2 Chronicles 26:1-15

The Reign of Uzziah

26¹ And all the people of Judah took Uzziah , who was sixteen e 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 sixteen e years old when he became king , and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem ; and his mother's name was Jechiliah of Jerusalem . ⁴ He did right in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father Amaziah had done . ⁵ He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah , who had understanding through the vision of God ; and as long as he sought the Lord , God prospered him. ⁶ Now he went out and warred 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 God helped him against the Philistines , and against the Arabians who lived in Gur-baal , and the Meunites . ⁸ The Ammonites also gave tribute to Uzziah , and his fame extended to the border of Egypt , for he became very strong . ⁹ Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate and at the Valley Gate and at the corner buttress and fortified them. ¹⁰ He built towers in the wilderness and hewed many cisterns , for he had much livestock , both in the lowland 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 an army ready for battle , which entered combat by divisions according to the number of their muster , prepared by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the official , under the direction of Hananiah , one of the king's officers . ¹² The total number of the heads of the households , of valiant warriors , was 2,600 e . ¹³ Under their direction was an elite army of 307,500 e e e e e e , who could wage war with great power , to help the king against the enemy . ¹⁴ Moreover, Uzziah prepared for all the army shields , spears , helmets , body armor , bows and sling stones . ¹⁵ In Jerusalem he made engines of war invented by skillful men to be on the towers and on the corners for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones . Hence his fame spread afar e , for he was marvelously helped until e he was strong .