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1 Kings 6-8
New King James Version

Solomon Builds the Temple(A)

6 And (B)it came to pass in the four hundred and [a]eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of [b]Ziv, which is the second month, (C)that he began to build the house of the Lord. 2 Now (D)the house which King Solomon built for the Lord, its length was sixty cubits, its width twenty, and its height thirty cubits. 3 The vestibule in front of the [c]sanctuary of the house was [d]twenty cubits long across the width of the house, and the width of [e]the vestibule extended [f]ten cubits from the front of the house. 4 And he made for the house (E)windows with beveled frames.

5 Against the wall of the [g]temple he built (F)chambers all around, against the walls of the temple, all around the sanctuary (G)and the [h]inner sanctuary. Thus he made side chambers all around it. 6 The lowest chamber was five cubits wide, the middle was six cubits wide, and the third was seven cubits wide; for he made narrow ledges around the outside of the temple, so that the support beams would not be fastened into the walls of the [i]temple. 7 And (H)the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built. 8 The doorway for the [j]middle story was on the right side of the temple. They went up by stairs to the middle story, and from the middle to the third.

9 (I)So he built the [k]temple and finished it, and he paneled the temple with beams and boards of cedar. 10 And he built side chambers against the entire temple, each five cubits high; they were attached to the temple with cedar beams.

11 Then the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying: 12 “Concerning this [l]temple which you are building, (J)if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgments, keep all My commandments, and walk in them, then I will perform My [m]word with you, (K)which I spoke to your father David. 13 And (L)I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not (M)forsake My people Israel.”

14 So Solomon built the temple and finished it. 15 And he built the inside walls of the temple with cedar boards; from the floor of the temple to the ceiling he paneled the inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the temple with planks of cypress. 16 Then he built the twenty-cubit room at the rear of the temple, from floor to ceiling, with cedar boards; he built it inside as the inner sanctuary, as the (N)Most Holy Place. 17 And in front of it the temple sanctuary was forty cubits long. 18 The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with ornamental buds and open flowers. All was cedar; there was no stone to be seen.

19 And he prepared the [n]inner sanctuary inside the temple, to set the ark of the covenant of the Lord there. 20 The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high. He overlaid it with pure gold, and overlaid the altar of cedar. 21 So Solomon overlaid the inside of the temple with pure gold. He stretched gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, and overlaid it with gold. 22 The whole temple he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the temple; also he overlaid with gold (O)the entire altar that was by the inner sanctuary.

23 Inside the inner sanctuary (P)he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. 24 One wing of the cherub was five cubits, and the other wing of the cherub five cubits: ten cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. 25 And the other cherub was ten cubits; both cherubim were of the same size and shape. 26 The height of one cherub was ten cubits, and so was the other cherub. 27 Then he set the cherubim inside the inner [o]room; and (Q)they stretched out the wings of the cherubim so that the wing of the one touched one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall. And their wings touched each other in the middle of the room. 28 Also he overlaid the cherubim with gold.

29 Then he carved all the walls of the temple all around, both the inner and outer sanctuaries, with carved (R)figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. 30 And the floor of the temple he overlaid with gold, both the inner and outer sanctuaries.

31 For the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood; the lintel and doorposts were [p]one-fifth of the wall. 32 The two doors were of olive wood; and he carved on them figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees. 33 So for the door of the [q]sanctuary he also made doorposts of olive wood, [r]one-fourth of the wall. 34 And the two doors were of cypress wood; (S)two panels comprised one folding door, and two panels comprised the other folding door. 35 Then he carved cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers on them, and overlaid them with gold applied evenly on the carved work.

36 And he built the (T)inner court with three rows of hewn stone and a row of cedar beams.

37 (U)In the fourth year the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid, in the month of [s]Ziv. 38 And in the eleventh year, in the month of [t]Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its details and according to all its plans. So he was (V)seven years in building it.

Solomon’s Other Buildings

7 But Solomon took (W)thirteen years to build his own house; so he finished all his house.

2 He also built the (X)House of the Forest of Lebanon; its length was [u]one hundred cubits, its width [v]fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits, with four rows of cedar pillars, and cedar beams on the pillars. 3 And it was paneled with cedar above the beams that were on forty-five pillars, fifteen to a row. 4 There were windows with beveled frames in three rows, and window was opposite window in three tiers. 5 And all the doorways and doorposts had rectangular frames; and window was opposite window in three tiers.

