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Solomon builds his palace

7 Solomon was also building a palace for himself. After 13 years, he finished it. [ a ] 2 He built the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. [ b ] It was 46 metres long, 23 metres wide and 14 metres high. It had four rows of pillars. On top of them were beams. They used cedar wood to make the pillars and the beams. 3 They also used cedar wood to make the roof. They put the roof on top of the pillars and the beams. There were 45 beams, with 15 beams in each row. 4 There were three rows of windows on each side of the room. They were opposite each other, in groups of three windows. 5 All the doors had square corners and four sides. There were three doors in each group.

6 Solomon also built a Hall of Pillars. It was 23 metres long and 14 metres wide. There was an entrance room at the front of the hall. The entrance room also had pillars and a roof.

7 Solomon also built a Throne Room. He covered the walls with cedar boards, from the floor to the ceiling. He called it the Hall of Justice. He judged people's arguments in that room.

8 Solomon also built a house for himself to live in. It was in a yard behind the Hall of Justice. It was like the other buildings. He also built a house like it for his wife who was the king of Egypt's daughter.

9 Solomon's workers used valuable, large stones to make all the buildings, from the front to the great yard that was behind. They cut the stones to the right size and shape with special saws. They used these stones for the foundations and all the way up to the roof.

10 They made the foundations with very large, valuable stones. The stones were 3.5 metres or 4.5 metres long. 11 On top of the foundation they used the best stones that they cut to the right size. They also used beams of cedar wood. 12 There was a wall around the great yard. This had three rows of special stones, then a row of cedar beams, and so on. It was like the wall around the yard of the Lord 's temple and the entrance room.

More work on the temple

13 King Solomon sent men to Tyre to fetch a man called Hiram. 14 Hiram was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali. [ c ] His father was a worker who knew how to use bronze to make things. He lived in Tyre. Hiram also had special skills. He knew how to use bronze to make many kinds of things. So he came to work for King Solomon. He did all the work that Solomon asked him to do.

15 Hiram made two bronze pillars. Each pillar was 8.2 metres high and 5.5 metres around the outside. The metal itself was about 7 centimetres thick. 16 He also used bronze to make a top for each pillar. Each piece was 2.3 metres high. 17 Each piece had pictures like rows of chains that joined together. There were seven pictures like this on the top of each pillar. 18 Hiram also made pictures of two rows of pomegranates around the chains. They covered the tops of the pillars. 19 The tops of the two pillars were in the shape of flowers called lilies. Each one was 1.8 metres high. 20 There were pictures of 200 pomegranates in two rows all around the top of each pillar. They were next to the chains above the round shape at the top of the pillar.

21 Hiram put these two pillars at the entrance room of the temple, in front of the big hall, the hall of pillars in the temple. He called the pillar on the south side ‘Jakin’. He called the pillar on the north side ‘Boaz’. 22 The tops of the pillars were in the shape of flowers called lilies. Hiram finished the work on the two bronze pillars.

23 Hiram also used bronze to make a big bath which they called ‘the Sea’. [ d ] It was in the shape of a circle 4.5 metres across. It was 2.3 metres deep. It was 14 metres around the outside. 24 All around its edge, below the top, there were two rows of round shapes. They were pictures of fruits called gourds. They were all part of the same piece of bronze as ‘the Sea’. There were 20 gourds for every metre around the edge. 25 Hiram fixed ‘the Sea’ on top of 12 bronze bulls. Three pointed north, three pointed west, three pointed south and three pointed east. Their backs were towards the middle of ‘the Sea’. 26 The walls of ‘the Sea’ were 7½ centimetres thick. Its top edge was like a cup in the shape of a lily flower. ‘The Sea’ contained about 40,000 litres of water.

27 Hiram also made ten bronze carts to carry water. [ e ] Each one was 1.8 metres long, 1.8 metres wide and 1.3 metres deep. 28 This is how he made the water carts: He made them with bronze sides, which he fixed to bronze bars at the edges. 29 There were pictures of lions, bulls and cherubs on the bars and on the edges. There were shapes like leaves above and below the lions and the bulls. 30 Each cart had four bronze wheels fixed to bronze axles. [ f ] The axles were fixed under each cart at four places. These places had shapes like leaves on each side. 31 On the top of the cart there was a round piece which held a bowl. This piece was 50 centimetres deep and 75 centimetres across. Hiram cut pictures into the metal all around it. The bronze sides of the carts were square. They were not round.

