27:1 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem.1 His mother was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. 27:2 He did what the Lord approved, just as his father Uzziah had done.2 (He did not, however, have the audacity to enter the temple.)3 Yet the people were still sinning.
27:3 He built the Upper Gate to the Lord’s temple and did a lot of work on the wall on the hill.4 27:4 He built cities in the hill country of Judah and fortresses and towers in the forests.
27:5 He launched a military campaign5 against the king of the Ammonites and defeated them. That year the Ammonites paid him a hundred units6 of silver, ten thousand kors7 of wheat, and ten thousand kors8 of barley. The Ammonites also paid this same amount of annual tribute the next two years.9
27:6 Jotham grew powerful because he was determined to please the Lord his God.10 27:7 The rest of the events of Jotham’s reign, including all his military campaigns and his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll of the kings of Israel and Judah.11 27:8 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. 27:9 Jotham passed away12 and was buried in the City of David.13 His son Ahaz replaced him as king.
Ahaz’s Reign