King Uzziah of Judah
(2 Kings 14.212 222 15.1-7)1 All the people of Judah chose Amaziah's sixteen-year-old son Uzziah to succeed his father as king. ( 2 It was after the death of Amaziah that Uzziah recaptured Elath and rebuilt the city.)
3 Uzziah became king at the age of sixteen, and he ruled in Jerusalem for fifty-two years. His mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem. 4 Following the example of his father, he did what was pleasing to the Lord. 5 As long as Zechariah, his religious adviser, was living, he served the Lord faithfully, and God blessed him.
6 Uzziah went to war against the Philistines. He tore down the walls of the cities of Gath, Jamnia, and Ashdod, and built fortified cities near Ashdod and in the rest of Philistia. 7 God helped him defeat the Philistines, the Arabs living at Gurbaal, and the Meunites. 8 The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah, and he became so powerful that his fame spread even to Egypt.
9 Uzziah strengthened the fortifications of Jerusalem by building towers at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and where the wall turned. 10 He also built fortified towers in the open country and dug many cisterns, because he had large herds of livestock in the western foothills and plains. Because he loved farming, he encouraged the people to plant vineyards in the hill country and to farm the fertile land.
11 He had a large army ready for battle. Its records were kept by his secretaries Jeiel and Maaseiah under the supervision of Hananiah, a member of the king's staff. 12 The army was commanded by 2,600 officers. 13 Under them were 307,500 soldiers able to fight effectively for the king against his enemies. 14 Uzziah supplied the army with shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows and arrows, and stones for slinging. 15 In Jerusalem his inventors made equipment for shooting arrows and for throwing large stones from the towers and corners of the city wall. His fame spread everywhere, and he became very powerful because of the help he received from God.
Uzziah Is Punished for His Pride
16 But when King Uzziah became strong, he grew arrogant, and that led to his downfall. He defied the Lord his God by going into the Temple to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17 Azariah the priest, accompanied by eighty strong and courageous priests, followed the king 18 to resist him. They said, “Uzziah! You have no right to burn incense to the Lord. Only the priests who are descended from Aaron have been consecrated to do this. Leave this holy place. You have offended the Lord God, and you no longer have his blessing.”
19 Uzziah was standing there in the Temple beside the incense altar and was holding an incense burner. He became angry with the priests, and immediately a dreaded skin disease broke out on his forehead. 20 Azariah and the other priests stared at the king's forehead in horror and then forced him to leave the Temple. He hurried to get out, because the Lord had punished him.
21 For the rest of his life King Uzziah was ritually unclean because of his disease. Unable to enter the Temple again, he lived in his own house, relieved of all duties, while his son Jotham governed the country.
22 The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz recorded all the other things that King Uzziah did during his reign. 23 Uzziah died and was buried in the royal burial ground, but because of his disease he was not buried in the royal tombs. His son Jotham succeeded him as king.
Ussia ohamba yaJuda
1 Opo nee ovanhu aveshe va kufa Ussia, omido daye da li pefimbo olo omido omulongo nahamano, ndele ve mu ninga ohamba ponhele yaxe Amasia. 2 Ye okwa tunga Elat nokwe shi alulila kuJuda, ohamba eshi ya ka nangala pooxe. 3 Omido daUssia da li omulongo nahamano ye eshi a ninga ohamba, nokwa pangela muJerusalem omido omilongo nhano nambali. Nedina laina la li Jekolia wokuJerusalem. 4 Nokwa ninga osho sha yuka momesho Omwene, naanaa ngaashi xe Amasia a ninga. 5 Nokwa konga Kalunga fimbo Sakaria okwa li e nomwenyo, ou a li e nounongo wokushiiva omamoniko aKalunga. Ndele pomafiku oo ye eshi a konga Omwene, Kalunga e mu pa elao.
