27 Jotham was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jerushah, the daughter of Zadok.

And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah did: howbeit he entered not into the temple of the Lord. And the people did yet corruptly.

He built the high gate of the house of the Lord, and on the wall of Ophel he built much.

Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers.

He fought also with the king of the Ammonites, 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 pay unto him, both the second year, and the third.

So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God.

Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars, and his ways, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.

And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

Jotham rules Judah as king

27 Jotham was 25 years old when he became king. He ruled Judah as king in Jerusalem for 16 years. His mother's name was Jerusha. She was Zadok's daughter. Jotham did things that the Lord said were good, as his father Uzziah had done. But he did not try to go into the Lord's temple and offer incense, as his father had done. But the people continued to do bad things.

Jotham built the Higher Gate of the Lord's temple. He also did a lot of work to repair the city wall near Ophel hill. He built towns in the hill country of Judah. He also built strong buildings and towers in the forests.[a]

Jotham took his army to attack the king of Ammon. He won the battle against them. That year, the Ammonites gave to him 3,400 kilograms of silver. They also gave him 2,200 kilolitres of wheat and 2,200 kilolitres of barley. The Ammonites paid Jotham the same amount for each of the next two years.

Jotham became a powerful king because he faithfully obeyed the Lord his God.

Jotham dies

The other things that happened while Jotham was king are written in a book. The book is called ‘The history of the kings of Israel and Judah’. It tells about the wars that Jotham fought and the other things that he did. He was 25 years old when he became king. He ruled Judah as king in Jerusalem for 16 years. Jotham died and his people buried him in the City of David.

His son Ahaz became king after him.

Footnotes

  1. 27:4 The strong buildings and towers were places where soldiers could stay to keep the country safe.