6 He also made the Hall of Pillars: its length was fifty cubits, and its width thirty cubits; and in front of them was a portico with pillars, and a canopy was in front of them.

7 Then he made a hall for the throne, the Hall of Judgment, where he might judge; and it was paneled with cedar from floor to [w]ceiling.

8 And the house where he dwelt had another court inside the hall, of like workmanship. Solomon also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, (Y)whom he had taken as wife.

9 All these were of costly stones cut to size, trimmed with saws, inside and out, from the foundation to the eaves, and also on the outside to the great court. 10 The foundation was of costly stones, large stones, some ten cubits and some eight cubits. 11 And above were costly stones, hewn to size, and cedar wood. 12 The great court was enclosed with three rows of hewn stones and a row of cedar beams. So were the (Z)inner court of the house of the Lord (AA)and the vestibule of the temple.

Hiram the Craftsman

13 Now King Solomon sent and brought [x]Huram from Tyre. 14 (AB)He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and (AC)his father was a man of Tyre, a bronze worker; (AD)he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill in working with all kinds of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and did all his work.

The Bronze Pillars for the Temple(AE)

15 And he [y]cast (AF)two pillars of bronze, each one eighteen cubits high, and a line of twelve cubits measured the circumference of each. 16 Then he made two capitals of cast bronze, to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits. 17 He made a lattice network, with wreaths of chainwork, for the capitals which were on top of the pillars: seven chains for one capital and seven for the other capital. 18 So he made the pillars, and two rows of pomegranates above the network all around to cover the capitals that were on top; and thus he did for the other capital.

19 The capitals which were on top of the pillars in the hall were in the shape of lilies, four cubits. 20 The capitals on the two pillars also had pomegranates above, by the convex surface which was next to the network; and there were (AG)two hundred such pomegranates in rows on each of the capitals all around.

21 (AH)Then he set up the pillars by the vestibule of the temple; he set up the pillar on the right and called its name [z]Jachin, and he set up the pillar on the left and called its name [aa]Boaz. 22 The tops of the pillars were in the shape of lilies. So the work of the pillars was finished.

The Sea and the Oxen

23 And he made (AI)the Sea of cast bronze, ten cubits from one brim to the other; it was completely round. Its height was five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference.

24 Below its brim were ornamental buds encircling it all around, ten to a cubit, (AJ)all the way around the Sea. The ornamental buds were cast in two rows when it was cast. 25 It stood on (AK)twelve oxen: three looking toward the north, three looking toward the west, three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; the Sea was set upon them, and all their back parts pointed inward. 26 It was a handbreadth thick; and its brim was shaped like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It contained [ab]two thousand baths.

The Carts and the Lavers

27 He also made ten [ac]carts of bronze; four cubits was the length of each cart, four cubits its width, and three cubits its height. 28 And this was the design of the carts: They had panels, and the panels were between frames; 29 on the panels that were between the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim. And on the frames was a pedestal on top. Below the lions and oxen were wreaths of plaited work. 30 Every cart had four bronze wheels and axles of bronze, and its four feet had supports. Under the laver were supports of cast bronze beside each wreath. 31 Its opening inside the crown at the top was one cubit in diameter; and the opening was round, shaped like a pedestal, one and a half cubits in outside diameter; and also on the opening were engravings, but the panels were square, not round. 32 Under the panels were the four wheels, and the axles of the wheels were joined to the cart. The height of a wheel was one and a half cubits. 33 The workmanship of the wheels was like the workmanship of a chariot wheel; their axle pins, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all of cast bronze. 34 And there were four supports at the four corners of each cart; its supports were part of the cart itself. 35 On the top of the cart, at the height of half a cubit, it was perfectly round. And on the top of the cart, its flanges and its panels were of the same casting. 36 On the plates of its flanges and on its panels he engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, wherever there was a clear space on each, with wreaths all around. 37 Thus he made the ten carts. All of them were of [ad]the same mold, one measure, and one shape.

38 Then (AL)he made ten lavers of bronze; each laver contained [ae]forty baths, and each laver was four cubits. On each of the ten carts was a laver. 39 And he put five carts on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house. He set the Sea on the right side of the house, toward the southeast.

Furnishings of the Temple(AM)

40 (AN)Huram[af] made the lavers and the shovels and the bowls. So Huram finished doing all the work that he was to do for King Solomon for the house of the Lord: 41 the two pillars, the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on top of the two pillars; the two (AO)networks covering the two bowl-shaped capitals which were on top of the pillars; 42 (AP)four hundred pomegranates for the two networks (two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on top of the pillars); 43 the ten carts, and ten lavers on the carts; 44 one Sea, and twelve oxen under the Sea; 45 (AQ)the pots, the shovels, and the bowls.

