1Ki 6, 7:13-15, 2Ch 2-4, Ezr 5:11 | ESV | STEP | In 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 , he began to build the house of the Lord .

1 ^aIn 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, ^bhe began to build the house of the Lord. 2 ^cThe 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. 3 The 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. 4 And ^ehe made for the house windows with recessed frames. ^{▼▼Or blocked lattice windows} 5 ^gHe 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 ⁱthe inner sanctuary. And he made ^jside chambers all around. 6 The 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.

7 When the house was built, ^lit 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.

8 The 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 ⁿSo he built the house and finished it, and he made the ceiling of the house of beams and planks of cedar. 10 He built the structure against the whole house, five cubits high, and it was joined to the house with timbers of cedar.

11 Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, 12 “Concerning this house that you are building, ^oif 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, ^pwhich I spoke to David your father. 13 And ^qI will dwell among the children of Israel ^rand will not forsake my people Israel.”

14 ^sSo Solomon built the house and finished it. 15 He 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, ^tand he covered the floor of the house with boards of cypress. 16 ^uHe 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 ^vthe Most Holy Place. 17 The house, that is, the nave in front of the inner sanctuary, was forty cubits long. 18 The cedar within the house was carved in the form of ^wgourds and open flowers. All was cedar; no stone was seen. 19 The inner sanctuary he prepared in the innermost part of the house, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 20 The 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. 21 And 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. 22 And he overlaid the whole house with gold, until all the house was finished. ^zAlso the whole altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold.

23 ^aaIn the inner sanctuary ^abhe made two cherubim of olivewood, each ten cubits high. 24 Five 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. 25 The other cherub also measured ten cubits; both cherubim had the same measure and the same form. 26 The height of one cherub was ten cubits, and so was that of the other cherub. 27 He put the cherubim in the innermost part of the house. ^acAnd 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. 28 And he overlaid the cherubim with gold.

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

31 For 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} 32 He 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.

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

37 ^agIn the fourth year the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid, in the month of Ziv. 38 And 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 7:13-15

The Temple Furnishings

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

15 ^ajHe cast ^aktwo pillars of bronze. ^alEighteen 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}

2 Chronicles 2

Preparing to Build the Temple

1 ^{▼▼Ch 1:18 in Hebrew} ^aoNow Solomon purposed to build a temple for the name of the Lord, and a royal palace for himself. 2 ^{▼▼Ch 2:1 in Hebrew} ^aqAnd Solomon assigned 70,000 men to bear burdens and 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and ^ar3,600 to oversee them. 3 ^asAnd Solomon sent word to Hiram the king of Tyre: ^at“As you dealt with David my father and sent him cedar to build himself a house to dwell in, so deal with me. 4 Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God and dedicate it to him for the burning of ^auincense of sweet spices before him, and for ^avthe regular arrangement of the showbread, and for ^awburnt offerings morning and evening, ^axon the Sabbaths and the new moons and the appointed feasts of the Lord our God, as ordained forever for Israel. 5 The house that I am to build will be great, ^ayfor our God is greater than all gods. 6 ^azBut who is able to build him a house, since ^baheaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain him? Who am I to build a house for him, except as a place to make offerings before him? 7 So now ^bbsend me a man skilled to work in gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue fabrics, trained also in engraving, to be with the skilled workers who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, ^bcwhom David my father provided. 8 Send me also cedar, cypress, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that ^bdyour servants know how to cut timber in Lebanon. And my servants will be with your servants, 9 to prepare timber for me in abundance, for the house I am to build will be great and wonderful. 10 ^beI will give for your servants, the woodsmen who cut timber, 20,000 cors ^{▼▼A cor was about 6 bushels or 220 liters} of crushed wheat, 20,000 cors of barley, 20,000 baths ^{▼▼A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters} of wine, and 20,000 baths of oil.”

11 Then Hiram the king of Tyre answered in a letter that he sent to Solomon, ^bh“Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you king over them.” 12 Hiram also said, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, ^biwho made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, who has discretion and understanding, ^bjwho will build a temple for the Lord and a royal palace for himself.

