 4 He also built towns in the hill country of Judah, as well as ·walled cities [fortresses] and towers in the forests.
5 Jotham also fought the king of the Ammonites and ·defeated [conquered] them. So each year for three years they ·gave [paid] Jotham ·about seventy-five hundred pounds [L one hundred talents] of silver, ·about sixty-two thousand bushels [L ten thousand kors] of wheat, and ·about sixty-two thousand bushels [L ten thousand kors] of barley. 6 Jotham became powerful, because he ·always obeyed [walked purposefully before; L ordered his ways before] the Lord his God.
7 The ·other things Jotham did while he was king [rest of the events/acts/history of Jotham’s reign] and all his wars ·are [L are they not…?] written in the ·book [scroll] of the kings of Israel and Judah. 8 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] sixteen years in Jerusalem. 9 Jotham ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried in the City of David [C Jerusalem]. Then Jotham’s son Ahaz became king in his place.
Ahaz King of Judah(D)
28 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] sixteen years in Jerusalem. Unlike his ·ancestor [father] David, he did not do what ·the Lord said was right [L was pleasing/proper in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. 2 Ahaz ·did the same things as [L walked in the ways of] the kings of Israel. He made ·metal [cast; molten] ·idols [images] to worship Baal. 3 He ·burned incense [offered sacrifices] in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and ·made [sacrificed] his children ·pass through [in] the fire. He ·did [followed] the ·same hateful sins [detestable/abominable practices] as the nations had done whom the Lord had ·forced [driven] out of the land ahead of the Israelites. 4 Ahaz ·offered [sacrificed] sacrifices and burned incense at the ·places where gods were worshiped [L high places; 11:15], and on the hills, and under every green tree.
5 So the Lord his God handed over Ahaz to the king of Aram. The Arameans defeated Ahaz and ·took [deported] many people of Judah as ·prisoners [captives] to Damascus.
He also handed over Ahaz to Pekah king of Israel, ·and Pekah’s army killed many soldiers of Ahaz [who inflicted heavy casualties on him]. 6 Pekah son of Remaliah killed one hundred twenty thousand ·brave [skilled] soldiers from Judah in one day. Pekah defeated them because they had ·left [abandoned; forsaken] the Lord, the God of their ·ancestors [fathers]. 7 Zicri, a mighty warrior from Ephraim, killed King Ahaz’s son Maaseiah. He also killed Azrikam, the ·officer [commander] in charge of the ·palace [L house], and Elkanah, who was second in command to the king. 8 The Israelite army captured two hundred thousand of their own relatives. They took women, sons and daughters, and ·many valuable things [much plunder/spoil/booty] from Judah and carried ·them [it] back to Samaria. 9 But a prophet of the Lord named Oded was there. He met the Israelite army when it returned to Samaria and said to them, “The Lord, the God of your ·ancestors [fathers], handed Judah over to you, because he was angry with them. But ·God has seen the cruel way you killed them [you slaughtered them in a rage that has reached to heaven]. 10 Now you plan to make the people of Judah and Jerusalem your slaves, but ·you also have sinned [L what about your own sins/transgressions…?] against the Lord your God. 11 Now listen to me. Send back ·your brothers and sisters whom you captured [the captives you have taken from your brothers], because the ·Lord is very angry with you [L fierce anger of the Lord burns against you].”
12 Then some of the ·leaders [officials] in Ephraim—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—·met [confronted; L rose against] the Israelite soldiers coming home from ·war [battle]. 13 They warned the soldiers, “Don’t bring the ·prisoners [captives] from Judah here. If you do, we will ·be guilty of sin against the Lord, and that will make our sin and guilt even worse [add to our sins and guilt before the Lord]. Our guilt is already so great that ·he is angry with [L his fierce anger is burning against] Israel.”
14 So the soldiers left the ·prisoners [captives] and ·valuable things [plunder; spoil; booty] in front of the ·officers [officials] and ·people there [the entire assembly]. 15 The ·leaders [men] who were named took the ·prisoners [captives] and gave those who were naked clothes from ·what the Israelite army had taken [the plunder/spoil/booty]. They gave the ·prisoners [captives] clothes, sandals, food, drink, and ·medicine [oil for their wounds; L anointed them]. They put the weak on donkeys and took them back to their ·families [brothers] in Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned home to Samaria.
More Attacks(E)
22 During Ahaz’s ·troubles [L time of distress] he was even more unfaithful to the Lord. 23 He ·offered [sacrificed] sacrifices to the gods of the people of Damascus, who had defeated him. He thought, “The gods of the kings of Aram helped them. If I ·offer [sacrifice] sacrifices to them, they ·will [may] help me also.” But this brought ·ruin to [the downfall of] Ahaz and all Israel.
