1Ki 7 | HCSB | STEP | Solomon completed his entire palace complex after 13 years of construction .

1 Kings 7

Solomon’s Palace Complex

1 Solomon completed his entire palace complex after 13 years of construction. ^a 2 He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon. ^b It was 150 feet ^{▼▼Lit 100 cubits} long, 75 feet ^{▼▼Lit 50 cubits} wide, and 45 feet ^{▼▼Lit 30 cubits} high on four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on top of the pillars. 3 It was paneled above with cedar at the top of the chambers that rested on 45 pillars, 15 per row. 4 There were three rows of window frames, facing each other ^{▼▼Lit frames, window to window} in three tiers. ^{▼▼Lit three times; = at 3 different places
,} ^h 5 All the doors and doorposts had rectangular frames, the openings facing each other ^{▼▼Lit frames, opposing window to window} in three tiers. ^{▼▼Lit three times; = at 3 different places} 6 He made the hall of pillars 75 feet ^{▼▼Lit 50 cubits} long and 45 feet ^{▼▼Lit 30 cubits} wide. A portico was in front of the pillars, and a canopy with pillars ^{▼▼Hb obscure} was in front of them. 7 He made the Hall of the Throne where he would judge ⁿ – the Hall of Judgment. It was paneled with cedar from the floor to the rafters. ^{▼▼Syr, Vg; MT reads floor} 8 Solomon’s own palace where he would live, in the other courtyard behind the hall, was of similar construction. And he made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, his wife. ^{▼▼Lit daughter he had taken
,} ^q

9 All of these buildings were of costly stones, cut to size and sawed with saws on the inner and outer surfaces, from foundation to coping and from the outside to the great courtyard. 10 The foundation was made of large, costly stones 12 and 15 feet ^{▼▼Lit ten cubits and eight cubits} long. 11 Above were also costly stones, cut to size, as well as cedar wood. 12 Around the great courtyard, as well as the inner courtyard of the Lord’s temple and the portico of the temple, were three rows of dressed stone and a row of trimmed cedar beams. ^s

13 King Solomon had Hiram ^{▼▼= Huram in 2Ch 4:11
,} ^u brought from Tyre. 14 He was a widow’s son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a bronze craftsman. Hiram had great skill, ^v understanding, and knowledge to do every kind of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and carried out all his work. ^w

The Bronze Pillars

15 He cast two hollow bronze pillars: ^x each 27 feet ^{▼▼Lit 18 cubits} high and 18 feet ^{▼▼Lit 12 cubits} in circumference. ^{▼▼LXX adds and the thickness of the pillar was four fingers hollowed and similarly the second pillar
,} ^ab 16 He also made two capitals ^ac of cast bronze to set on top of the pillars; 7¹/₂ feet ^{▼▼Lit five cubits} was the height of the first capital, and 7¹/₂ feet ^{▼▼Lit five cubits} was also the height of the second capital. 17 The capitals on top of the pillars had gratings of latticework, wreaths ^{▼▼Lit tassels} made of chainwork – seven for the first capital and seven for the second.

18 He made the pillars with two encircling rows of pomegranates on the one grating to cover the capital on top; he did the same for the second capital. 19 And the capitals on top of the pillars in the portico were shaped like lilies, six feet ^{▼▼Lit four cubits} high. 20 The capitals on the two pillars were also immediately above the rounded surface next to the grating, and 200 pomegranates ^ah were in rows encircling each ^{▼▼Lit encircling the second} capital. 21 He set up the pillars at the portico ^aj of the sanctuary: he set up the right pillar and named it Jachin; ^{▼▼= He Will Establish} then he set up the left pillar and named it Boaz. ^{▼▼= In Him Is Strength
,} ^am 22 The tops of the pillars were shaped like lilies. Then the work of the pillars was completed. ^an

The Reservoir

23 He made the cast metal reservoir, ^{▼▼Lit sea
,} ^ap 15 feet ^{▼▼Lit 10 cubits} from brim to brim, perfectly round. It was 7¹/₂ feet ^{▼▼Lit five cubits} high and 45 feet ^{▼▼Lit 30 cubits} in circumference. 24 Ornamental gourds ^at encircled it below the brim, 10 every half yard, ^{▼▼Lit 10 per cubit} completely encircling the reservoir. ^av The gourds were cast in two rows when the reservoir was cast. 25 It stood on 12 oxen, ^aw three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The reservoir was on top of them and all their hindquarters were toward the center. 26 The reservoir was three inches ^{▼▼Lit a handbreadth} thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup or of a lily blossom. It held 11,000 gallons. ^{▼▼Lit 2,000 baths}