All these articles which [ag]Huram made for King Solomon for the house of the Lord were of burnished bronze. 46 (AR)In the plain of Jordan the king had them cast in clay molds, between (AS)Succoth and (AT)Zaretan. 47 And Solomon did not weigh all the articles, because there were so many; the weight of the bronze was not (AU)determined.

48 Thus Solomon had all the furnishings made for the house of the Lord: (AV)the altar of gold, and (AW)the table of gold on which was (AX)the showbread; 49 the lampstands of pure gold, five on the right side and five on the left in front of the inner sanctuary, with the flowers and the lamps and the wick-trimmers of gold; 50 the basins, the trimmers, the bowls, the ladles, and the [ah]censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner room (the Most Holy Place) and for the doors of the main hall of the temple.

51 So all the work that King Solomon had done for the house of the Lord was finished; and Solomon brought in the things (AY)which his father David had dedicated: the silver and the gold and the furnishings. He put them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord.

The Ark Brought into the Temple(AZ)

8 Now (BA)Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, (BB)that they might bring (BC)up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the City of David, which is Zion. 2 Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with King Solomon at the (BD)feast in the month of [ai]Ethanim, which is the seventh month. 3 So all the elders of Israel came, (BE)and the priests took up the ark. 4 Then they brought up the ark of the Lord, (BF)the [aj]tabernacle of meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle. The priests and the Levites brought them up. 5 Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him, were with him before the ark, (BG)sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude. 6 Then the priests (BH)brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord to (BI)its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the Most Holy Place, (BJ)under the wings of the cherubim. 7 For the cherubim spread their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles. 8 The poles (BK)extended so that the [ak]ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place, in front of the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And they are there to this day. 9 (BL)Nothing was in the ark (BM)except the two tablets of stone which Moses (BN)put there at Horeb, (BO)when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

10 And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud (BP)filled the house of the Lord, 11 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the (BQ)glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.

12 (BR)Then Solomon spoke:

“The Lord said He would dwell (BS)in the dark cloud.
13 (BT)I have surely built You an exalted house,
(BU)And a place for You to dwell in forever.”

Solomon’s Speech at Completion of the Work(BV)

14 Then the king turned around and (BW)blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 15 And he said: (BX)“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who (BY)spoke with His mouth to my father David, and with His hand has fulfilled it, saying, 16 ‘Since the day that I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house, that (BZ)My name might be there; but I chose (CA)David to be over My people Israel.’ 17 Now (CB)it was in the heart of my father David to build a [al]temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. 18 (CC)But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well that it was in your heart. 19 Nevertheless (CD)you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My name.’ 20 So the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; and I have [am]filled the position of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, (CE)as the Lord promised; and I have built a temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. 21 And there I have made a place for the ark, in which is (CF)the covenant of the Lord which He made with our fathers, when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication(CG)

22 Then Solomon stood before (CH)the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and (CI)spread out his hands toward heaven; 23 and he said: “Lord God of Israel, (CJ)there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, (CK)who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who (CL)walk before You with all their hearts. 24 You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. 25 Therefore, Lord God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, (CM)‘You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk before Me as you have walked before Me.’ 26 (CN)And now I pray, O God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David my father.

27 “But (CO)will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the (CP)heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built! 28 Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You today: 29 that Your eyes may be open toward this [an]temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, (CQ)‘My name shall be (CR)there,’ that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes (CS)toward this place. 30 (CT)And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive.

31 “When anyone sins against his neighbor, and is forced to take (CU)an oath, and comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple, 32 then hear in heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, (CV)condemning the wicked, bringing his way on his head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.

33 (CW)“When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and (CX)when they turn back to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication to You in this temple, 34 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to their (CY)fathers.

35 (CZ)“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, 36 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may (DA)teach them (DB)the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

37 (DC)“When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemy besieges them in the land of their [ao]cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is; 38 whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows the plague of his own heart, and spreads out his hands toward this temple: 39 then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone (DD)know the hearts of all the sons of men), 40 (DE)that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.

41 “Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for Your name’s sake 42 (for they will hear of Your great name and Your (DF)strong hand and Your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this temple, 43 hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, (DG)that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and (DH)fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name.

