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 began to reign; he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jerushah; she was the 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.

He did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, following the example of his father, Uzziah, in everything. He also refrained from going into the temple of Yahweh. But the people were still behaving in evil ways.

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].

He built the upper gate of the house of Yahweh, and on the hill of Ophel he built much.

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

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

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.

He fought also with the king of the people of Ammon and defeated them. In that same year, the people of Ammon gave him one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand measures of wheat, ten thousand measures of barley. The people of Ammon gave 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 became powerful because he walked firmly before Yahweh 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 other matters concerning Jotham, all his wars, and his ways, see, they are 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 began to reign; he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem.

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

Jotham slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the city of David. Ahaz, his son, became king in his place.