1 Kings 7
1 Now Solomon built his own house for thirteen years, and he brought it to perfection.
They also built a palace for Solomon, but it required 13 years to build it.
2 And he built the house from the forest of Lebanon: one hundred cubits in length, and fifty cubits in width, and thirty cubits in height, with four walkways between columns of cedar. For he had hewn the cedar trees into columns.
One of the buildings they constructed was [a] large [ceremonial hall]. It was called the Hall of the Forest of Lebanon. It was 150 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. It was supported/held up by four rows of pillars of [wood from] cedar [trees]. There were 15 pillars in each row. There were cedar beams across each row.
3 And he clothed the entire vaulted room with panels of cedar. And it was supported by forty-five columns. Now one row held fifteen columns,
[To support the roof] there were cedar beams that connected the rows of pillars.
4 each positioned opposite another,
On each of the two side walls there were three rows of windows.
5 and looking toward one another, with equal spacing between the columns. And above the columns there were square beams equal in all things.
All the windows and doorways had rectangular frames. The windows along the long wall on one side faced the windows on the other side.
6 And he made a portico of columns, fifty cubits in length and thirty cubits in width, and another portico, facing the greater portico, with columns and with crossbeams upon the columns.
They also built another building called the Hall of Pillars. It was 75 feet long and 45 feet wide. It had a covered porch [whose roof was] supported by pillars.
7 He also made the portico of the throne, in which is the tribunal. And he overlaid it with cedar wood, from the floor even to the summit.
Then they made a building called the Hall of the Throne. It was also called the Hall of Judgment. That was where Solomon decided/judged concerning people’s disputes. The walls were covered with cedar boards, from the floor to the rafters.
8 And in the midst of the portico, there was a small house, where he would sit in judgment, similar in workmanship. He also made a house for the daughter of Pharaoh (whom Solomon had taken as wife) of the same work and type as this portico.
In the courtyard behind the Hall of Judgment they built a house for Solomon to live in that was made like the other buildings. They also built the same kind of house for his wife, who was the daughter of the king of Egypt.
9 All was of precious stones, which had been sawed by a particular standard and measure, as much within as without, from the foundation even to the summit of the walls, and outside even to the great atrium.
All of those buildings and the walls around the palace courtyard were made from costly blocks of stone, from the foundations up to the eaves. The stones were cut [at the quarry], according to the sizes that were needed, and the sides of the stones were shaped by cutting/smoothing them with saws.
10 Now the foundations were of precious stones: great stones of eight or ten cubits.
The foundations were also made from huge blocks of stone [that were prepared at the quarry]. Some of them were twelve feet long and some were fifteen feet long.
11 And above these, there were precious stones, of equal measure, which had been cut in a manner similar to boards of cedar.
On top of the foundation stones were other blocks of stone that were cut according to the sizes they needed, and cedar beams.
12 And the great atrium was round, with three rows of cut stones and one row of cut cedar, even as it also was in the interior atrium of the house of the Lord, and in the portico of the house.
The palace courtyard, the inner courtyard in front of the temple, and the entrance room of the temple had walls made by putting down three layers of cut stones between each layer of cedar beams.
13 And king Solomon sent and brought Hiram of Tyre,
There was a man who lived in Tyre [city] whose name was Huram. He knew how to make very nice things from bronze. His father had also lived in Tyre and had also been very skilled at making things from bronze, but Huram’s father was no longer living. His mother was from the tribe of Naphtali. Huram was very wise and intelligent and was very skilled at making things from bronze. Solomon invited him to come [to Jerusalem and supervise] all the work of making things from bronze, and Huram agreed.
14 the son of a widowed woman, from the tribe of Naphtali, whose father was a Tyrian, an artisan in brass, and full of wisdom, and understanding, and knowledge in order to form every work of brass. And when he had gone to king Solomon, he wrought all his work.
15 And he cast two columns of brass. Each column was eighteen cubits in height, and a line of twelve cubits encompassed both columns.
He made two bronze pillars. Each one was 27 feet tall and 18 feet around. Each was hollow, and the walls of the pillars were 3 in./7.4 cm. thick.
16 Also, he made two heads of molten brass, which would be set upon the tops of the columns: one head was five cubits in height, and the other head was five cubits in height.
He also made two bronze caps to be put on top of the pillars. Each cap was 7-1/2 feet tall.
17 And there was something like a network of chains, woven together in a wonderful manner. Both heads of the columns were cast, and seven rows of little nets traversed one head, and seven little nets were on the other head.
Then he made bronze wreaths of chains to decorate the top part of each pillar.
18 And he finished the columns with two rows all around each network, so that these covered the heads, which were at the top, with pomegranates. And he did in like manner to the second head.
He also made bronze [figures that resembled] pomegranates. He put two rows of pomegranates over the top parts of each pillar.
19 Now the heads that were at the top of the columns, in the portico of four cubits, had been fabricated with a work of lilies.
