TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

II - Chapter 26

1Then all the people of Yehuda took Uzziyahu, who was sixteen years old, and proclaimed him king to succeed his father Amatzya.

אוַיִּקְחוּ כָּל־עַם יְהוּדָה אֶת־עֻזִּיָּהוּ וְהוּא בֶּן־שֵׁשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה וַיַּמְלִיכוּ אֹתוֹ תַּחַת אָבִיו אֲמַצְיָהוּ׃

2It was he who rebuilt Eloth and restored it to Yehuda after King [Amatzya] slept with his fathers.

בהוּא בָּנָה אֶת־אֵילוֹת וַיְשִׁיבֶהָ לִיהוּדָה אַחֲרֵי שְׁכַב־הַמֶּלֶךְ עִם־אֲבֹתָיו׃

3Uzziyahu was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Yerushalayim; his mother's name was Jecoliah of Yerushalayim.

גבֶּן־שֵׁשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה עֻזִּיָּהוּ בְמָלְכוֹ וַחֲמִשִּׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם שָׁנָה מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָ ִם וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ יכיליה [יְכָלְיָה] מִן־יְרוּשָׁלָ ִם׃

4He did what was pleasing to Hashem just as his father Amatzya had done.

דוַיַּעַשׂ הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה אֲמַצְיָהוּ אָבִיו׃

5He applied himself to the worship of Hashem during the time of Zecharya, instructor in the visions of Hashem; during the time he worshiped Hashem, Hashem made him prosper.

הוַיְהִי לִדְרֹשׁ אֱלֹהִים בִּימֵי זְכַרְיָהוּ הַמֵּבִין בִּרְאֹת הָאֱלֹהִים וּבִימֵי דָּרְשׁוֹ אֶת־יְהֹוָה הִצְלִיחוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים׃

6He went forth to fight the Philistines, and breached the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod; he built towns in [the region of] Ashdod and among the Philistines.

ווַיֵּצֵא וַיִּלָּחֶם בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּים וַיִּפְרֹץ אֶת־חוֹמַת גַּת וְאֵת חוֹמַת יַבְנֵה וְאֵת חוֹמַת אַשְׁדּוֹד וַיִּבְנֶה עָרִים בְּאַשְׁדּוֹד וּבַפְּלִשְׁתִּים׃

7Hashem helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabs who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites.

זוַיַּעְזְרֵהוּ הָאֱלֹהִים עַל־פְּלִשְׁתִּים וְעַל־הערביים [הָעַרְבִים] הַיֹּשְׁבִים בְּגוּר־בָּעַל וְהַמְּעוּנִים׃

8The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziyahu, and his fame spread to the approaches of Egypt, for he grew exceedingly strong.

חוַיִּתְּנוּ הָעַמּוֹנִים מִנְחָה לְעֻזִּיָּהוּ וַיֵּלֶךְ שְׁמוֹ עַד־לְבוֹא מִצְרַיִם כִּי הֶחֱזִיק עַד־לְמָעְלָה׃

9Uzziyahu built towers in Yerushalayim on the Corner Gate and the Valley Gate and on the Angle, and fortified them.

טוַיִּבֶן עֻזִּיָּהוּ מִגְדָּלִים בִּירוּשָׁלַ ִם עַל־שַׁעַר הַפִּנָּה וְעַל־שַׁעַר הַגַּיְא וְעַל־הַמִּקְצוֹעַ וַיְחַזְּקֵם׃

10He built towers in the wilderness and hewed out many cisterns, for he had much cattle, and farmers in the foothills and on the plain, and vine dressers in the mountains and on the fertile lands, for he loved the soil.

יוַיִּבֶן מִגְדָּלִים בַּמִּדְבָּר וַיַּחְצֹב בֹּרוֹת רַבִּים כִּי מִקְנֶה־רַּב הָיָה לוֹ וּבַשְּׁפֵלָה וּבַמִּישׁוֹר אִכָּרִים וְכֹרְמִים בֶּהָרִים וּבַכַּרְמֶל כִּי־אֹהֵב אֲדָמָה הָיָה׃

11Uzziyahu had an army of warriors, a battle-ready force who were mustered by Jeiel the scribe and Maasseiah the adjutant under Chananya, one of the king's officers.