32 There were four wheels under each cart. They were fixed to axles. The axles and the cart joined together in one piece. Each wheel was 70 centimetres high. 33 The wheels were like the wheels of a chariot. Hiram used bronze to make the axles and all the parts of the wheels. [ g ] 34 Each cart had four handles. There was one handle on each side, joined to the cart as one piece. 35 There was a piece of metal round the top of each cart. It was 23 centimetres deep. It was fixed at each corner of the cart with pieces of bronze. These pieces and the sides of each cart were all joined together. 36 Hiram cut pictures of cherubs, lions and palm trees on the sides of each cart and on the handles. He cut pictures where there was a space for them. There were also shapes of leaves all around. 37 Hiram used bronze to make the ten carts so that they all had the same size and shape.

38 And Hiram also made ten bronze buckets. Each bucket contained about 800 litres. Each bucket was 1.8 metres across. There was one bucket for each of the ten carts. 39 Hiram put five of the carts on the south side of the temple. He put the other five carts on the north side of the temple. He put ‘the Sea’ on the south side of the temple, at the south-east corner.

40 Hiram also made dishes to carry ashes, small tools and bowls.

So Hiram finished all the work in the Lord 's temple that King Solomon had asked him to do. He made these things:

41 Two pillars.

Two pieces for the top of each pillar, with the shape of big bowls.

Rows of chains on the tops of the pillars.

42 400 images of pomegranates for the two groups of chains. (There were two rows of these images around the piece at the top of each pillar, which had the shape of a bowl.)

43 Ten carts with the ten buckets that were on them.

44 The big bath called ‘the Sea’ and the 12 bulls under it.

45 The dishes, small tools and bowls.

King Solomon asked Hiram to make all these things for the Lord 's temple. Hiram used bright bronze to make all these things. 46 The king told his workers to pour the hot bronze into shapes in the ground. They did that at a special place in the region of the Jordan Valley, between Succoth and Zarethan. 47 Solomon did not weigh any of these things, because there were so many of them. No one ever knew the weight of the bronze.

48 Solomon also made all these things for the Lord 's temple:

The gold altar.

The gold table which had the special bread on it.

49 The pure gold lampstands. There were five lampstands on one side of the door to the Most Holy Place and five on the other side.

The gold images of flowers.

The lamps.

The small tools that held things for the altar.

50 The pure gold bowls.

The small tools that they used for the lamps.

The bowls for water.

The dishes for ashes.

The baskets that carried hot coals.

The gold pieces that held the doors of the Most Holy Place.

The gold pieces that held the doors of the temple's big hall.

51 King Solomon finished all the work for the Lord 's temple. Then he brought into it all the holy things that belonged to his father, David. He stored all the valuable things in a safe place in the Lord 's temple. They included silver things and gold things.

Footnotes

  1. 7:1 Solomon's palace had 5 parts: the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon (verses 2-5), the Hall of Pillars (verse 6), the room for the king's throne (verse 7), Solomon's own house and Solomon's wife's house (verse 8).
  2. 7:2 The cedar wood came from the forests in Lebanon. The pillars caused it to look like a forest. This is why it is called the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. Solomon had a large family and many servants. So his house was very large. Perhaps Solomon's house and his wife's house joined together.
  3. 7:14 The tribe of Naphtali was in the north of Israel, near to Tyre.
  4. 7:23 The Sea was something special. It was full of water. The priests used this to wash themselves when they went into the temple.
  5. 7:27 They used the carts to take water to fill the Sea.
  6. 7:30 An axle is the long bar or stick that joins two wheels on a cart.
  7. 7:33 Hiram made the bronze very hot. Then he poured it into shapes to make the axles and the parts of the wheels. When the metal became cold, it became hard again, in the right shape.

Solomon’s Palace

7 King Solomon also built a palace for himself. It took 13 years to build Solomon’s palace. 2 He also built the building called the “Forest of Lebanon.” It was 100 cubits [ a ] long, 50 cubits [ b ] wide, and 30 cubits [ c ] high. It had four rows of cedar columns. On top of each column was a cedar capital. 3 There were cedar beams going across the rows of columns. There were 15 beams for each section of columns, making a total of 45 beams. On top of these beams there were cedar boards for the ceiling. 4 There were three rows of windows across from each other on the side walls. 5 There were three doors at each end. All the door openings and frames were square.

