Jotham's Good Reign in Judah

(2 Kings 15:32-38)

1Joatham was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Jerusa the daughter of Sadoc. 2And he did that which was right before the Lord, according to all that Ozias his father had done, only that he entered not into the temple of the Lord, and the people still transgressed. 3He built the high gate of the house of the Lord, and on the wall of Ophel he built much. 4Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Juda, and castles and towers in the forests. 5He fought against the king of the children of Ammon, and overcame them, and the children of Ammon gave him at that time a hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and as many measures of barley: so much did the children of Ammon give him in the second and third year. 6And Joatham was strengthened, be- cause he had his way directed before the Lord his God. 7Now the rest of the acts of Joatham, and all his wars, and his works, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Juda. 8He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. 9And Joatham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Achaz his son reigned in his stead.