Day 159 - 2 Kings 15

“In the second year of King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel, King Jotham son of Uzziah of Judah began to reign.” After rising to power in that year, Jotham administered the government [of Judah] for sixteen years, earning great praise. While the second book of the Annals has shown all the feats illustriously accomplished by him, the Scripture never reproaches him in this passage [See 2Ch 27:1-9.] for any error, except for his toleration of the high places, [See 1Ki 12:31-32; 2Ki 12:3; etc.] which was a fault common to all the most praised kings of Judah. In the first place, he strengthened Jerusalem with new fortifications and built towers and castles in desert places. He conquered the Ammonites, who were perpetual enemies of the Jews, and ordered them for the future to pay the kings of Judah an annual tribute—Mari Ephrem the Syrian