24 Ahaz gathered the ·things [articles; utensils] from the ·Temple [L house] of God and ·broke [cut] them into pieces. Then he closed the doors of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. He made himself altars [C to pagan gods] and put them on every street corner in Jerusalem. 25 In every town in Judah, Ahaz made ·places [L high places; 11:15] for burning sacrifices to other gods. So he ·made [provoked] the Lord, the God of his ·ancestors [fathers], ·very angry [to anger].
26 The ·other things Ahaz did as king [rest of the events/acts/history of Ahaz’s reign], from ·beginning to end [first to last], are written in the ·book [scroll] of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27 Ahaz ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried in the City of David [C Jerusalem], but not in the ·graves [tombs] of the kings of Israel. Ahaz’s son Hezekiah became king in his place.
Christians Should Obey the Law
13 All of you must ·yield [obey; submit; be subject] to the government ·rulers [authorities]. [L Because; For] ·No one rules [L There is no authority] ·unless God has given him the power to rule [L except by/through God], and ·no one rules now without that power from God [L those that exist are appointed/established by God]. 2 So those who ·are against the government [rebel/resist the authority] are really ·against [resisting; opposing] what God has ·commanded [ordained; instituted]. And they will bring ·punishment [judgment] on themselves. 3 [L For] Those who do ·right [good] do not have to fear the rulers; only those who do ·wrong [evil] fear them. Do you want to be unafraid of the ·rulers [L authority]? Then do what is ·right [good], and they will ·praise [commend] you. 4 The ruler is God’s servant ·to help you [for your good]. But if you do wrong, then be afraid. ·He has the power to punish [L For he does not bear the sword in vain]; he is God’s servant ·to punish [an avenger for (God’s) wrath to] those who do wrong. 5 So you must ·yield [submit; be subject] to the government, not only because ·you might be punished [L of wrath], but because ·you know it is right [of (your) conscience].
6 This is also why you pay taxes. [L Because] Rulers are ·working for God [God’s servants/ministers] ·and give their time to [devoting themselves to] their work. 7 Pay everyone what you owe them: taxes to those you owe taxes, ·fees [tolls] to those you owe ·fees [tolls], ·respect [reverence; fear] to those you owe ·respect [reverence; fear], and honor to those you owe honor.
Loving Others
8 Do not owe ·people [L anyone] anything, except always owe love to each other, because the person who loves others has ·obeyed all [fulfilled] the law. 9 [L For] The law says, “You must not be guilty of adultery. You must not murder anyone. You must not steal. You must not ·want to take your neighbor’s things [covet; Ex. 20:13–15, 17; Deut. 5:17–21].” All these commands and all others are really summed up in this one ·rule [command; word]: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself [Lev. 19:18].” 10 Love never ·hurts [does wrong/evil to] a neighbor, so loving is ·obeying all [fulfilling] the law.
11 Do this ·because you know the times in which we live [L knowing the time/season]. It is ·now [or already the] ·time [hour] for you to wake up from your sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night [C a metaphor for the present evil age] is ·almost finished [advancing], and the day [C the time of final judgment and reward] is ·almost here [near; or at hand]. So we should ·stop doing [put aside; cast off] ·things that belong to [L the deeds/works of] darkness and ·take up the weapons [or put on the armor] ·used for fighting in [or that belong to; L of] the light. 13 Let us ·live [walk] ·in a right way [properly; decently], like people who belong to the day. We should not have wild parties or get drunk. There should be no ·sexual sins of any kind [L sexual immorality or debauchery/sensuality], no ·fighting [strife; quarrels] or jealousy. 14 But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and ·forget about satisfying [or give no opportunity to the desires of; or don’t think about ways to gratify] ·your sinful self [the sinful nature; T the flesh].
The Lord the Shepherd
A psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my shepherd;
I ·have everything I need [L will lack nothing].
2 He ·lets me rest [makes me lie down] in green pastures.
He leads me to ·calm [quiet] water.
3 He ·gives me new strength [T renews my soul].
He leads me on paths that are ·right [righteous; or straight]
for the ·good [sake] of his ·name [reputation].
4 Even if I walk through ·a very dark valley [or the shadow of death],
I will ·not be afraid [T fear no evil],
because you are with me.
Your rod and your shepherd’s staff comfort me.
5 You prepare a ·meal [L table] for me
in ·front [the presence] of my enemies.
You ·pour oil of blessing on my head [anoint my head with oil; C oil was a means of refreshment in a hot, dry environment];
you ·fill my cup to overflowing [L make my cup overflow; C a cup of blessing].
6 Surely your goodness and ·love [loyalty; T mercy] will ·be with [pursue; T follow] me
all my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord ·forever [L for length of days].
11 Even children are known by their behavior;
their actions show if they are ·innocent [pure] and ·good [upright].
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