Reign of Jotham

27 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerushah daughter of Zadok. ² He did what was right in the sight of the Lord just as his father Uzziah had done—only he did not invade the temple of the Lord. But the people still followed corrupt practices. ³ He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord, and did extensive building on the wall of Ophel. ⁴ Moreover, he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and forts and towers on the wooded hills. ⁵ He fought with the king of the Ammonites and prevailed against them. The Ammonites gave him that year one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand cors of wheat and ten thousand of barley. The Ammonites paid him the same amount in the second and the third years. ⁶ So Jotham became strong because he ordered his ways before the Lord his God. ⁷ Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars and his ways, are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. ⁸ He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. ⁹ Jotham slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the city of David; and his son Ahaz succeeded him.