6 Solomon also built the Porch of Columns. It was 50 cubits long and 30 cubits wide. Along the front of the porch, there was a covering supported by columns.

7 He also built a throne room where he judged people. He called this the Judgment Hall. The room was covered with cedar from floor to ceiling.

8 Behind the Judgment Hall was a courtyard. The palace where Solomon lived was built around that courtyard and looked like the Judgment Hall. He also built the same kind of palace for his wife, the daughter of the king of Egypt.

9 All these buildings were made with expensive blocks of stone. The stones were cut to the right size with a saw and then smoothed on front and back. These expensive stones went from the foundation all the way up to the top layer of the wall. Even the wall around the yard was made with expensive blocks of stone. 10 The foundations were made with large, expensive stones. Some of the stones were 10 cubits [ d ] long and the others were 8 cubits [ e ] long. 11 On top of these stones there were other expensive stones and cedar beams. 12 There were walls around the palace yard and around the yard and porch of the Lord ’s Temple. The walls were built with three rows of stone and one row of cedar timbers.

13 King Solomon sent for a man named Huram [ f ] who lived in Tyre and brought him to Jerusalem. 14 Huram’s mother was an Israelite from the tribe of Naphtali. His dead father was from Tyre. Huram made things from bronze. He was a very skilled and experienced builder. So King Solomon asked him to come, and Huram accepted. King Solomon put him in charge of all the bronze work, and Huram did all the work he was given to do.

15 Huram made two bronze columns for the porch. Each column was 18 cubits [ g ] tall and 12 cubits [ h ] around. The columns were hollow and their metal walls were 3 inches [ i ] thick. [ j ] 16 He also made two bronze capitals that were 5 cubits [ k ] tall. He put these capitals on top of the columns. 17 He made two nets of chain to cover the capitals on top of the two columns. 18 Then he made two rows of bronze pomegranates. He put the bronze pomegranates on the nets of each column to cover the capitals at the top of the columns. 19 The capitals on top of the columns were shaped like flowers. 20 The capitals were on top of the columns, above the bowl-shaped net. There were 200 pomegranates in rows all around the capitals. 21 Huram put these two bronze columns at the porch of the Temple. One column was put on the south side of the entrance and one was put on the north side of it. The column on the south was named Jakin. The column on the north was named Boaz. 22 They put the flower-shaped capitals on top of the columns, and the work on the two columns was finished.

23 Then Huram melted bronze and poured it into a huge mold to make a tank, [ l ] which was called “The Sea.” The tank was about 30 cubits around. It was 10 cubits across and 5 cubits deep. 24 There was a rim around the outer edge of the tank. Under this rim there were two rows of bronze gourds all around the tank. The bronze gourds were made in one piece as part of the tank. 25 The tank rested on the backs of 12 bronze bulls. All 12 of the bulls were looking out, away from the tank. Three were looking north, three east, three south, and three west. 26 The sides of the tank were 3 inches thick. The rim around the tank was like the rim of a cup or like the petals on a flower. The tank held about 11,000 gallons [ m ] of water.

27 Then Huram made ten bronze carts. Each cart was 4 cubits [ n ] long, 4 cubits wide, and 3 cubits [ o ] high. 28 The carts were made with square panels set in frames. 29 On the panels and frames were bronze bulls, lions, and Cherub angels. There were designs of flowers hammered into the bronze above and below the bulls and lions. 30 Each cart had four bronze wheels with bronze axles. At the corners there were bronze supports for a large bowl. The supports had designs of flowers hammered into the bronze. 31 There was a frame around the top with an opening for the bowl. The frame was 1 cubit [ p ] tall, and the opening was 1 1/2 cubits [ q ] in diameter. There were designs carved into the bronze on the frame. The frame was square, not round. 32 There were four wheels under the frame. The wheels were 1 1/2 cubits in diameter. The axles between the wheels were made as one piece with the cart. 33 The wheels were like the wheels on a chariot. Everything on the wheels—the axles, the rims, the spokes, and the hubs were made from bronze.