יאוַיְהִי לְעֻזִּיָּהוּ חַיִל עֹשֵׂה מִלְחָמָה יוֹצְאֵי צָבָא לִגְדוּד בְּמִסְפַּר פְּקֻדָּתָם בְּיַד יעואל [יְעִיאֵל] הַסּוֹפֵר וּמַעֲשֵׂיָהוּ הַשּׁוֹטֵר עַל יַד־חֲנַנְיָהוּ מִשָּׂרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ׃

12The clan chiefs, valiants, totaled 2,600;

יבכֹּל מִסְפַּר רָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת לְגִבּוֹרֵי חָיִל אַלְפַּיִם וְשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת׃

13under them was the trained army of 307,500, who made war with might and power to aid the king against the enemy.

יגוְעַל־יָדָם חֵיל צָבָא שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף וְשִׁבְעַת אֲלָפִים וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת עוֹשֵׂי מִלְחָמָה בְּכֹחַ חָיִל לַעְזֹר לַמֶּלֶךְ עַל־הָאוֹיֵב׃

14Uzziyahu provided them—the whole army—with shields and spears, and helmets and mail, and bows and slingstones.

ידוַיָּכֶן לָהֶם עֻזִּיָּהוּ לְכָל־הַצָּבָא מָגִנִּים וּרְמָחִים וְכוֹבָעִים וְשִׁרְיֹנוֹת וּקְשָׁתוֹת וּלְאַבְנֵי קְלָעִים׃

15He made clever devices in Yerushalayim, set on the towers and the corners, for shooting arrows and large stones. His fame spread far, for he was helped wonderfully, and he became strong.

טווַיַּעַשׂ בִּירוּשָׁלַ ִם חִשְּׁבֹנוֹת מַחֲשֶׁבֶת חוֹשֵׁב לִהְיוֹת עַל־הַמִּגְדָּלִים וְעַל־הַפִּנּוֹת לִירוֹא בַּחִצִּים וּבָאֲבָנִים גְּדֹלוֹת וַיֵּצֵא שְׁמוֹ עַד־לְמֵרָחוֹק כִּי־הִפְלִיא לְהֵעָזֵר עַד כִּי־חָזָק׃

16When he was strong, he grew so arrogant he acted corruptly: he trespassed against his God by entering the Temple of Hashem to offer incense on the incense mizbayach.

טזוּכְחֶזְקָתוֹ גָּבַהּ לִבּוֹ עַד־לְהַשְׁחִית וַיִּמְעַל בַּיהֹוָה אֱלֹהָיו וַיָּבֹא אֶל־הֵיכַל יְהֹוָה לְהַקְטִיר עַל־מִזְבַּח הַקְּטֹרֶת׃

17The kohen Azarya, with eighty other brave Kohanim of Hashem, followed him in

יזוַיָּבֹא אַחֲרָיו עֲזַרְיָהוּ הַכֹּהֵן וְעִמּוֹ כֹּהֲנִים לַיהֹוָה שְׁמוֹנִים בְּנֵי־חָיִל׃

18and, confronting King Uzziyahu, said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziyahu, to offer incense to Hashem, but for the Aaronite Kohanim, who have been consecrated, to offer incense. Get out of the Sanctuary, for you have trespassed; there will be no glory in it for you from Hashem.”