13 “Now I have sent a skilled man, who has understanding, Huram-abi, 14 ^bkthe son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre. He is ^bltrained to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, blue, and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and to do all sorts of engraving and execute any design that may be assigned him, with your craftsmen, the craftsmen of my lord, David your father. 15 Now therefore the wheat and barley, oil and wine, ^bmof which my lord has spoken, let him send to his servants. 16 ^bnAnd we will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you in rafts by sea to ^boJoppa, so that you may take it up to Jerusalem.”

17 Then Solomon counted all the resident aliens who were in the land of Israel, ^bpafter the census of them that David his father had taken, and there were found 153,600. 18 ^bqSeventy thousand of them he assigned to bear burdens, 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and 3,600 as overseers to make the people work.

2 Chronicles 3

Solomon Builds the Temple

1 ^brThen Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem ^bson Mount Moriah, where the Lord ^{▼▼Septuagint; Hebrew lacks the Lord} had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, ^buon the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 2 He began to build in the second month of the fourth year of his reign. 3 These are Solomon’s ^bvmeasurements ^{▼▼Syriac; Hebrew foundations} for building the house of God: ^bxthe length, in cubits ^{▼▼A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters} of the old standard, was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. 4 The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house, ^{▼▼Compare 1 Kings 6:3; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain} and its height was 120 cubits. He overlaid it on the inside with pure gold. 5 ^caThe nave he lined with cypress and covered it with fine gold ^cband made palms and chains on it. 6 He adorned the house with settings of precious stones. The gold was gold of Parvaim. 7 So he lined the house with gold—its beams, its thresholds, its walls, and its doors— ^ccand he carved cherubim on the walls.

8 ^cdAnd he made the Most Holy Place. Its length, corresponding to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and its breadth was twenty cubits. He overlaid it with 600 talents ^{▼▼A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms} of fine gold. 9 The weight of gold for the nails was fifty shekels. ^{▼▼A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams} And he overlaid ^cgthe upper chambers with gold.

10 ^chIn the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim of wood ^{▼▼Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain} and overlaid ^{▼▼Hebrew they overlaid} them with gold. 11 The wings of the cherubim together extended twenty cubits: one wing of the one, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and its other wing, of five cubits, touched the wing of the other cherub; 12 and of this cherub, one wing, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and the other wing, also of five cubits, was joined to the wing of the first cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits. The cherubim ^{▼▼Hebrew they} stood on their feet, ^clfacing the nave. 14 ^cmAnd he made the veil of blue and purple and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and he worked cherubim on it.

15 ^cnIn front of the house he made two pillars thirty-five cubits high, with a capital of five cubits on the top of each. 16 He made chains like a necklace ^{▼▼Hebrew chains in the inner sanctuary} and put them on the tops of the pillars, and he made a hundred pomegranates and put them on the chains. 17 ^cpHe set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the south, the other on the north; that on the south he called Jachin, and that on the north Boaz.

2 Chronicles 4

The Temple’s Furnishings

1 He made ^cqan altar of bronze, twenty cubits ^{▼▼A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters} long and twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high. 2 ^csThen 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. 3 Under it were figures of gourds, ^{▼▼Compare 1 Kings 7:24; Hebrew oxen; twice in this verse} for ten cubits, compassing the sea all around. The gourds were in two rows, cast with it when it was cast. 4 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. 5 Its 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. ^cvIt held 3,000 baths. ^{▼▼A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters} 6 ^cxHe 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.

7 And he made ten golden lampstands ^cyas prescribed, and set them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. 8 ^czHe 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. 9 He made ^dathe court of the priests ^dband the great court and doors for the court and overlaid their doors with bronze. 10 ^dcAnd he set the sea at the southeast corner of the house.

11 ^dd, ^deHiram also made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. ^dfSo Hiram finished the work that he did for King Solomon on the house of God: 12 the two pillars, ^dgthe 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 ^dhand 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 ^diHe 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, ^djthe forks, and all the equipment for these ^dk, ^dlHuram-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. ^{▼▼Spelled Zarethan in 1 Kings 7:46} 18 ^dnSolomon 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, ^dothe tables for the bread of the Presence, 20 the lampstands and their lamps of pure gold ^dpto 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 ^{▼▼Compare 1 Kings 7:50; Hebrew the entrance of the house} 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.

Ezra 5:11

11 And this was their reply to us: ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, ^drwhich a great king of Israel built and ^dsfinished.