The Bronze Water Carts

27 Then he made 10 bronze water carts. ^{▼▼Lit bronze stands
,} ^ba Each water cart was six feet ^{▼▼Lit four cubits} long, six feet ^{▼▼Lit four cubits} wide, and 4¹/₂ feet ^{▼▼Lit three cubits} high. 28 This was the design of the carts: They had frames; the frames were between the cross-pieces, 29 and on the frames between the cross-pieces were lions, oxen, and ^{▼▼cherubim: A class of winged angels, associated with the throne of God, who function as guardians and who prevented Adam and Eve from returning to the garden of Eden}cherubim. ^bf On the cross-pieces there was a pedestal above, and below the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging ^{▼▼Or hammered-down} work. 30 Each cart ^bh had four bronze wheels with bronze axles. Underneath the four corners of the basin were cast supports, each next to a wreath. 31 And the water cart’s opening inside the crown on top was 18 inches ^{▼▼Lit a cubit} wide. The opening was round, made as a pedestal 27 inches ^{▼▼Lit one and a half cubits} wide. On it were carvings, but their frames were square, not round. 32 There were four wheels under the frames, and the wheel axles were part of the water cart; each wheel was 27 inches ^{▼▼Lit was one and a half cubits} tall. 33 The wheels’ design was similar to that of chariot wheels: their axles, rims, spokes, and hubs were all of cast metal. 34 Four supports were at the four corners of each water cart; each support was one piece with the water cart. 35 At the top of the cart was a band nine inches ^{▼▼Lit half a cubit} high encircling it; also, at the top of the cart, its braces and its frames were one piece with it. 36 He engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees ^bm on the plates of its braces and on its frames, wherever each had space, with encircling wreaths. 37 In this way he made the 10 water carts using the same casting, dimensions, and shape for all of them.

Bronze Basins and Other Utensils

38 Then he made 10 bronze basins ^bn – each basin holding 220 gallons ^{▼▼Lit 40 baths} and each was six feet ^{▼▼Lit four cubits} wide – one basin for each of the 10 water carts. 39 He set five water carts on the right side of the temple and five on the left side. He put the reservoir near the right side of the temple toward the southeast. ^bq 40 Then Hiram made ^br the basins, the shovels, and the sprinkling basins.

Completion of the Bronze Works

So Hiram finished all the work that he was doing for King Solomon on the Lord’s temple: 41 two pillars; ^bs bowls for the capitals that were on top of the two pillars; the two gratings for covering both bowls of the capitals that were on top of the pillars; ^bt 42 the 400 pomegranates for the two gratings (two rows of pomegranates for each grating covering both capitals’ bowls on top of the pillars ^bu); 43 the 10 water carts; ^bv the 10 basins on the water carts; ^bw 44 the reservoir; ^bx the 12 oxen underneath the reservoir; ^by 45 and the pots, shovels, and sprinkling basins. ^bz All the utensils that Hiram made for King Solomon at the Lord’s temple were made of burnished bronze. 46 The king had them cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth ^ca and Zarethan. ^cb 47 Solomon left all the utensils unweighed because there were so many; the weight of the bronze was not determined. ^cc

Completion of the Gold Furnishings

48 Solomon also made all the equipment in the Lord’s temple: the gold altar; the gold table that the ^{▼▼Bread of the Presence: Literally bread of presentation; 12 loaves, representing the 12 tribes of Israel, put on the table in the holy place in the tabernacle, and later in the temple. The priests ate the previous week's loaves; Ex 25:30; 29:32; Lv 24:5-9.}bread of the Presence was placed on; ^ce 49 the pure gold lampstands in front of the inner sanctuary, five on the right and five on the left; ^cf the gold flowers, lamps, and tongs; 50 the pure gold ceremonial bowls, wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, ladles, ^{▼▼Or dishes, or spoons; lit palms} and firepans; ^ch and the gold hinges for the doors of the inner temple (that is, the most holy place) and for the doors of the temple sanctuary.

51 So all the work King Solomon did in the Lord’s temple was completed. ^ci Then Solomon brought in the consecrated things of his father David ^cj – the silver, the gold, and the utensils – and put them in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple. ^ck