Jotham Succeeds Uzziah in Judah

27 (A)Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah had done; (B)however he did not enter the temple of the Lord. But the people continued acting corruptly. He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord, and he built the wall of (C)Ophel extensively. Moreover, he built (D)cities in the hill country of Judah, and he built fortresses and towers on the wooded hills. He fought with the king of the Ammonites and prevailed over them so that during that year the Ammonites gave him [a]a hundred talents of silver, [b]ten thousand kors of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. The Ammonites also paid him this amount in the second year and in the third. (E)So Jotham became powerful because he directed his ways before the Lord his God. (F)Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, all his wars and his ways, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. He was (G)twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for sixteen years. And Jotham [c]lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and his son Ahaz became king in his place.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 27:5 About 3.75 tons or 3.4 metric tons
  2. 2 Chronicles 27:5 About 77,000 cubic feet or 2,180 cubic meters
  3. 2 Chronicles 27:9 I.e., died

Jotham Rules in Judah

27 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.

Jotham did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight. He did everything his father, Uzziah, had done, except that Jotham did not sin by entering the Temple of the Lord. But the people continued in their corrupt ways.

Jotham rebuilt the upper gate of the Temple of the Lord. He also did extensive rebuilding on the wall at the hill of Ophel. He built towns in the hill country of Judah and constructed fortresses and towers in the wooded areas. Jotham went to war against the Ammonites and conquered them. Over the next three years he received from them an annual tribute of 7,500 pounds[a] of silver, 50,000 bushels of wheat, and 50,000 bushels of barley.[b]

King Jotham became powerful because he was careful to live in obedience to the Lord his God.

The rest of the events of Jotham’s reign, including all his wars and other activities, are recorded in The Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. When Jotham died, he was buried in the City of David. And his son Ahaz became the next king.

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Footnotes

  1. 27:5a Hebrew 100 talents [3,400 kilograms].
  2. 27:5b Hebrew 10,000 cors [2,200 kiloliters] of wheat, and 10,000 cors of barley.