2 Chronicles 27

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

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.

2 He did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, according to all that his father Uzziah had done. However he didn’t enter into the LORD’s temple. The people still acted corruptly.

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.

3 He built the upper gate of the LORD’s house, and he built much on the wall of Ophel.

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

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

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

5 He also fought with the king of the children of Ammon, and prevailed against them. The children of Ammon gave him the same year one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand cors of wheat, and ten thousand cors of barley. The children of Ammon also gave that much to him in the second year, and in the third.

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.

6 So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God.

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

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

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’.

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

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

9 Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in David’s city; and Ahaz his son reigned in his place.

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