44 “When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, wherever You send them, and when they pray to the Lord toward the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name, 45 then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their [ap]cause.

46 “When they sin against You (DI)(for there is no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them captive (DJ)to the land of the enemy, far or near; 47 (DK)yet when they [aq]come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of those who took them captive, (DL)saying, ‘We have sinned and done wrong, we have committed wickedness’; 48 and when they (DM)return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and (DN)pray to You toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name: 49 then hear in heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their [ar]cause, 50 and forgive Your people who have sinned against You, and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You; and (DO)grant them compassion before those who took them captive, that they may have compassion on them 51 (for (DP)they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out of Egypt, (DQ)out of the iron furnace), 52 (DR)that Your eyes may be open to the supplication of Your servant and the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You. 53 For You separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be Your inheritance, (DS)as You spoke by Your servant Moses, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.”

Solomon Blesses the Assembly(DT)

54 (DU)And so it was, when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to the Lord, that he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. 55 Then he stood (DV)and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying: 56 “Blessed be the Lord, who has given (DW)rest[as] to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. (DX)There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses. 57 May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. (DY)May He not leave us nor forsake us, 58 that He may (DZ)incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers. 59 And may these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the Lord, be near the Lord our God day and night, that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day may require, 60 (EA)that all the peoples of the earth may know that (EB)the Lord is God; there is no other. 61 Let your (EC)heart therefore be [at]loyal to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day.”

Solomon Dedicates the Temple(ED)

62 Then (EE)the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the Lord. 63 And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the Lord, twenty-two thousand bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord. 64 On (EF)the same day the king consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the Lord; for there he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the (EG)bronze altar that was before the Lord was too small to receive the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.

65 At that time Solomon held (EH)a feast, and all Israel with him, a great assembly from (EI)the entrance of Hamath to (EJ)the Brook of Egypt, before the Lord our God, (EK)seven days and seven more days—fourteen days. 66 (EL)On the eighth day he sent the people away; and they [au]blessed the king, and went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the good that the Lord had done for His servant David, and for Israel His people.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 6:1 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX fortieth
  2. 1 Kings 6:1 Or Ayyar, April or May
  3. 1 Kings 6:3 Heb. heykal; here the main room of the temple; elsewhere called the holy place, Ex. 26:33; Ezek. 41:1
  4. 1 Kings 6:3 About 30 feet
  5. 1 Kings 6:3 Lit. it
  6. 1 Kings 6:3 About 15 feet
  7. 1 Kings 6:5 Lit. house
  8. 1 Kings 6:5 Heb. debir; here the inner room of the temple; elsewhere called the Most Holy Place, v. 16
  9. 1 Kings 6:6 Lit. house
  10. 1 Kings 6:8 So with MT, Vg.; LXX upper story; Tg. ground story
  11. 1 Kings 6:9 Lit. house
  12. 1 Kings 6:12 Lit. house
  13. 1 Kings 6:12 promise
  14. 1 Kings 6:19 The Most Holy Place
  15. 1 Kings 6:27 Lit. house
  16. 1 Kings 6:31 Or five-sided
  17. 1 Kings 6:33 temple
  18. 1 Kings 6:33 Or four-sided
  19. 1 Kings 6:37 Or Ayyar, April or May
  20. 1 Kings 6:38 Or Heshvan, October or November
  21. 1 Kings 7:2 About 150 feet
  22. 1 Kings 7:2 About 75 feet
  23. 1 Kings 7:7 Lit. floor of the upper level
  24. 1 Kings 7:13 Heb. Hiram; cf. 2 Chr. 2:13, 14
  25. 1 Kings 7:15 fashioned
  26. 1 Kings 7:21 Lit. He Shall Establish
  27. 1 Kings 7:21 Lit. In It Is Strength
  28. 1 Kings 7:26 About 12,000 gallons; three thousand, 2 Chr. 4:5
  29. 1 Kings 7:27 Or stands
  30. 1 Kings 7:37 one
  31. 1 Kings 7:38 About 240 gallons
  32. 1 Kings 7:40 Heb. Hiram; cf. 2 Chr. 2:13, 14
  33. 1 Kings 7:45 Heb. Hiram; cf. 2 Chr. 2:13, 14
  34. 1 Kings 7:50 firepans
  35. 1 Kings 8:2 Or Tishri, September or October
  36. 1 Kings 8:4 tent
  37. 1 Kings 8:8 heads
  38. 1 Kings 8:17 Lit. house, and so in vv. 18–20
  39. 1 Kings 8:20 risen in the place of
  40. 1 Kings 8:29 Lit. house
  41. 1 Kings 8:37 Lit. gates
  42. 1 Kings 8:45 justice
  43. 1 Kings 8:47 Lit. bring back to their heart
  44. 1 Kings 8:49 justice
  45. 1 Kings 8:56 peace
  46. 1 Kings 8:61 Lit. at peace with
  47. 1 Kings 8:66 thanked
Listen to 1 Kings 6-8
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1 Kings 6-8
New International Version

