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He made an altar of bronze thirty-five feet long, thirty-five feet wide and seventeen-and-a-half feet high.

He made the cast metal “Sea” circular, seventeen-and-a-half feet from rim to rim, eight-and-three quarters feet high and fifty-two-and-a-half feet in circumference. Below the rim a ring of ox-like figures encircled it, ten for every twenty-one inches all the way around the Sea. The oxen were in two rows; they were cast when the Sea was cast. It rested on twelve oxen, three looking north, three looking west, three looking south and three looking east, all with their hindquarters toward the center. The Sea was set on top of them. It was a handbreadth thick, its rim was made like the rim of a cup, like the flower of a lily; and its capacity was 16,500 gallons. He also made ten basins for washing and put five on the right and five on the left. Items needed for the burnt offerings would be cleansed in these, but the Sea was for the cohanim to wash in.

He made the ten menorahs of gold in accordance with their specifications and set them in the temple, five on the right and five on the left. He also made ten tables and put them in the temple, five on the right and five on the left. And he made a hundred basins of gold.

He made the courtyard for the cohanim and the great courtyard, also the doors to the courtyard, which he overlaid with bronze.

10 The Sea he placed on the right side [of the house], toward the southeast.

11 Huram made the ash pots, shovels and sprinkling basins. With that, Huram completed the work he had been doing for King Shlomo in the house of God — 12 the two columns, the two moldings, the two capitals on top of the columns, the two nettings covering the two moldings of the capitals atop the columns, 13 and the 400 pomegranates for the two nettings, two rows of pomegranates for each netting, to cover the two moldings of the capitals atop the columns. 14 He also made the trolleys, the basins on the trolleys, 15 the one Sea, the twelve oxen under it, 16 the ash pots, the shovels, the forks and all the other equipment for it. All these articles that Huram the master craftsman made for King Shlomo in the house of Adonai were of brilliant bronze. 17 The king cast them in the plain of the Yarden, in the clay ground between Sukkot and Tz’redah. 18 Shlomo made so many of these objects that the total weight of the bronze could not be determined.

19 Shlomo made all the objects that were inside the house of God: the gold altar; the table on which the showbread was displayed; 20 the menorahs with their lamps to burn in front of the sanctuary as specified, of pure gold; 21 the flowers, lamps and tongs of gold, solid gold; 22 and the snuffers, bowls, cups and fire pans of pure gold. As for the entryway to the house, the inner doors for the Especially Holy Place and the doors of the house (that is, of the temple) were of gold.

The Temple's Furnishings

He made (A)an altar of bronze, twenty cubits[a] long and twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high. (B)Then he made the sea of cast metal. It was round, ten cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference. Under it were figures of gourds,[b] for ten cubits, compassing the sea all around. The gourds were in two rows, cast with it when it was cast. It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The sea was set on them, and all their rear parts were inward. Its thickness was a handbreadth.[c] And its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. (C)It held 3,000 baths.[d] (D)He also made ten basins in which to wash, and set five on the south side, and five on the north side. In these they were to rinse off what was used for the burnt offering, and the sea was for the priests to wash in.

And he made ten golden lampstands (E)as prescribed, and set them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. (F)He also made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. And he made a hundred basins of gold. He made (G)the court of the priests (H)and the great court and doors for the court and overlaid their doors with bronze. 10 (I)And he set the sea at the southeast corner of the house.

11 (J)(K)Hiram also made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. (L)So Hiram finished the work that he did for King Solomon on the house of God: 12 the two pillars, (M)the bowls, and the two capitals on the top of the pillars; and the two latticeworks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; 13 (N)and the 400 pomegranates for the two latticeworks, two rows of pomegranates for each latticework, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars. 14 (O)He made the stands also, and the basins on the stands, 15 and the one sea, and the twelve oxen underneath it. 16 The pots, the shovels, (P)the forks, and all the equipment for these (Q)(R)Huram-abi made of burnished bronze for King Solomon for the house of the Lord. 17 In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah.[e] 18 (S)Solomon made all these things in great quantities, for the weight of the bronze was not sought.

19 So Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of God: the golden altar, (T)the tables for the bread of the Presence, 20 the lampstands and their lamps of pure gold (U)to burn before the inner sanctuary, as prescribed; 21 the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of purest gold; 22 the snuffers, basins, dishes for incense, and fire pans, of pure gold, and the sockets[f] of the temple, for the inner doors to the Most Holy Place and for the doors of the nave of the temple were of gold.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 4:1 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  2. 2 Chronicles 4:3 Hebrew oxen; twice in this verse; compare 1 Kings 7:24
  3. 2 Chronicles 4:5 A handbreadth was about 3 inches or 7.5 centimeters
  4. 2 Chronicles 4:5 A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters
  5. 2 Chronicles 4:17 Spelled Zarethan in 1 Kings 7:46
  6. 2 Chronicles 4:22 Compare 1 Kings 7:50; Hebrew the entrance of the house