10 He also built defense towers out in the desert.He owned such a large herd of livestock in the western foothills and in the flatlands, that he had cisterns dug there to catch the rainwater. He loved farming, so he had crops and vineyards planted in the hill country wherever there was fertile soil, and he hired farmers to take care of them.
11 Uzziah's army was always ready for battle. Jeiel and Maaseiah were the officers who kept track of the number of soldiers, and these two men were under the command of Hananiah, one of Uzziah's officials.
12-13 There were 307,500 trained soldiers, all under the command of 2,600 clan leaders. These powerful troops protected the king against any enemy.
14 Uzziah supplied his army with shields, spears, helmets, armor, bows, and stones used for slinging.
15 Some of his skilled workers invented machines that could shoot arrows and sling large stones. Uzziah set these up in Jerusalem at his defense towers and at the corners of the city wall.God helped Uzziah become more and more powerful, and he was famous all over the world.
16 Uzziah became proud of his power, and this led to his downfall.One day, Uzziah disobeyed the Lord his God by going into the temple and burning incense as an offering to him.
17 Azariah the priest and 80 other brave priests followed Uzziah into the temple