The Message Bible MSG
King James Version KJV
1 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king; he reigned sixteen years at Jerusalem. His mother was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok.
1
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.
2 In God's eyes he lived a good life, following the path marked out by his father Uzziah. Unlike his father, though, he didn't desecrate The Temple of God. But the people pushed right on in their lives of corruption.
2
And 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.
3 Jotham constructed the Upper Gate of The Temple of God, considerably extended the Wall of the Ophel,
3
He built the high gate of the house of the LORD, and on the wall of Ophel he built much.
4 and built cities in the high country of Judah and forts and towers down in the forests.
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Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers.
5 He fought and beat the king of the Ammonites - that year the Ammonites turned over three and a quarter tons of silver and about sixty-five bushels of wheat, and another sixty-five bushels of barley. They repeated this for the next two years.
5
He 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.
6 Jotham's strength was rooted in his steady and determined life of obedience to God.
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So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.
7 The rest of the history of Jotham, including his wars and achievements, are all written in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
7
Now 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.
8 He was twenty-five years old when he became king; he reigned for sixteen years at Jerusalem.
8
He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.
9 Jotham died and was buried in the City of David. His son Ahaz became the next king.
9
And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The King James Version is in the public domain.