בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנָה יוֹתָם בְּמָלְכוֹ וְשֵׁשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ יְרוּשָׁה בַּת־צָדוֹק

Yotam was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Yerusha daughter of Tzadok.

וַיַּעַשׂ הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי ה' כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה עֻזִּיָּהוּ אָבִיו רַק לֹא־בָא אֶל־הֵיכַל ה' וְעוֹד הָעָם מַשְׁחִיתִים

He did what is right in the eyes of the Lord, acting in accordance with everything that his father Uziyahu had done, who was a good king overall, except that in contrast to his father, he did not come into the Sanctuary of the Lord to serve as a priest. Yotam had no pretensions, as he learned from his father’s mistake. King Yotam was able to protect the Temple and the area nearby, but the people were still acting corruptly during his reign. He found it hard to have a positive influence over the people, and they never abandoned their private shrines.

הוּא בָּנָה אֶת־שַׁעַר בֵּית־ה' הָעֶלְיוֹן וּבְחוֹמַת הָעֹפֶל בָּנָה לָרֹב

Like his father, Yotam was a dynamic king. He continued Uziyahu’s work on infrastructure, security, and the fortification of the borders. He built the upper gate of the House of the Lord, and he built extensively on the wall of the Ofel,a fortified and raised structure or area.

וְעָרִים בָּנָה בְּהַר יְהוּדָה וּבֶחֳרָשִׁים בָּנָה בִּירָנִיּוֹת וּמִגְדָּלִים

He built new cities in various places across the highlands of Judah, and in the woodlands he built fortresses and towers, for protection and to serve as lookout points.

וְהוּא נִלְחַם עִם־מֶלֶךְ בְּנֵי־עַמּוֹן וַיֶּחֱזַק עֲלֵיהֶם וַיִּתְּנוּ־לוֹ בְנֵי־עַמּוֹן בַּשָּׁנָה הַהִיא מֵאָה כִּכַּר־כֶּסֶף וַעֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים כֹּרִים חִטִּים וּשְׂעוֹרִים עֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים זֹאת הֵשִׁיבוּ לוֹ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן ובַשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית וְהַשְּׁלִשִׁית

He waged war with the king of the children of Amon and prevailed over them. The children of Amon gave him that year one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand kor of wheat, a kor being a measure of volume of more than 210 liters, and ten thousand measures of barley. These were respectable but not huge amounts, as the Amonites did not possess a large kingdom. This the children of Amon made restitution to him in that year and in the second year, and in the third.

וַיִּתְחַזֵּק יוֹתָם כִּי הֵכִין דְּרָכָיו לִפְנֵי ה' אֱלֹהָיו

Yotam grew strong, because he set, established and directed, his ways before the Lord his God.

וְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי יוֹתָם וְכָל־מִלְחֲמֹתָיו וּדְרָכָיו הִנָּם כְּתוּבִים עַל־סֵפֶר מַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה

The rest of the deeds of Yotam, and all his wars and his ways, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנָה הָיָה בְמָלְכוֹ וְשֵׁשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם

He was twenty-five years old when he became king, as stated earlier (verse 1), and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.

וַיִּשְׁכַּב יוֹתָם עִם־אֲבֹתָיו וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אֹתוֹ בְּעִיר דָּוִיד וַיִּמְלֹךְ אָחָז בְּנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו

Yotam lay with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David, alongside the other worthy kings. Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.