34 There were supports at each of the four corners of the carts. They were made as one piece with the cart. 35 There was a strip of bronze around the top of each cart. It was made as one piece with the cart. 36 The sides of the cart and the frames had pictures of Cherub angels, lions, and palm trees carved into the bronze. These pictures were carved all over the carts—wherever there was room. And there were flowers carved on the frame around the cart. 37 Huram made ten carts, and they were all the same. Each cart was made from bronze. The bronze was melted and poured into a mold. So all the carts were the same size and shape.

38 Huram also made ten bowls. There was one bowl for each of the ten carts. Each bowl was 4 cubits across and could hold about 230 gallons. [ r ] 39 He put five carts on the south side of the Temple and five carts on the north side. He put the large tank in the southeast corner of the Temple. 40-45 Huram also made pots, small shovels, and small bowls. He finished making all the things King Solomon wanted him to make. This is a list of the things that Huram made for the Temple of the Lord :

2 columns;

2 capitals shaped like bowls for the top of the columns;

2 nets to go around the capitals;

400 pomegranates for the two nets (two rows of pomegranates for each net to cover the two bowls for the capitals on top of the columns);

10 carts with a bowl on each cart;

the large tank with 12 bulls under it;

the pots, small shovels, small bowls, and all the dishes for the Lord ’s Temple.

Huram made everything King Solomon wanted. They were all made from polished bronze. 46-47 Solomon never weighed the bronze that was used to make these things. There was too much to weigh. So the total weight of all the bronze was never known. The king ordered these things to be made near the Jordan River between Succoth and Zarethan. They made them by melting the bronze and pouring it into molds in the ground.

48-50 Solomon also commanded that all these things be made from gold for the Temple:

the golden altar;

the golden table that held the special bread offered to God;

the lampstands of pure gold (five on the south side and five on the north side in front of the Most Holy Place);

the gold flowers, lamps, and tongs;

the pure gold bowls, lamp snuffers, small bowls, pans, and dishes for carrying coals;

the gold hinges for the doors to the inner room (the Most Holy Place) and for the doors to the main room of the Temple.

51 So King Solomon finished all the work he wanted to do for the Lord ’s Temple. Then he took everything his father David had saved for this special purpose and put them in the Temple. He put the silver and gold in the special storage rooms in the Lord ’s Temple.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 7:2 100 cubits 170' 5/8" (51.83 m).
  2. 1 Kings 7:2 50 cubits 85' 5/16" (25.92 m). Also in verse 6.
  3. 1 Kings 7:2 30 cubits 51' 3/16" (15.55 m). Also in verses 6, 23.
  4. 1 Kings 7:10 10 cubits 17' 1/16" (5.18 m). Also in verse 23.
  5. 1 Kings 7:10 8 cubits 13' 7 1/4" (4.2 m).
  6. 1 Kings 7:13 Huram Or “Hiram.” Also in verses 15, 23, 27, 37, 38, 40-45.
  7. 1 Kings 7:15 18 cubits 30' 7 5/16" (9.33 m).
  8. 1 Kings 7:15 12 cubits 20' 4 7/8" (6.22 m).
  9. 1 Kings 7:15 3 inches Literally, “1 handbreadth” (7.4 cm). Also in verse 26.
  10. 1 Kings 7:15 The columns … 3 inches thick This is from the ancient Greek version.
  11. 1 Kings 7:16 5 cubits 8' 6" (2.6 m). Also in verses 19, 23.
  12. 1 Kings 7:23 tank A very large container for water.
  13. 1 Kings 7:26 11,000 gallons Literally, “2000 baths” (44,000 l).
  14. 1 Kings 7:27 4 cubits 6' 9 5/8" (2.1 m). Also in verse 38.
  15. 1 Kings 7:27 3 cubits 5' 1 3/16" (1.55 m).
  16. 1 Kings 7:31 1 cubit 20 3/8" (51.83 cm).
  17. 1 Kings 7:31 1 1/2 cubits 30 5/8" (77.75 cm).
  18. 1 Kings 7:38 230 gallons Literally, “40 baths” (880 l).

