2 Chronicles 26:18

18 They told him he was wrong and said to him, "You don't have the right to burn incense to the Lord. Only the priests, Aaron's descendants, should burn the incense, because they have been made holy. Leave this holy place. You have been unfaithful, and the Lord God will not honor you for this."

2 Chronicles 26:18 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 26:18

And they withstood Uzziah the king
They not only stood against him, but stood about him, surrounded him, so as to hinder him from approaching the altar of incense:

and said unto him, it appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn
incense unto the Lord;
it did not belong to his office as a king, it was no part of it

but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn
incense;
and to them only; for even the Levites might not do it, only those of the tribe of Levi, that descended from Aaron, see ( Numbers 16:35 ) ,

go out of the sanctuary, for thou hast trespassed;
by going into that:

neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God;
but to his hurt, and be a brand of infamy upon him; for more is designed than is expressed, and as the event showed.

2 Chronicles 26:18 In-Context

16 But when Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his ruin. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God; he went into the Temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar for incense.

17 Azariah and eighty other brave priests who served the Lord followed Uzziah into the Temple.

18 They told him he was wrong and said to him, "You don't have the right to burn incense to the Lord. Only the priests, Aaron's descendants, should burn the incense, because they have been made holy. Leave this holy place. You have been unfaithful, and the Lord God will not honor you for this."

19 Uzziah was standing beside the altar for incense in the Temple of the Lord, and in his hand was a pan for burning incense. He was very angry with the priests. As he was standing in front of the priests, a skin disease broke out on his forehead.

20 Azariah, the leading priest, and all the other priests looked at him and saw the skin disease on his forehead. So they hurried him out of the Temple. Uzziah also rushed out, because the Lord was punishing him.