Solomon Builds the Temple(A)

6 In the four hundred and eightieth[a] year after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month,(B) he began to build the temple of the Lord.(C)

2 The temple(D) that King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits long, twenty wide and thirty high.[b] 3 The portico(E) at the front of the main hall of the temple extended the width of the temple, that is twenty cubits,[c] and projected ten cubits[d] from the front of the temple. 4 He made narrow windows(F) high up in the temple walls. 5 Against the walls of the main hall and inner sanctuary he built a structure around the building, in which there were side rooms.(G) 6 The lowest floor was five cubits[e] wide, the middle floor six cubits[f] and the third floor seven.[g] He made offset ledges around the outside of the temple so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls.

7 In building the temple, only blocks dressed(H) at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool(I) was heard at the temple site while it was being built.

8 The entrance to the lowest[h] floor was on the south side of the temple; a stairway led up to the middle level and from there to the third. 9 So he built the temple and completed it, roofing it with beams and cedar(J) planks. 10 And he built the side rooms all along the temple. The height of each was five cubits, and they were attached to the temple by beams of cedar.

11 The word of the Lord came(K) to Solomon: 12 “As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands(L) and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise(M) I gave to David your father. 13 And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon(N) my people Israel.”

14 So Solomon(O) built the temple and completed(P) it. 15 He lined its interior walls with cedar boards, paneling them from the floor of the temple to the ceiling,(Q) and covered the floor of the temple with planks of juniper.(R) 16 He partitioned off twenty cubits at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place.(S) 17 The main hall in front of this room was forty cubits[i] long. 18 The inside of the temple was cedar,(T) carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; no stone was to be seen.

19 He prepared the inner sanctuary(U) within the temple to set the ark of the covenant(V) of the Lord there. 20 The inner sanctuary(W) was twenty cubits long, twenty wide and twenty high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar.(X) 21 Solomon covered the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold. 22 So he overlaid the whole interior with gold. He also overlaid with gold the altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary.

23 For the inner sanctuary he made a pair of cherubim(Y) out of olive wood, each ten cubits high. 24 One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long, and the other wing five cubits—ten cubits from wing tip to wing tip. 25 The second cherub also measured ten cubits, for the two cherubim were identical in size and shape. 26 The height of each cherub was ten cubits. 27 He placed the cherubim(Z) inside the innermost room of the temple, with their wings spread out. The wing of one cherub touched one wall, while the wing of the other touched the other wall, and their wings touched each other in the middle of the room. 28 He overlaid the cherubim with gold.

29 On the walls(AA) all around the temple, in both the inner and outer rooms, he carved cherubim,(AB) palm trees and open flowers. 30 He also covered the floors of both the inner and outer rooms of the temple with gold.

31 For the entrance to the inner sanctuary he made doors out of olive wood that were one fifth of the width of the sanctuary. 32 And on the two olive-wood doors(AC) he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid the cherubim and palm trees with hammered gold. 33 In the same way, for the entrance to the main hall he made doorframes out of olive wood that were one fourth of the width of the hall. 34 He also made two doors out of juniper wood, each having two leaves that turned in sockets. 35 He carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers on them and overlaid them with gold hammered evenly over the carvings.

36 And he built the inner courtyard(AD) of three courses(AE) of dressed stone and one course of trimmed cedar beams.

37 The foundation of the temple of the Lord was laid in the fourth year, in the month of Ziv. 38 In the eleventh year in the month of Bul, the eighth month, the temple was finished in all its details(AF) according to its specifications.(AG) He had spent seven years building it.

Solomon Builds His Palace

7 It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of his palace.(AH) 2 He built the Palace(AI) of the Forest of Lebanon(AJ) a hundred cubits long, fifty wide and thirty high,[j] with four rows of cedar columns supporting trimmed cedar beams. 3 It was roofed with cedar above the beams that rested on the columns—forty-five beams, fifteen to a row. 4 Its windows were placed high in sets of three, facing each other. 5 All the doorways had rectangular frames; they were in the front part in sets of three, facing each other.[k]

6 He made a colonnade fifty cubits long and thirty wide.[l] In front of it was a portico, and in front of that were pillars and an overhanging roof.

