be[See ver. 15 above]
bq[See ver. 27 above]
cv[See ver. 6 above]
ds[See ver. 15 above]

1 Kings 5:15-18

15Solomon also ahad 70,000 burden-bearers and 80,000 stonecutters in the hill country, 16besides Solomon’s 3,300 bchief officers who were over the work, cwho had charge of the people who carried on the work. 17At the king’s command dthey quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones. 18So Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and ethe men of Gebal did the cutting and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house.

1 Kings 6

Solomon Builds the Temple

1 fIn the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, ghe began to build the house of the Lord. 2 hThe house that King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits
A  cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high.
3The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house, and ten cubits deep in front of the house. 4And jhe made for the house windows with recessed frames.
Or blocked lattice windows
5 lHe also built a structure
Or platform; also verse 10
against the wall of the house, running around the walls of the house, both the nave and nthe inner sanctuary. And he made oside chambers all around.
6The lowest story
Septuagint; Hebrew structure, or platform
was five cubits broad, the middle one was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad. For around the outside of the house he made offsets on the wall in order that the supporting beams should not be inserted into the walls of the house.

7When the house was built, qit was with stone prepared at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built.

8The entrance for the lowest
Septuagint, Targum; Hebrew middle
story was on the south side of the house, and one went up by stairs to the middle story, and from the middle story to the third.
9 sSo he built the house and finished it, and he made the ceiling of the house of beams and planks of cedar. 10He built the structure against the whole house, five cubits high, and it was joined to the house with timbers of cedar.

11Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, 12“Concerning this house that you are building, tif you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, uwhich I spoke to David your father. 13And vI will dwell among the children of Israel wand will not forsake my people Israel.”

14 xSo Solomon built the house and finished it. 15He lined the walls of the house on the inside with boards of cedar. From the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood, yand he covered the floor of the house with boards of cypress. 16 zHe built twenty cubits of the rear of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the walls, and he built this within as an inner sanctuary, as aathe Most Holy Place. 17The house, that is, the nave in front of the inner sanctuary, was forty cubits long. 18The cedar within the house was carved in the form of abgourds and open flowers. All was cedar; no stone was seen. 19The inner sanctuary he prepared in the innermost part of the house, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 20The inner sanctuary
Vulgate; Hebrew and before the inner sanctuary
was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high, and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid
Septuagint made
an altar of cedar.
21And Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold, and he drew chains of gold across, in front of the inner sanctuary, and overlaid it with gold. 22And he overlaid the whole house with gold, until all the house was finished. aeAlso the whole altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold.

23 afIn the inner sanctuary aghe made two cherubim of olivewood, each ten cubits high. 24Five cubits was the length of one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the length of the other wing of the cherub; it was ten cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. 25The other cherub also measured ten cubits; both cherubim had the same measure and the same form. 26The height of one cherub was ten cubits, and so was that of the other cherub. 27He put the cherubim in the innermost part of the house. ahAnd the wings of the cherubim were spread out so that a wing of one touched the one wall, and a wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; their other wings touched each other in the middle of the house. 28And he overlaid the cherubim with gold.

29Around all the walls of the house he carved engraved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, in the inner and outer rooms. 30The floor of the house he overlaid with gold in the inner and outer rooms.

31For the entrance to the inner sanctuary he made doors of olivewood; the lintel and the doorposts were five-sided.
The meaning of the Hebrew phrase is uncertain
32He covered the two doors of olivewood with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. He overlaid them with gold and spread gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees.

33So also he made for the entrance to the nave doorposts of olivewood, in the form of a square, 34and two doors of cypress wood. ajThe two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. 35On them he carved cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and he overlaid them with gold evenly applied on the carved work. 36 akHe built the inner court with three courses of cut stone and one course of cedar beams.

37 alIn 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, which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its parts, and according to all its specifications. He was seven years in building it.

1 Kings 7

Solomon Builds His Palace

1Solomon was ambuilding his own house thirteen years, and he finished his entire house.

2He built anthe House of the Forest of Lebanon. Its length was a hundred cubits
A  cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
and its breadth fifty cubits and its height thirty cubits, and it was built on four
Septuagint three
rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on the pillars.
3And it was covered with cedar above the chambers that were on the forty-five pillars, fifteen in each row. 4There were window frames in three rows, and window opposite window in three tiers. 5All the doorways and windows
Septuagint; Hebrew posts
had square frames, and window was opposite window in three tiers.

6And he made arthe Hall of Pillars; its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth thirty cubits. There was a porch in front with pillars, and asa canopy in front of them.