7 But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.

2 He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.

3 And it was covered with cedar above upon the beams, that lay on forty five pillars, fifteen in a row.

4 And there were windows in three rows, and light was against light in three ranks.

5 And all the doors and posts were square, with the windows: and light was against light in three ranks.

6 And he made a porch of pillars; the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits: and the porch was before them: and the other pillars and the thick beam were before them.

7 Then he made a porch for the throne where he might judge, even the porch of judgment: and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other.

8 And his house where he dwelt had another court within the porch, which was of the like work. Solomon made also an house for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had taken to wife, like unto this porch.

9 All these were of costly stones, according to the measures of hewed stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, and so on the outside toward the great court.

10 And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits.

11 And above were costly stones, after the measures of hewed stones, and cedars.

12 And the great court round about was with three rows of hewed stones, and a row of cedar beams, both for the inner court of the house of the Lord , and for the porch of the house.

13 And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre.

14 He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work.

15 For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of twelve cubits did compass either of them about.

16 And he made two chapiters of molten brass, to set upon the tops of the pillars: the height of the one chapiter was five cubits, and the height of the other chapiter was five cubits:

17 And nets of checker work, and wreaths of chain work, for the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars; seven for the one chapiter, and seven for the other chapiter.

18 And he made the pillars, and two rows round about upon the one network, to cover the chapiters that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and so did he for the other chapiter.

19 And the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily work in the porch, four cubits.

20 And the chapiters upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above, over against the belly which was by the network: and the pomegranates were two hundred in rows round about upon the other chapiter.

21 And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz.

22 And upon the top of the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars finished.

23 And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.

24 And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast.

25 It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

26 And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths.

27 And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it.

28 And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges:

29 And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work.

30 And every base had four brasen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners thereof had undersetters: under the laver were undersetters molten, at the side of every addition.

31 And the mouth of it within the chapiter and above was a cubit: but the mouth thereof was round after the work of the base, a cubit and an half: and also upon the mouth of it were gravings with their borders, foursquare, not round.

32 And under the borders were four wheels; and the axletrees of the wheels were joined to the base: and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit.

33 And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their axletrees, and their naves, and their felloes, and their spokes, were all molten.

34 And there were four undersetters to the four corners of one base: and the undersetters were of the very base itself.

35 And in the top of the base was there a round compass of half a cubit high: and on the top of the base the ledges thereof and the borders thereof were of the same.

36 For on the plates of the ledges thereof, and on the borders thereof, he graved cherubims, lions, and palm trees, according to the proportion of every one, and additions round about.

37 After this manner he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one size.

38 Then made he ten lavers of brass: one laver contained forty baths: and every laver was four cubits: and upon every one of the ten bases one laver.

39 And he put five bases on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house: and he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward over against the south.

40 And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the basons. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made king Solomon for the house of the Lord :

41 The two pillars, and the two bowls of the chapiters that were on the top of the two pillars; and the two networks, to cover the two bowls of the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars;

42 And four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, even two rows of pomegranates for one network, to cover the two bowls of the chapiters that were upon the pillars;

43 And the ten bases, and ten lavers on the bases;

44 And one sea, and twelve oxen under the sea;

45 And the pots, and the shovels, and the basons: and all these vessels, which Hiram made to king Solomon for the house of the Lord , were of bright brass.

46 In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarthan.

47 And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were exceeding many: neither was the weight of the brass found out.

48 And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the Lord : the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shewbread was,

49 And the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the oracle, with the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs of gold,

50 And the bowls, and the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the temple.

51 So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the Lord . And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated; even the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, did he put among the treasures of the house of the Lord .

Solomon’s Palace

7 Now ( A ) Solomon built his own house over the course of thirteen years, and he finished all of his house. 2 ( B ) He built the house of the timber from Lebanon; its length was [ a ] a hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits, on four rows of cedar pillars with cedar beams on the pillars. 3 And it was paneled with cedar above the side chambers which were on the forty-five pillars, fifteen in each row. 4 There were artistic window frames in three rows, and window was opposite window at three [ b ] intervals. 5 And all the doorways and doorposts had squared artistic frames, and window was opposite window at three [ c ] intervals.

6 Then he made ( C ) the hall of pillars; its length was [ d ] fifty cubits and its width thirty cubits, and a porch was in front of them and pillars and a ( D ) threshold in front of them.