7 He built the throne hall, the Hall of Justice, where he was to judge,(AK) and he covered it with cedar from floor to ceiling.[m](AL) 8 And the palace in which he was to live, set farther back, was similar in design. Solomon also made a palace like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married.(AM)

9 All these structures, from the outside to the great courtyard and from foundation to eaves, were made of blocks of high-grade stone cut to size and smoothed on their inner and outer faces. 10 The foundations were laid with large stones of good quality, some measuring ten cubits[n] and some eight.[o] 11 Above were high-grade stones, cut to size, and cedar beams. 12 The great courtyard was surrounded by a wall of three courses(AN) of dressed stone and one course of trimmed cedar beams, as was the inner courtyard of the temple of the Lord with its portico.

The Temple’s Furnishings(AO)(AP)

13 King Solomon sent to Tyre and brought Huram,[p](AQ) 14 whose mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali and whose father was from Tyre and a skilled craftsman in bronze. Huram was filled with wisdom,(AR) with understanding and with knowledge to do all kinds of bronze work. He came to King Solomon and did all(AS) the work assigned to him.

15 He cast two bronze pillars,(AT) each eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference.[q] 16 He also made two capitals(AU) of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; each capital was five cubits[r] high. 17 A network of interwoven chains adorned the capitals on top of the pillars, seven for each capital. 18 He made pomegranates in two rows[s] encircling each network to decorate the capitals on top of the pillars.[t] He did the same for each capital. 19 The capitals on top of the pillars in the portico were in the shape of lilies, four cubits[u] high. 20 On the capitals of both pillars, above the bowl-shaped part next to the network, were the two hundred pomegranates(AV) in rows all around. 21 He erected the pillars at the portico of the temple. The pillar to the south he named Jakin[v] and the one to the north Boaz.[w](AW) 22 The capitals on top were in the shape of lilies. And so the work on the pillars(AX) was completed.

23 He made the Sea(AY) of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line(AZ) of thirty cubits[x] to measure around it. 24 Below the rim, gourds encircled it—ten to a cubit. The gourds were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea.

25 The Sea stood on twelve bulls,(BA) three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. 26 It was a handbreadth[y] in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths.[z]

27 He also made ten movable stands(BB) of bronze; each was four cubits long, four wide and three high.[aa] 28 This is how the stands were made: They had side panels attached to uprights. 29 On the panels between the uprights were lions, bulls and cherubim—and on the uprights as well. Above and below the lions and bulls were wreaths of hammered work. 30 Each stand(BC) had four bronze wheels with bronze axles, and each had a basin resting on four supports, cast with wreaths on each side. 31 On the inside of the stand there was an opening that had a circular frame one cubit[ab] deep. This opening was round, and with its basework it measured a cubit and a half.[ac] Around its opening there was engraving. The panels of the stands were square, not round. 32 The four wheels were under the panels, and the axles of the wheels were attached to the stand. The diameter of each wheel was a cubit and a half. 33 The wheels were made like chariot wheels; the axles, rims, spokes and hubs were all of cast metal.

34 Each stand had four handles, one on each corner, projecting from the stand. 35 At the top of the stand there was a circular band half a cubit[ad] deep. The supports and panels were attached to the top of the stand. 36 He engraved cherubim, lions and palm trees on the surfaces of the supports and on the panels, in every available space, with wreaths all around. 37 This is the way he made the ten stands. They were all cast in the same molds and were identical in size and shape.

38 He then made ten bronze basins,(BD) each holding forty baths[ae] and measuring four cubits across, one basin to go on each of the ten stands. 39 He placed five of the stands on the south side of the temple and five on the north. He placed the Sea on the south side, at the southeast corner of the temple. 40 He also made the pots[af] and shovels and sprinkling bowls.(BE)

So Huram finished all the work he had undertaken for King Solomon in the temple of the Lord:

41 the two pillars;

the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars;

the two sets of network decorating the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars;

42 the four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pomegranates for each network decorating the bowl-shaped capitals(BF) on top of the pillars);

43 the ten stands with their ten basins;

44 the Sea and the twelve bulls under it;

45 the pots, shovels and sprinkling bowls.(BG)

All these objects that Huram(BH) made for King Solomon for the temple of the Lord were of burnished bronze. 46 The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain(BI) of the Jordan between Sukkoth(BJ) and Zarethan.(BK) 47 Solomon left all these things unweighed,(BL) because there were so many;(BM) the weight of the bronze(BN) was not determined.