6 Nokwa fikama ndele ta lwifa Ovafilisti nokwa ngumauna po ohotekuma yaGat nohotekuma yaJabne nohotekuma yaAsdod, ndele a tunga oilando moushiinda waAsdod nomokati kOvafilisti. 7 Ndele Kalunga okwe mu kwafa mokulwifa Ovafilisti nOvaarabi, ovo va kala muGur-Baal, nOvameuni. 8 NOvaammoni yo va fendela Ussia. Netumbalo laye la tandavela fiyo okuEgipiti, shaashi ye okwa li e neenghono dinene. 9 Ussia okwa tunga vali eehoteshungo muJerusalem pOshivelo Shokolonela nopOshivelo Shefilu nopOkolonela, nokwe di pameka. 10 Nokwa tunga yo eehoteshungo mombuwa ndele a panda eendungu dihapu domeva. Osheshi ye a li e noimuna ihapu medu la lalakana nomedu la tumba la lalakana, nokwa li e novalongi vepya novalongi voikokola yomiviinyu keemhunda nomedu loikunino, osheshi ye e hole oilonga yomapya.
11 Ussia okwa li e na vali omatanga ovakwaita va li moukwaita ndele va ya koita, pamatanga pamuvalo waava va li mokutalwa, wa shangwa komushangi Jeiel nokomupashukili Maasea, kewiliko laHanania, elenga limwe lomomalenga ohamba. 12 Omuvalo aushe wovakulunhu vomapata, wovaladi wa li omayovi avali nomafele ahamano. 13 Ndele mepangelo lavo mwa li omatanga ovakwaita ve fike pomayovi omafele atatu naaheyali nomafele atano, ovo tava dulu okulwifa neenghono adishe va kwafe ohamba okulwa nomutondadi. 14 Ndele Ussia okwa kongela ovakwaita aveshe oikelelifo nomaonga nomambale oivela noikutu yoivela nomauta noiumbifo yomamanya. 15 Nokwa ninga yo muJerusalem oilwifoshina, ya tungwa nondunge, ya tulwa meehoteshungo nomeekolonela dohotekuma, tai umbu oikuti nomamanya manene. Netumbalo laye la tandavela, osheshi a kwafa shili, oshikumwifa nokuli, fiyo a ninga omunaenghono.
Ussia nehandu laKalunga
16 Ndelenee ye eshi a ninga omunaenghono, omutima waye e u nenepeka, onghee a ninga osho inashi yuka nande, ndele a nyona kOmwene Kalunga kaye. Osheshi a ya mo motembeli yOmwene ndele ta twiminine oitwiminifo koaltari yokutwimina. 17 Ndelenee omupristeli Asaria okwe mu shikulila mo, novapristeli omilongo hetatu vOmwene, ovalumenhu ovaladi, va ya mo pamwe naye, 18 ndele va kelela ohamba Ussia ndele tava ti kuyo: “Kashi fi oshilonga shoye, Ussia, u twiminine Omwene oitwiminifo, ndelenee oshovapristeli, sholudalo laAron, ovo va yapulilwa okuyamba. Pita pondje, u dje motembeli, osheshi wa nyona, ndele eshi itashi ku etele efimano kOmwene Kalunga.” 19 Ndelenee Ussia okwa handuka unene, ndele a hangika e kwete oshikwatelwa shoitwiminifo meke laye. Ndele eshi a handukila ovapristeli, oudu woshilundu wa djuuka mombaba yoshipala shaye moipafi yovapristeli mongulu yOmwene poaltari yokutwimina. 20 Omupristeli omukulunhu Asaria novapristeli aveshe, eshi ve mu tala, va mona oudu woshilundu mombaba yoshipala shaye, ndele ve mu taataa mo diva, naye mwene yo okwa endelela a dje mo, osheshi Omwene e mu denga. 21 Nohamba Ussia ya li omunashilundu fiyo okefiku lefyo layo, ya kala mongulu ye likalela ngaashi ovanashilundu, osheshi yo ya kelelwa okuya kongulu yOmwene. Nomona waye Jotam ou a diinina eumbo lohamba, okwa pangela ovanhu vomoshilongo. 22 Noinima imwe tai hepaulula Ussia, yotete noyahauxuuninwa, oya shangwa komuxunganeki Jesaja yaAmos. 23 Ndele Ussia okwa ka nangala pooxe nokwa pakwa pooxe monhele yokupaka eehamba. Osheshi tava ti: “Ye omunashilundu.” Nomona waye Jotam okwa ninga ohamba ponhele yaye.