7 And he made the hall of the ( E ) throne where he was to judge, the hall of judgment, and ( F ) it was paneled with cedar from floor to floor.

8 And his house where he was to live, the other courtyard inward from the hall, was of this same workmanship. ( G ) He also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, ( H ) whom Solomon had married.

9 All of these were made of valuable stones, of stone cut according to measure, sawed with saws, inside and outside; even from the foundation to the [ e ] coping, and from the outside to the large courtyard.

10 And the foundation was of valuable stones, large stones, stones of [ f ] ten cubits and stones of eight cubits. 11 And above were valuable stones, cut according to measure, and cedar. 12 So ( I ) the large courtyard all around had three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams as well as the inner courtyard of the house of the Lord , and ( J ) the porch of the house.

Hiram’s Work in the Temple

13 Now ( K ) King Solomon sent word and had Hiram brought from Tyre. 14 ( L ) He was a widow’s son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, an artisan in bronze; and ( M ) he was filled with wisdom, skill, and knowledge for doing any work in bronze. So he came to King Solomon and ( N ) performed all his work.

15 He fashioned ( O ) the two pillars of bronze; [ g ] ( P ) eighteen cubits was the height of [ h ] each pillar, and a line of [ i ] twelve cubits [ j ] measured the circumference of both. 16 He also made two capitals of cast bronze to put on the tops of the pillars; the height of the one capital was [ k ] five cubits and the height of the other capital was [ l ] five cubits. 17 There were lattices of latticework and wreaths of chainwork for the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; seven for the one capital and seven for the other capital. 18 So he made the pillars, and two rows around on the one lattice to cover the capitals which were on the top of the pomegranates; and so he did for the other capital. 19 The capitals which were on the tops of the pillars in the porch were of lily design, four cubits. 20 So there were capitals on the two pillars, also above and close to the [ m ] rounded projection which was beside the lattice; and ( Q ) the pomegranates totaled two hundred in rows around [ n ] both capitals. 21 ( R ) And he set up the pillars at the ( S ) porch of the [ o ] main room: he set up the right pillar and named it [ p ] Jachin, and he set up the left pillar and named it [ q ] Boaz. 22 On the top of the pillars was the lily design. So the work of the pillars was finished.

23 ( T ) He also he made the [ r ] Sea of ( U ) cast metal [ s ] ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in shape , and its height was five cubits, and [ t ] it was [ u ] thirty cubits in circumference. 24 Under its brim ( V ) gourds went around encircling it ten to a cubit, ( W ) completely surrounding the Sea; the gourds were in two rows, cast [ v ] with the rest. 25 ( X ) It was standing on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; and the Sea was set on top of them, and all their rear parts turned inward. 26 And it was a [ w ] hand width thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom; it could hold [ x ] two thousand baths.

27 Then ( Y ) he made the ten stands of bronze; the length of each stand was [ y ] four cubits, its width four cubits, and its height was three cubits. 28 This was the design of the stands: they had borders, that is, borders between the crossbars, 29 and on the borders which were between the crossbars were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and on the crossbars there was a pedestal above, and beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work. 30 Now each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles, and its four feet had supports; beneath the basin were cast supports with wreaths at each side. 31 And its opening inside the crown at the top was a [ z ] cubit, and its opening was round like the design of a pedestal, a cubit and a half; and on its opening also there were engravings, and their borders were square, not round. 32 The four wheels were underneath the borders, and the axles of the wheels were on the stand. And the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half. 33 The workmanship of the wheels was like the workmanship of a chariot wheel. Their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all cast. 34 Now there were four supports at the four corners of each stand; its supports were part of the stand itself. 35 And on the top of the stand there was a circular form [ aa ] half a cubit high, and on the top of the stand its [ ab ] stays and its borders were part of it. 36 And he engraved on the plates of its stays and on its borders cherubim, lions, and palm trees, as there was clear space on each, with wreaths all around. 37 ( Z ) He made the ten stands like this: all of them had the [ ac ] same casting, [ ad ] same measure, and [ ae ] same form.

38 ( AA ) And he made ten basins of bronze, [ af ] each holding [ ag ] forty baths; each basin was [ ah ] four cubits, and on each of the ten stands was one basin. 39 Then he placed the stands, five on the right side of the house and five on the left side of the house; and he set the [ ai ] Sea of cast metal on the right side of the house eastward toward the south.

