2 Chronicles 27

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

1Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king. He ruled for sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Jerushah, the daughter of Zadok.

2And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah did: howbeit he entered not into the temple of the LORD. And the people did yet corruptly.

2Jotham did what was right in God's eyes. He did the good things his father Uzziah had done. But Jotham did not go into God's temple, the special building where people worshiped. The people, though, kept doing wrong things.

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

3Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of God's temple. He also did a lot of work on the wall at the hill called Ophel.

4Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers.

4He built cities in the hill country of Judah. In the forests he built strong towers and safe places to hide.

5He fought also with the king of the Ammonites, and prevailed against them. And the children of Ammon gave him the same year an hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. So much did the children of Ammon pay unto him, both the second year, and the third.

5Jotham went to war against the king of the Ammonites, and he won. That year the Ammonites gave him a hundred talents of silver. They also gave him ten thousand large measures of wheat and ten thousand of barley. They paid him the same amount the next year and the year after that.

NoteA talent was a large weight, so a hundred talents of silver was a huge amount. The wheat and barley were measured in big containers, thousands of pounds of grain.

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

6So Jotham grew strong. This happened because he lived his life the way God wanted.

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

7The other things Jotham did, all his wars and his ways, are written down. You can read them in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

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

8He was twenty-five years old when he became king. He ruled for sixteen years in Jerusalem.

9And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

9Then Jotham died, like his family before him. They buried him in the City of David. His son Ahaz became the next king.