7And he made the Hall of the Throne where he was to pronounce judgment, even the Hall of Judgment. atIt was finished with cedar from floor to rafters.
Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew floor


8His own house where he was to dwell, in the other court back of the hall, was of like workmanship. Solomon also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter avwhom he had taken in marriage.

9All these were made of costly stones, cut according to measure, sawed with saws, back and front, even from the foundation to the coping, and from the outside to the great court. 10The foundation was of costly stones, huge stones, stones of eight and ten cubits. 11And above were costly stones, cut according to measurement, and cedar. 12 awThe great court had three courses of cut stone all around, and a course of cedar beams; so had the inner court of the house of the Lord and axthe vestibule of the house.

The Temple Furnishings

13And King Solomon sent and brought ayHiram from Tyre. 14He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze. And azhe was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill for making any work in bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all his work.

15 baHe cast bbtwo pillars of bronze. bcEighteen cubits was the height of one pillar, and a line of twelve cubits measured its circumference. It was hollow, and its thickness was four fingers. The second pillar was the same.
Targum, Syriac (compare Septuagint and Jeremiah 52:21); Hebrew  fingers. And a line of twelve cubits measured the circumference of the second pillar
16He also made two capitals of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of the one capital was five cubits, and bethe height of the other capital was five cubits. 17There were lattices of checker work with wreaths of chain work for the capitals on the tops of the pillars, a lattice
Septuagint; Hebrew seven; twice in this verse
for the one capital and a lattice for the other capital.
18Likewise he made pomegranates
Two manuscripts (compare Septuagint); Hebrew pillars
in two rows around the one latticework to cover the capital that was on the top of the pillar, and he did the same with the other capital.
19Now the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars in the vestibule were of lily-work, four cubits. 20The capitals were on the two pillars and also above the rounded projection which was beside the latticework. There were bhtwo hundred pomegranates in two rows all around, and so with the other capital. 21 biHe set up the pillars at the vestibule of the temple. He set up the pillar on the south and called its name Jachin, and he set up the pillar on the north and called its name Boaz. 22And on the tops of the pillars was lily-work. Thus the work of the pillars was finished.

23 bjThen he made bkthe 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. 24Under its brim were blgourds, for ten cubits, compassing the sea all around. The gourds were in two rows, cast with it when it was cast. 25It stood on bmtwelve 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. 26Its thickness was a handbreadth,
A  handbreadth was about 3 inches or 7.5 centimeters
and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It held two thousand baths.
A  bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters


27He also made the bpten stands of bronze. Each stand was four cubits long, four cubits wide, and three cubits high. 28This was the construction of the stands: they had panels, and the panels were set in the frames, 29and on the panels that were set in the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim. On the frames, both above and below the lions and oxen, there were wreaths of beveled work. 30Moreover, each stand had four bronze wheels and axles of bronze, and at the four corners were supports for a basin. The supports were cast with wreaths at the side of each. 31Its opening was within a crown that projected upward one cubit. Its opening was round, as a pedestal is made, a cubit and a half deep. At its opening there were carvings, and its panels were square, not round. 32And the four wheels were underneath the panels. The axles of the wheels were of one piece with the stands, and the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half. 33The wheels were made like a chariot wheel; their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all cast. 34There were four supports at the four corners of each stand. The supports were of one piece with the stands. 35And on the top of the stand there was a round band half a cubit high; and on the top of the stand its stays and its panels were of one piece with it. 36And on the surfaces of its stays and on its panels, he carved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, according to the space of each, with wreaths all around. 37After this manner he made bqthe ten stands. All of them were cast alike, of the same measure and the same form.

38And he made brten basins of bronze. Each basin held forty baths, each basin measured four cubits, and there was a basin for each of the ten stands. 39And he set the stands, five on the south side of the house, and five on the north side of the house. And he set the sea at the southeast corner of the house.

40 bsHiram also made btthe pots, the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram finished all the work that he did for King Solomon on the house of the Lord: 41the two pillars, the two bowls of the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars, and the two bulatticeworks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars; 42and the bvfour hundred 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; 43the ten stands, and the ten basins on the stands; 44and bwthe one sea, and the twelve oxen underneath the sea.

45Now bxthe pots, the shovels, and the basins, all these vessels in the house of the Lord, which Hiram made for King Solomon, were of burnished bronze. 46In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between bySuccoth and bzZarethan. 47And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because there were so many of them; cathe weight of the bronze was not ascertained.

48So Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of the Lord: cbthe golden altar, ccthe golden table for cdthe bread of the Presence, 49 cethe lampstands of pure gold, five on the south side and five on the north, before the inner sanctuary; cfthe flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of gold; 50the cups, snuffers, basins, dishes for incense, and cgfire pans, of pure gold; and the sockets of gold, for the doors of the innermost part of the house, chthe Most Holy Place, and for the doors of the nave of the temple.