40 Now Hiram made the basins and the shovels and the bowls. So Hiram finished doing all the work which he performed for King Solomon in the house of the Lord : 41 the two pillars and the two bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the ( AB ) two pillars, and the two lattices to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; 42 and the ( AC ) four hundred pomegranates for the two lattices, two rows of pomegranates for each lattice to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the tops of the pillars; 43 and the ten stands with the ten basins on the stands; 44 and ( AD ) the one [ aj ] Sea and the twelve oxen under the Sea; 45 and ( AE ) the buckets, the shovels, and the bowls; indeed, all these utensils which Hiram made for King Solomon in the house of the Lord were of polished bronze. 46 ( AF ) The king had them cast in the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between ( AG ) Succoth and ( AH ) Zarethan. 47 However, Solomon left all the utensils unweighed , because they were too many; ( AI ) the weight of the bronze could not be determined.

48 Solomon also made all the furniture that was in the house of the Lord : ( AJ ) the golden altar and the golden table on which was set the ( AK ) bread of the Presence; 49 and the lampstands of pure gold, five on the right side and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary; and ( AL ) the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of gold; 50 also the cups, the [ ak ] shears, the bowls, the ladles, and the ( AM ) firepans, of pure gold; and the hinges both for the doors of the inner house, the Most Holy Place, and for the doors of the house, that is , for the main room, of gold.

51 ( AN ) So all the work that King Solomon performed in the house of the Lord was finished. And ( AO ) Solomon brought in the offerings vowed by his father David, the silver and the gold and the utensils, and he put them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord .

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 7:2 About 150 ft. long, 75 wide, and 45 high or 46 m long, 23 wide, and 14 high;
  2. 1 Kings 7:4 Lit paces
  3. 1 Kings 7:5 Lit paces
  4. 1 Kings 7:6 About 75 ft. long and 45 ft. wide or 23 m long and 7 m wide
  5. 1 Kings 7:9 I.e., top sloping course of stone
  6. 1 Kings 7:10 About 15 and 12 ft. or 4.5 and 3.7 m
  7. 1 Kings 7:15 About 27 ft. or 8 m
  8. 1 Kings 7:15 Lit the one
  9. 1 Kings 7:15 About 18 ft. or 5.5 m
  10. 1 Kings 7:15 Lit went around the other pillar
  11. 1 Kings 7:16 About 7.5 ft. or 2.3 m
  12. 1 Kings 7:16 About 7.5 ft. or 2.3 m
  13. 1 Kings 7:20 Lit belly
  14. 1 Kings 7:20 Lit on the other capital
  15. 1 Kings 7:21 Lit sanctuary
  16. 1 Kings 7:21 I.e., he shall establish
  17. 1 Kings 7:21 I.e., in it is strength
  18. 1 Kings 7:23 I.e., large basin
  19. 1 Kings 7:23 About 15 ft. in diameter and 7.5 ft. high or 4.6 m and 2.3 m high
  20. 1 Kings 7:23 Lit a line of 30 cubits went around it all around ;
  21. 1 Kings 7:23 About 45 ft. or 14 m
  22. 1 Kings 7:24 Lit in its casting
  23. 1 Kings 7:26 About 3 in. or 7.6 cm
  24. 1 Kings 7:26 About 12,000 gallons or 45,424 liters
  25. 1 Kings 7:27 About 6 ft. long and wide and 4.5 ft. high or 1.8 m and 1.4 m
  26. 1 Kings 7:31 About 18 in. or 45 cm
  27. 1 Kings 7:35 About 9 in. or 23 cm
  28. 1 Kings 7:35 Lit hands
  29. 1 Kings 7:37 Lit one
  30. 1 Kings 7:37 Lit one
  31. 1 Kings 7:37 Lit one
  32. 1 Kings 7:38 Lit the one basin held
  33. 1 Kings 7:38 About 240 gallons or 908 liters
  34. 1 Kings 7:38 About 6 ft. or 1.8 m
  35. 1 Kings 7:39 I.e., large basin
  36. 1 Kings 7:44 I.e., large basin
  37. 1 Kings 7:50 I.e., a tool to trim wicks

