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Jotham King of Judah(A)

27 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. Jotham did what ·the Lord said was right [L was pleasing/proper in the eyes/sight of the Lord], just as his father Uzziah had done. But Jotham did not enter the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord [C a reference to Uzziah’s sin, 26:16–21]. But the people continued ·doing wrong [sinning; in their corrupt practices]. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, and he added greatly to the wall at Ophel. He also built towns in the hill country of Judah, as well as ·walled cities [fortresses] and towers in the forests.

Jotham also fought the king of the Ammonites and ·defeated [conquered] them. So each year for three years they ·gave [paid] Jotham ·about seventy-five hundred pounds [L one hundred talents] of silver, ·about sixty-two thousand bushels [L ten thousand kors] of wheat, and ·about sixty-two thousand bushels [L ten thousand kors] of barley. Jotham became powerful, because he ·always obeyed [walked purposefully before; L ordered his ways before] the Lord his God.

The ·other things Jotham did while he was king [rest of the events/acts/history of Jotham’s reign] and all his wars ·are [L are they not…?] written in the ·book [scroll] of the kings of Israel and Judah. Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] sixteen years in Jerusalem. Jotham ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried in the City of David [C Jerusalem]. Then Jotham’s son Ahaz became king in his place.

27 Jotham was twenty-five years old at the time he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jerushah, daughter of Zadok. He followed the generally good example of his father, Uzziah—who had, however, sinned by invading the Temple—but even so his people became very corrupt.

He built the Upper Gate of the Temple and also did extensive rebuilding of the walls on the hill where the Temple was situated. And he built cities in the hill country of Judah and erected fortresses and towers on the wooded hills.

His war against the Ammonites was successful so that for the next three years he received from them an annual tribute of $200,000 in silver, 10,000 sacks of wheat, and 10,000 sacks of barley. King Jotham became powerful because he was careful to follow the path of the Lord his God.

The remainder of his history, including his wars and other activities, is written in The Annals of the Kings of Israel and Judah. In summary, then, he was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. When he died, he was buried in Jerusalem, and his son Ahaz became the new king.