51Thus all the work that King Solomon did on the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in cithe things that David his father had dedicated, the silver, the gold, and the vessels, and stored them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord.

1 Kings 8

The Ark Brought into the Temple

1 cjThen Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, ckthe leaders of the fathers’ houses of the people of Israel, before King Solomon in Jerusalem, clto bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of cmthe city of David, which is Zion. 2And all the men of Israel assembled to King Solomon at cnthe feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. 3And all the elders of Israel came, and cothe priests took up the ark. 4And they brought up the ark of the Lord, cpthe tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent; the priests and the Levites brought them up. 5And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who had assembled before him, were with him before the ark, cqsacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. 6 crThen the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord csto its place in ctthe inner sanctuary of the house, in the Most Holy Place, underneath the wings of the cherubim. 7For the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles. 8 cuAnd the poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the Holy Place before cvthe inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And they are there to this day. 9There was nothing in the ark except cwthe two tablets of stone that Moses put there at Horeb, where cxthe Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. 10And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, cya cloud filled the house of the Lord, 11so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.

Solomon Blesses the Lord

12 czThen Solomon said, “The Lord
Septuagint  The Lord has set the sun in the heavens, but
has said that he would dwell dbin thick darkness.
13 dcI have indeed built you an exalted house, dda place for you to dwell in forever.” 14Then the king turned around and deblessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel stood. 15And he said, dfBlessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled dgwhat he promised with his mouth to David my father, saying, 16 dh‘Since the day that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, dithat my name might be there. djBut I chose David to be over my people Israel.’ 17 dkNow it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 18But the Lord said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart. 19 dlNevertheless, you shall not build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.’ 20Now the Lord has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have risen in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, dmas the Lord promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 21And there I have provided a place for the ark, dnin which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication

22Then Solomon dostood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and dpspread out his hands toward heaven, 23and said, “O Lord, God of Israel, dqthere is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, drkeeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart; 24you have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. dsYou spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day. 25Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, dt‘You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.’ 26 duNow therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David my father.

27“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, dvheaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! 28Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day, 29 dwthat your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, dx‘My name shall be there,’ that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place. 30And listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.

31“If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take dyan oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house, 32then hear in heaven and act and judge your servants, dzcondemning the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness.

33 ea“When your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and ebif they turn again to you and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you in this house, 34then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them again to the land that you gave to their fathers.

35 ec“When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them, 36then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when edyou teach them eethe good way in which they should walk, and grant rain upon your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance.

37 ef“If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locust or caterpillar, if their enemy besieges them in the land at their gates,
Septuagint, Syriac  in any of their cities
whatever plague, whatever sickness there is,
38whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart and stretching out his hands toward this house, 39then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways ( ehfor you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind), 40that they may fear you eiall the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers.

41“Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for your name’s sake 42(for they shall hear of your great name ejand your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house, 43hear in heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order ekthat all the peoples of the earth may know your name and elfear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name.

44“If your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to the Lord emtoward the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, 45then hear in heaven their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause.

46“If they sin against you— enfor there is no one who does not sin—and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive eoto the land of the enemy, far off or near, 47yet epif they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors, saying, eq‘We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,’ 48 erif they repent with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you estoward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name, 49then hear in heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause 50and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions that they have committed against you, and etgrant them compassion in the sight of those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them 51( eufor they are your people, and your heritage, which you brought out of Egypt, evfrom the midst of the iron furnace). 52 ewLet your eyes be open to the plea of your servant and to the plea of your people Israel, giving ear to them whenever they call to you. 53For you separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be your heritage, exas you declared through Moses your servant, when you brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.”

Solomon’s Benediction

54 eyNow as Solomon finished offering all this prayer and plea to the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had ezknelt with hands outstretched toward heaven. 55And he stood and fablessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, 56Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. fbNot one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant. 57The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. fcMay he not leave us or forsake us, 58that he may fdincline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers. 59Let these words of mine, with which I have pleaded before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires, 60that feall the peoples of the earth may know that ffthe Lord is God; there is no other. 61 fgLet your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.”

Solomon’s Sacrifices

62 fhThen fithe king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the Lord. 63Solomon offered as peace offerings to the Lord 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord. 64The same day the king consecrated the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord, for there he offered the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat pieces of the peace offerings, because fjthe bronze altar that was before the Lord was too small to receive the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat pieces of the peace offerings.

65So Solomon held fkthe feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from flLebo-hamath to fmthe Brook of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days.
Septuagint; Hebrew  seven days and seven days, fourteen days
66On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king and went to their homes joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had shown to David his servant and to Israel his people.

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