2 Kings 15:1-7--Azariah Reigns in Judah

2 Kings 15:1-7
English Standard Version

Azariah Reigns in Judah
15 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 4 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. 5 And the LORD touched the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death, and he lived in a separate house. And Jotham the king's son was over the household, governing the people of the land. 6 Now the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 7 And Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Jotham his son reigned in his place.

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In they 27th year of Jeroboam II's reign in Israel, Azariah becomes king of Judah.  Azariah (also known as Uzziah in the book of 2 Chronicles and the book of Isaiah) took the throne when he was 16 years old and he reigned 52 years (until he was 68) from Jerusalem, the City of David.  His mother was Jecoliah of Jerusalem, and he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD--you probably guessed that already though because the LORD blessed him with a long life and a long reign as king.  However, like the other "good" kings before him, he did not tear down the high places where the people went to worship their false gods.

One day, the LORD touched Azariah with leprosy so that he remained a leper until the day of his death.  This made him have to isolate himself from everyone else as this disease was highly contagious.  He lived in a separate house and Azariah's son, Jotham, had to be acting king over the king's household, though he was not yet officially king.  The story of how and why he became a leper is recorded for us in 2 Chronicles 26:16-21, for he was proud and entered into the the LORD's house, the Temple, to offer incense himself--something only the priests were allowed to do, so the LORD struck him with leprosy until the day he died.

The rest of the deeds of king Azariah (again, known in 2 Chronicles and other parts of the bible as King Uzziah) can be found the book of 2 Chronicles chapter 26.  Azariah died and was buried alongside the other kings in Jerusalem, and his son Jotham officially began his reign at that point, though he had bene been in charge of the people and the royal family the entire time that his father was a leper.