48 Solomon also made all(BO) the furnishings that were in the Lord’s temple:

the golden altar;

the golden table(BP) on which was the bread of the Presence;(BQ)

49 the lampstands(BR) of pure gold (five on the right and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary);

the gold floral work and lamps and tongs;

50 the pure gold basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes(BS) and censers;(BT)

and the gold sockets for the doors of the innermost room, the Most Holy Place, and also for the doors of the main hall of the temple.

51 When all the work King Solomon had done for the temple of the Lord was finished, he brought in the things his father David had dedicated(BU)—the silver and gold and the furnishings(BV)—and he placed them in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple.

The Ark Brought to the Temple(BW)

8 Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs(BX) of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark(BY) of the Lord’s covenant from Zion, the City of David.(BZ) 2 All the Israelites came together to King Solomon at the time of the festival(CA) in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month.(CB)

3 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests(CC) took up the ark, 4 and they brought up the ark of the Lord and the tent of meeting(CD) and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests and Levites(CE) carried them up, 5 and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing(CF) so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.

6 The priests then brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant(CG) to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place,(CH) and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim.(CI) 7 The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed(CJ) the ark and its carrying poles. 8 These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today.(CK) 9 There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets(CL) that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

10 When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud(CM) filled the temple of the Lord. 11 And the priests could not perform their service(CN) because of the cloud, for the glory(CO) of the Lord filled his temple.

12 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud;(CP) 13 I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell(CQ) forever.”

14 While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed(CR) them. 15 Then he said:

“Praise be to the Lord,(CS) the God of Israel, who with his own hand has fulfilled what he promised with his own mouth to my father David. For he said, 16 ‘Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt,(CT) I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built so that my Name(CU) might be there, but I have chosen(CV) David(CW) to rule my people Israel.’

17 “My father David had it in his heart(CX) to build a temple(CY) for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 18 But the Lord said to my father David, ‘You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for my Name. 19 Nevertheless, you(CZ) are not the one to build the temple, but your son, your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.’(DA)

20 “The Lord has kept the promise he made: I have succeeded(DB) David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised, and I have built(DC) the temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 21 I have provided a place there for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.”

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication(DD)

22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands(DE) toward heaven 23 and said:

“Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like(DF) you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love(DG) with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. 24 You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today.

25 “Now Lord, the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises(DH) you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants are careful in all they do to walk before me faithfully as you have done.’ 26 And now, God of Israel, let your word that you promised(DI) your servant David my father come true.

27 “But will God really dwell(DJ) on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven,(DK) cannot contain(DL) you. How much less this temple I have built! 28 Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. 29 May your eyes be open(DM) toward(DN) this temple night and day, this place of which you said, ‘My Name(DO) shall be there,’ so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. 30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray(DP) toward this place. Hear(DQ) from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.(DR)

31 “When anyone wrongs their neighbor and is required to take an oath and they come and swear the oath(DS) before your altar in this temple, 32 then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty by bringing down on their heads what they have done, and vindicating the innocent by treating them in accordance with their innocence.(DT)

33 “When your people Israel have been defeated(DU) by an enemy because they have sinned(DV) against you, and when they turn back to you and give praise to your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple,(DW) 34 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors.

35 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain(DX) because your people have sinned(DY) against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, 36 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach(DZ) them the right way(EA) to live, and send rain(EB) on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.

37 “When famine(EC) or plague(ED) comes to the land, or blight(EE) or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers,(EF) or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, 38 and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israel—being aware of the afflictions of their own hearts, and spreading out their hands(EG) toward this temple— 39 then hear(EH) from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive(EI) and act; deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know(EJ) their hearts (for you alone know every human heart), 40 so that they will fear(EK) you all the time they live in the land(EL) you gave our ancestors.

