1 Kings 6

1 In the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year that Solomon was king of Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, the building of the Lord's house was started.

And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of Jehovah.

2 The house which Solomon made for the Lord was sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.

And the house which king Solomon built for Jehovah, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty [cubits], and the height thereof thirty cubits.

3 The covered way before the Temple of the house was twenty cubits long, as wide as the house, and ten cubits wide in front of the house.

And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; [and] ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house.

4 And for the house he made windows, with network across.

And for the house he made windows of fixed lattice-work.

5 And against the walls all round, and against the walls of the Temple and of the inmost room, he put up wings, with side rooms all round:

And against the wall of the house he built stories round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle; and he made side-chambers round about.

6 The lowest line of them being five cubits wide, the middle six cubits wide and the third seven cubits; for there was a space all round the outside walls of the house so that the boards supporting the rooms did not have to be fixed in the walls of the house.

The nethermost story was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad; for on the outside he made offsets [in the wall] of the house round about, that [the beams] should not have hold in the walls of the house.

7 (And the stones used in the building of the house were squared at the place where they were cut out; there was no sound of hammer or axe or any iron instrument while they were building the house.)

And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready at the quarry; and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.

8 The door to the lowest side rooms was in the right side of the house; and they went up by twisting steps into the middle rooms, and from the middle into the third.

The door for the middle side-chambers was in the right side of the house: and they went up by winding stairs into the middle [story], and out of the middle into the third.

9 So he put up the house and made it complete, roofing it with boards of cedar-wood.

So he built the house, and finished it; and he covered the house with beams and planks of cedar.

10 And he put up the line of side rooms against the walls of the house, fifteen cubits high, resting against the house on boards of cedar-wood.

And he built the stories against all the house, each five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.

11 (And the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying,

And the word of Jehovah came to Solomon, saying,

12 About this house which you are building: if you will keep my laws and give effect to my decisions and be guided by my rules, I will give effect to my word which I gave to David your father.

Concerning this house which thou art building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute mine ordinances, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I establish my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father.

13 And I will be ever among the children of Israel, and will not go away from my people.

And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.

14 So Solomon made the building of the house complete.)

So Solomon built the house, and finished it.

15 The walls of the house were covered inside with cedar-wood boards; from the floor to the roof of the house they were covered inside with wood; and the floor was covered with boards of cypress-wood.

And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar: from the floor of the house unto the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the house with boards of fir.

16 And at the back of the house a further space of twenty cubits was shut in with boards of cedar-wood, for the inmost room.

And he built twenty cubits on the hinder part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor unto the walls [of the ceiling]: he built [them] for it within, for an oracle, even for the most holy place.

17 And the house, that is, the Temple, in front of the holy place was forty cubits long.

And the house, that is, the temple before [the oracle], was forty cubits [long].

18 (All the inside of the house was cedar-wood, ornamented with designs of buds and flowers; no stonework was to be seen inside.)

And there was cedar on the house within, carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.

19 And he made ready an inmost room in the middle of the house, in which to put the ark of the agreement of the Lord.

And he prepared an oracle in the midst of the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of Jehovah.

20 And the inmost room was twenty cubits square and twenty cubits high, plated over with clear gold, and he made an altar of cedar-wood, plating it with gold.

And within the oracle was [a space of] twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof; and he overlaid it with pure gold: and he covered the altar with cedar.

21 Solomon had all the inside of the house covered with gold, and he put chains of gold across in front of the inmost room, which itself was covered with gold.

So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he drew chains of gold across before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold.

22 Plates of gold were put all through the house till it was covered completely (and the altar in the inmost room was all covered with gold).

And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until all the house was finished: also the whole altar that belonged to the oracle he overlaid with gold.

23 In the inmost room he made two winged beings of olive-wood, ten cubits high;

And in the oracle he made two cherubim of olive-wood, each ten cubits high.

24 With outstretched wings five cubits wide; the distance from the edge of one wing to the edge of the other was ten cubits.

And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.

25 The two winged ones were ten cubits high, of the same size and form.

And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubim were of one measure and one form.

26 The two of them were ten cubits high.

The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.

27 These were placed inside the inner house, their outstretched wings touching the walls of the house, one touching one wall and one the other, while their other wings were touching in the middle.

And he set the cherubim within the inner house; and the wings of the cherubim were stretched forth, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.

28 These winged ones were plated over with gold.

And he overlaid the cherubim with gold.

29 And all the walls of the house inside and out were ornamented with forms of winged ones and palm-trees and open flowers.

And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers, within and without.

30 And the floor of the house was covered with gold, inside and out.

And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without.

31 For the way into the inmost room he made doors of olive-wood, the arch and the door supports forming a five-sided opening.

And for the entrance of the oracle he made doors of olive-wood: the lintel [and] door-posts were a fifth part [of the wall].

32 On the olive-wood doors were cut designs of winged ones and palm-trees and open flowers, all of them, with the doors, plated with gold.

So [he made] two doors of olive-wood; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread the gold upon the cherubim, and upon the palm-trees.

33 Then he made pillars of olive-wood for the way into the Temple; the pillars were square:

So also made he for the entrance of the temple door-posts of olive-wood, out of a fourth part [of the wall];

34 And two folding doors of cypress-wood, with two leaves.

and two doors of fir-wood: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.

35 These were ornamented with designs of winged ones and palm-trees and open flowers, plated over with gold.

And he carved [thereon] cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold fitted upon the graven work.

36 And the inner space was walled with three lines of squared stones and a line of cedar-wood boards.

And he built the inner court with three courses of hewn stone, and a course of cedar beams.

37 In the fourth year the base of the house was put in its place, in the month Ziv.

In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of Jehovah laid, in the month Ziv.

38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, the building of the house was complete in every detail, as it had been designed. So he was seven years building it.

And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.