2 Chronicles 27

1 Jotham was 25 years old when he became the king of Judah. He ruled from Jerusalem for 16 years. His mother was Jerushah, the daughter of [the priest] Zadok.

Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerushah daughter of Zadok.

2 Jotham did many things that pleased Yahweh like his father Uzziah did. He obeyed Yahweh and did things that are right. He did many things that his father Uzziah had done, but he did not burn incense in the temple, like his father had done. However, the people of Judah continued to sin against Yahweh.

And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done. In addition, he did not enter the temple of the LORD. But the people still behaved corruptly.

3 Jotham’s [workers] rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple, and they did a lot of work to repair the wall near Ophel [Hill].

Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD, and he worked extensively on the wall at the hill of Ophel.

4 They built towns in the hills of Judah, and they built forts and defense towers in the forests.

He also built cities in the hill country of Judah and fortresses and towers in the forests.

5 During the time that Jotham was the king of Judah, his army attacked and defeated the army of the Ammon people-group. Then, every year during the next three years, he required the Anmon people-group to pay to him four tons of silver, 60,000 bushels of wheat, and 60,000 bushels of barley.

Jotham waged war against the king of the Ammonites and defeated them, and that year they gave him a hundred talents of silver, ten thousand cors of wheat, and ten thousand cors of barley. They paid him the same in the second and third years.

6 Jotham faithfully obeyed Yahweh his God, and as a result he became a very powerful king.

So Jotham grew powerful because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God.

7 A record of everything else that Jotham did during the time that he was the king, including the wars that his army fought, is written in the scroll called ‘[the History of] the Kings of Israel and Judah’.

As for the rest of the acts of Jotham, along with all his wars and his ways, they are indeed written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

8 After Jotham had ruled Judah for 16 years, he died when he was 41 years old.

He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years.

9 He was buried in Jerusalem, and his son Ahaz became the king [of Judah].

And Jotham rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And his son Ahaz reigned in his place.