41 “As for the foreigner(EM) who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name— 42 for they will hear(EN) of your great name and your mighty hand(EO) and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, 43 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know(EP) your name and fear(EQ) you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.(ER)

44 “When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray(ES) to the Lord toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, 45 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.(ET)

46 “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin(EU)—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive(EV) to their own lands, far away or near; 47 and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead(EW) with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’;(EX) 48 and if they turn back(EY) to you with all their heart(EZ) and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray(FA) to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple(FB) I have built for your Name;(FC) 49 then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. 50 And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them mercy;(FD) 51 for they are your people and your inheritance,(FE) whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace.(FF)

52 “May your eyes be open(FG) to your servant’s plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you.(FH) 53 For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance,(FI) just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, Sovereign Lord, brought our ancestors out of Egypt.”

54 When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the Lord, he rose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. 55 He stood and blessed(FJ) the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying:

56 “Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest(FK) to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises(FL) he gave through his servant Moses. 57 May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake(FM) us. 58 May he turn our hearts(FN) to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors. 59 And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day’s need, 60 so that all the peoples(FO) of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other.(FP) 61 And may your hearts(FQ) be fully committed(FR) to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

The Dedication of the Temple(FS)

62 Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices(FT) before the Lord. 63 Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the Lord: twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated(FU) the temple of the Lord.

64 On that same day the king consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the Lord, and there he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings and the fat(FV) of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar(FW) that stood before the Lord was too small to hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings.(FX)

65 So Solomon observed the festival(FY) at that time, and all Israel with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath(FZ) to the Wadi of Egypt.(GA) They celebrated it before the Lord our God for seven days and seven days more, fourteen days in all. 66 On the following day he sent the people away. They blessed the king and then went home, joyful and glad in heart for all the good(GB) things the Lord had done for his servant David and his people Israel.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 6:1 Hebrew; Septuagint four hundred and fortieth
  2. 1 Kings 6:2 That is, about 90 feet long, 30 feet wide and 45 feet high or about 27 meters long, 9 meters wide and 14 meters high
  3. 1 Kings 6:3 That is, about 30 feet or about 9 meters; also in verses 16 and 20
  4. 1 Kings 6:3 That is, about 15 feet or about 4.5 meters; also in verses 23-26
  5. 1 Kings 6:6 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters; also in verses 10 and 24
  6. 1 Kings 6:6 That is, about 9 feet or about 2.7 meters
  7. 1 Kings 6:6 That is, about 11 feet or about 3.2 meters
  8. 1 Kings 6:8 Septuagint; Hebrew middle
  9. 1 Kings 6:17 That is, about 60 feet or about 18 meters
  10. 1 Kings 7:2 That is, about 150 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high or about 45 meters long, 23 meters wide and 14 meters high
  11. 1 Kings 7:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
  12. 1 Kings 7:6 That is, about 75 feet long and 45 feet wide or about 23 meters long and 14 meters wide
  13. 1 Kings 7:7 Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew floor
  14. 1 Kings 7:10 That is, about 15 feet or about 4.5 meters; also in verse 23
  15. 1 Kings 7:10 That is, about 12 feet or about 3.6 meters
  16. 1 Kings 7:13 Hebrew Hiram, a variant of Huram; also in verses 40 and 45
  17. 1 Kings 7:15 That is, about 27 feet high and 18 feet in circumference or about 8.1 meters high and 5.4 meters in circumference
  18. 1 Kings 7:16 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters; also in verse 23
  19. 1 Kings 7:18 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts made the pillars, and there were two rows
  20. 1 Kings 7:18 Many Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts pomegranates
  21. 1 Kings 7:19 That is, about 6 feet or about 1.8 meters; also in verse 38
  22. 1 Kings 7:21 Jakin probably means he establishes.
  23. 1 Kings 7:21 Boaz probably means in him is strength.
  24. 1 Kings 7:23 That is, about 45 feet or about 14 meters
  25. 1 Kings 7:26 That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters
  26. 1 Kings 7:26 That is, about 12,000 gallons or about 44,000 liters; the Septuagint does not have this sentence.
  27. 1 Kings 7:27 That is, about 6 feet long and wide and about 4 1/2 feet high or about 1.8 meters long and wide and 1.4 meters high
  28. 1 Kings 7:31 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters
  29. 1 Kings 7:31 That is, about 2 1/4 feet or about 68 centimeters; also in verse 32
  30. 1 Kings 7:35 That is, about 9 inches or about 23 centimeters
  31. 1 Kings 7:38 That is, about 240 gallons or about 880 liters
  32. 1 Kings 7:40 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac and Vulgate (see also verse 45 and 2 Chron. 4:11); many other Hebrew manuscripts basins
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