the sons of Aaron, that
are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou
hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honor from the Lord
God."

Then Uzziah was angry; and he had a censer in his hand to burn
incense; and while he was angry with the priests, the leprosy broke
forth in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord,
beside the altar of incense. And Azariah the chief priest, and all the
priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead,
and they thrust him out quickly from thence. He himself hastened also
to go out, because the Lord had smitten him.

And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt
in a separate house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house
of the Lord: and Jotham his son was over the king's house, ruling the
people of the land. So Uzziah died; and they buried him with his
fathers in the field of burial which belonged to the kings; for they
said, "He is a leper": and Jotham his son reigned.

{292}

JOTHAM.

(Jotham reigned, it is said, sixteen years, but for all but two years
he was regent in place of his father who could not occupy the throne
because of his leprosy. On the whole his reign was good and he was
successful in his undertakings.)

Jotham was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he
reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Jerushah
the daughter of Zadok. And he did that which was right in the eyes of
the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah had done: howbeit he
entered not into the temple of the Lord. And the people did yet
corruptly.

He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord, and on the wall of
Ophel he built much. Moreover he built cities in the hill country of
Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers. He fought also
with the king of the children of Ammon, and prevailed against them.
And the children of Ammon gave him the same year an hundred talents of
silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of
barley. So much did the children of Ammon render unto him, in the
second year also, and in the third.

So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the Lord
his God. He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and
reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And Jotham died, and they buried
him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

{293}

AHAZ.

(With