[1] Jotham became king at the age of twenty-five, and he ruled in Jerusalem for sixteen years. His mother was Jerushah, the daughter of Zadok. [2] He did what was pleasing to the LORD, just as his father had done; but unlike his father he did not sin by burning incense in the Temple. The people, however, went on sinning. [3] It was Jotham who built the North Gate of the Temple and did extensive work on the city wall in the area of Jerusalem called Ophel. [4] In the mountains of Judah he built cities, and in the forests he built forts and towers. [5] He fought against the king of Ammon and his army and defeated them. Then he forced the Ammonites to pay him the following tribute each year for three years: four tons of silver, fifty thousand bushels of wheat, and fifty thousand bushels of barley. [6] Jotham grew powerful because he faithfully obeyed the LORD his God. [7] The other events of Jotham's reign, his wars, and his policies, are all recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel and Judah. [8] Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for sixteen years. [9] He died and was buried in David's City and his son Ahaz succeeded him as king.