יחוַיַּעַמְדוּ עַל־עֻזִּיָּהוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ לֹא־לְךָ עֻזִּיָּהוּ לְהַקְטִיר לַיהֹוָה כִּי לַכֹּהֲנִים בְּנֵי־אַהֲרֹן הַמְקֻדָּשִׁים לְהַקְטִיר צֵא מִן־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ כִּי מָעַלְתָּ וְלֹא־לְךָ לְכָבוֹד מֵיְהֹוָה אֱלֹהִים׃

19Uzziyahu, holding the censer and ready to burn incense, got angry; but as he got angry with the Kohanim, leprosy broke out on his forehead in front of the Kohanim in the House of Hashem beside the incense mizbayach.

va-yiz-AF u-zi-YA-hu uv-ya-DO mik-TE-ret l'-hak-TEER uv-za-PO im ha-ko-ha-NEEM v'-ha-tza-RA-at za-r'-KHA v'-mitz-KHO lif-NAY ha-ko-ha-NEEM b'-VAYT a-do-NAI may-AL l'-miz-BAKH ha-k'-TO-ret

יטוַיִּזְעַף עֻזִּיָּהוּ וּבְיָדוֹ מִקְטֶרֶת לְהַקְטִיר וּבְזַעְפּוֹ עִם־הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַצָּרַעַת זָרְחָה בְמִצְחוֹ לִפְנֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים בְּבֵית יְהֹוָה מֵעַל לְמִזְבַּח הַקְּטֹרֶת׃

 26:19   Leprosy broke out on his forehead

Rashi (1040-1105)

Emboldened by his success, Uzziyahu is not satisfied with being just a king; he wishes to be a Kohen as well. Since he is not a descendant of the house of Levi, he is barred from priesthood and his attempt to offer a sacrifice of incense defiles the Beit Hamikdash. Therefore, he contracts a form of ritual impurity even while attemp­ting to bring a sacrifice in the Temple, a place in which ritual impurity is usually barred. Rashi (Isaiah 6:4) writes that this action causes the earthquake that shook the Land of Israel in the days of Uzziyahu (see Amos 1:1 and Zechariah 14:5). This shows the spiritual sensitivity of Eretz Yisrael. Not only is Uzziyahu punished, but the land itself reacts to the violation of God’s command.

20When the chief kohen Azarya and all the other Kohanim looked at him, his forehead was leprous, so they rushed him out of there; he too made haste to get out, for Hashem had struck him with a plague.

כוַיִּפֶן אֵלָיו עֲזַרְיָהוּ כֹהֵן הָרֹאשׁ וְכָל־הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהִנֵּה־הוּא מְצֹרָע בְּמִצְחוֹ וַיַּבְהִלוּהוּ מִשָּׁם וְגַם־הוּא נִדְחַף לָצֵאת כִּי נִגְּעוֹ יְהֹוָה׃

21King Uzziyahu was a leper until the day of his death. He lived in isolated quarters as a leper, for he was cut off from the House of Hashem—while Yotam his son was in charge of the king's house and governed the people of the land.

כאוַיְהִי עֻזִּיָּהוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ מְצֹרָע עַד־יוֹם מוֹתוֹ וַיֵּשֶׁב בֵּית החפשות [הַחָפְשִׁית] מְצֹרָע כִּי נִגְזַר מִבֵּית יְהֹוָה וְיוֹתָם בְּנוֹ עַל־בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ שׁוֹפֵט אֶת־עַם הָאָרֶץ׃

22The other events of Uzziyahu's reign, early and late, were recorded by the Navi Yeshayahu son of Amotz.

כבוְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי עֻזִּיָּהוּ הָרִאשֹׁנִים וְהָאֲחֲרֹנִים כָּתַב יְשַׁעְיָהוּ בֶן־אָמוֹץ הַנָּבִיא׃

23Uzziyahu slept with his fathers in the burial field of the kings, because, they said, he was a leper; his son Yotam succeeded him as king.

כגוַיִּשְׁכַּב עֻזִּיָּהוּ עִם־אֲבֹתָיו וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אֹתוֹ עִם־אֲבֹתָיו בִּשְׂדֵה הַקְּבוּרָה אֲשֶׁר לַמְּלָכִים כִּי אָמְרוּ מְצוֹרָע הוּא וַיִּמְלֹךְ יוֹתָם בְּנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו׃