The Building of the Temple
1Now it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, that is, the second month, that he
2And the house which King Solomon built for the LORD was
3The porch in front of the main room of the house was
4Also for the house he made windows with artistic frames.
5Against the wall of the house he built stories encompassing the walls of the house around both the main room and the
6The lowest story was
7The house, while it was being built, was built of stone finished at the quarry, and neither hammer, nor axe, nor any iron tool was heard in the house while it was being built.
8The doorway for the
9So he built the house and finished it; and he covered the house with beams and
10He also built the stories against the whole house, each
11Now the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying,
12“As for this house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments by walking in them, then I will fulfill My word with you which I spoke to David your father.
13And I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will not abandon My people Israel.”
14So Solomon built the house and finished it.
15He built the walls of the house on the inside with boards of cedar; from the floor of the house to the
16He also built
17The house, that is, the main room in front of the inner sanctuary, was
18There was cedar inside the house, carved in the shape of gourds and open flowers; everything was cedar, there was no stone visible.
19Then he prepared an inner sanctuary inside the house in order to place there the ark of the covenant of the LORD.
20
21So Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold. And he extended chains of gold across the front of the inner sanctuary, and he overlaid it with gold.
22He overlaid the entire house with gold, until all the house was finished. Also the entire altar which was by the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold.
23And in the inner sanctuary he made two
24The one wing of the first cherub was five cubits, and the other wing of the first cherub was five cubits; from the end of one wing to the end of the other wing were ten cubits.
25The second cherub was ten cubits; both of the cherubim were of the same measurement and the same form.
26The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was that of the other cherub.
27He placed the cherubim in the midst of the inner house, and the wings of the cherubim spread out so that the wing of the one was touching the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub was touching the other wall. And their wings were touching
28He also overlaid the cherubim with gold.
29Then he carved all the surrounding walls of the house with engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, for the inner and outer sanctuaries.
30And he overlaid the floor of the house with gold, for the inner and outer sanctuaries.
31And for the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood, the lintel, and five-sided doorposts.
32So he made two doors of olive wood, and he carved on them carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he overlaid the cherubim and the palm trees with gold.
33So too he made for the entrance of the main room four-sided doorposts of olive wood,
34and two doors of juniper wood; the two leaves of the one door turned on pivots, and the two
35He carved on it cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold plated on the carved work.
36And he built the inner courtyard with three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams.
37In the fourth year the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid, in the month of Ziv.
38And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, that is, the eighth month, the house was finished in all its parts and in accordance with all its plans. So he was seven years in building it.