Solomon Builds His Palace

7 It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of his palace. ( A ) 2 He built the Palace ( B ) of the Forest of Lebanon ( C ) a hundred cubits long, fifty wide and thirty high, [ a ] 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. [ b ]

6 He made a colonnade fifty cubits long and thirty wide. [ c ] 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, ( D ) and he covered it with cedar from floor to ceiling. [ d ] ( E ) 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. ( F )

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 [ e ] and some eight. [ f ] 11 Above were high-grade stones, cut to size, and cedar beams. 12 The great courtyard was surrounded by a wall of three courses ( G ) 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 ( H ) ( I )

13 King Solomon sent to Tyre and brought Huram, [ g ] ( J ) 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, ( K ) with understanding and with knowledge to do all kinds of bronze work. He came to King Solomon and did all ( L ) the work assigned to him.

15 He cast two bronze pillars, ( M ) each eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference. [ h ] 16 He also made two capitals ( N ) of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; each capital was five cubits [ i ] 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 [ j ] encircling each network to decorate the capitals on top of the pillars. [ k ] 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 [ l ] high. 20 On the capitals of both pillars, above the bowl-shaped part next to the network, were the two hundred pomegranates ( O ) in rows all around. 21 He erected the pillars at the portico of the temple. The pillar to the south he named Jakin [ m ] and the one to the north Boaz. [ n ] ( P ) 22 The capitals on top were in the shape of lilies. And so the work on the pillars ( Q ) was completed.

23 He made the Sea ( R ) of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line ( S ) of thirty cubits [ o ] 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, ( T ) 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 [ p ] in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths. [ q ]

27 He also made ten movable stands ( U ) of bronze; each was four cubits long, four wide and three high. [ r ] 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 ( V ) 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 [ s ] deep. This opening was round, and with its basework it measured a cubit and a half. [ t ] 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 [ u ] 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, ( W ) each holding forty baths [ v ] 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 [ w ] and shovels and sprinkling bowls. ( X )

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 ( Y ) 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. ( Z )

All these objects that Huram ( AA ) 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 ( AB ) of the Jordan between Sukkoth ( AC ) and Zarethan. ( AD ) 47 Solomon left all these things unweighed, ( AE ) because there were so many; ( AF ) the weight of the bronze ( AG ) was not determined.

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

the golden altar;

the golden table ( AI ) on which was the bread of the Presence; ( AJ )

49 the lampstands ( AK ) 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 ( AL ) and censers; ( AM )

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 ( AN ) —the silver and gold and the furnishings ( AO ) —and he placed them in the treasuries of the Lord ’s temple.

Footnotes

  1. 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
  2. 1 Kings 7:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
  3. 1 Kings 7:6 That is, about 75 feet long and 45 feet wide or about 23 meters long and 14 meters wide
  4. 1 Kings 7:7 Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew floor
  5. 1 Kings 7:10 That is, about 15 feet or about 4.5 meters; also in verse 23
  6. 1 Kings 7:10 That is, about 12 feet or about 3.6 meters
  7. 1 Kings 7:13 Hebrew Hiram, a variant of Huram ; also in verses 40 and 45
  8. 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
  9. 1 Kings 7:16 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters; also in verse 23
  10. 1 Kings 7:18 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts made the pillars, and there were two rows
  11. 1 Kings 7:18 Many Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts pomegranates
  12. 1 Kings 7:19 That is, about 6 feet or about 1.8 meters; also in verse 38
  13. 1 Kings 7:21 Jakin probably means he establishes.
  14. 1 Kings 7:21 Boaz probably means in him is strength.
  15. 1 Kings 7:23 That is, about 45 feet or about 14 meters
  16. 1 Kings 7:26 That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters
  17. 1 Kings 7:26 That is, about 12,000 gallons or about 44,000 liters; the Septuagint does not have this sentence.
  18. 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
  19. 1 Kings 7:31 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters
  20. 1 Kings 7:31 That is, about 2 1/4 feet or about 68 centimeters; also in verse 32
  21. 1 Kings 7:35 That is, about 9 inches or about 23 centimeters
  22. 1 Kings 7:38 That is, about 240 gallons or about 880 liters
  23. 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