16 However, as soon as he was strong, his heart became haughty to his own ruin, and he acted unfaithfully against Jehovah his God by entering the temple of Jehovah to burn incense on the altar of incense.+ 17 Immediately Az·a·riʹah the priest and 80 other courageous priests of Jehovah went in after him. 18 They confronted King Uz·ziʹah and said to him: “It is not proper for you, Uz·ziʹah, to burn incense to Jehovah!+ It is only the priests who should burn incense, for they are the descendants of Aaron,+ those who have been sanctified. Go out from the sanctuary, for you have acted unfaithfully and you will receive no glory from Jehovah God for this.”

19 But Uz·ziʹah, who had a censer in his hand to burn incense, became enraged;+ and during his rage against the priests, leprosy+ broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of Jehovah next to the altar of incense. 20 When Az·a·riʹah the chief priest and all the priests turned toward him, they saw that he had been stricken with leprosy in his forehead! So they rushed him out of there, and he himself hurried out, because Jehovah had struck him.

21 King Uz·ziʹah remained a leper until the day of his death, and he kept staying in a separate house as a leper,+ for he had been excluded from the house of Jehovah. His son Joʹtham was in charge of the king’s house,* judging the people of the land.+