The top part over each pillar was shaped like a lily. Each [lily leaf] was six feet tall.
20 And again, there were other heads at the tops of the columns above, in accord with the measure of the column opposite the netting. And there were two hundred of the pomegranates, in rows around the second head.
These top parts were placed on a bowl-shaped section around which was draped the wreaths of chains. He made 200 [figures that represented] pomegranates and put them in two rows around the top/head of each pillar.
21 And he stationed the two columns in the portico of the temple. And when he had stationed the column on the right, he called its name Jachin. Similarly, he erected the second column, and he called its name Boaz.
His [helpers] set up the pillars in front of the entrance of the temple. The pillar on the south side was named Jakin, and the pillar on the north side was named Boaz.
22 And above the tops of the columns, he set a work in the manner of lilies. And the work of the columns was perfected.
The bronze top parts that were shaped like lilies were placed on top of the pillars. So Huram and his helpers finished making the bronze pillars.
23 He also made a molten sea, of ten cubits from brim to brim, rounded on all sides. Its height was five cubits, and a thin rope of thirty cubits wrapped it all around.
Huram also constructed a very large round bronze tank that was made of metal and cast [in a clay mold]. It was 7-1/2 ft./2.3 meters high, 30 feet/9 meters across/wide, and 45 feet/13.5 meters around it.
24 And a sculpted work under the brim encircled it for ten cubits going around the sea. There were two rows cast of striated sculptures.
Around the outer edge of the rim of the tank were two rows of gourds that were made of bronze. [But] the gourds [were not cast separately; they] were cast in the same mold as the rest of the tank. For each foot of length around the rim of the tank there were six [figures of] gourds.
25 And it was standing upon twelve oxen, of which three were looking toward the north, and three toward the west, and three toward the south, and three toward the east. And the sea above was over them. And their posteriors were entirely hidden within.
Huram [also cast] twelve [bronze statues of] oxen. He placed them to face outward. He placed three of them to face north, three to face west, three to face south, and three to face east. His helpers put the bronze tank on the backs of [the statues of] the oxen.
26 And the basin was the thickness of three twelfths. And its brim was like the brim of a chalice, or like the outturned petal of a lily. It contained two thousand baths.
The sides [of the tank] were 3 in./8 cm. thick. The rim was like the rim of a cup. It [curved outward, ] like the petals of a lily. [When the tank was full, ] it held about 10,000 gallons [of water].
27 And he made ten bases of brass: each base was four cubits in length, and four cubits in width, and three cubits in height.
Huram also made ten bronze carts. Each was six feet long and six feet wide and 4-1/2 feet tall.
28 And the work itself of the bases was engraved; and there were sculptures between the junctures.
[On the sides of the carts] there were panels which were set in frames.
29 And between the little crowns and the edges, there were lions, and oxen, and cherubim; and similarly in the junctures above. And under the lions and oxen were something like bands of brass hanging down.
On those panels were [bronze figures of] lions, bulls, and winged creatures. Below and above the lions and bulls there were decorations of bronze wreaths.
30 And each base had four wheels, with axels of brass. And at the four sides were something like little arms, under the cast basin, facing away from one another.
Each cart had four bronze wheels and two axles made of bronze. At the top corners of each cart were bronze supports to hold up a basin. On these supports were also decorations of bronze wreaths.
31 Also, the mouth of the interior of the basin was at the top of the head. And what was visible outside was of one cubit all around, and altogether it had one cubit and a half. Now at the corners of the columns were diverse engravings. And the spaces between the columns were square, not round.
On top of each cart, [under each basin, ] was a frame [that resembled] a circular collar. The top of each circular frame was 18 inches above the top of the cart, and the bottom of it was nine inches below the top of the cart. There were also decorations of bronze wreaths on the frame engraved within square panels.
32 And the four wheels, which were at the four corners of the base, were joined to one another under the base. The height of one wheel held one cubit and a half.
The wheels were 27 inches high. They were below the panels. The wheels were connected to axles that had been cast in the same mold as the rest of the cart.
33 Now these were the kind of wheels such as are often made for a chariot. And their axels, and spokes, and tires, and centers were all cast.
The wheels of the carts were like the wheels of chariots. The axles, the rims, the spokes, and the hubs were all cast [from bronze].
34 And the four little arms, which were at each corner of a base, were cast and joined together as part of the base itself.
At the top corners of each cart there were handles. These were cast in the same mold as the rest of the cart.
35 And at the summit of the base, there was a round stand of one half cubit, fabricated so that the basin could be placed upon it, having its engravings, and various sculptures of its own.
There was a nine-inch bronze band around the top of each cart. There were braces attached to the corners of each cart. The bands and the braces were cast in the same mold as the rest of the cart.
36 He also engraved those plates, which were of brass. And at the corners were cherubim, and lions, and palm trees, standing out, as if in the likeness of a man, so that they seemed not to be engraved, but placed adjacent on all sides.
The braces and the panels [on the sides of the carts] were also decorated with [figures of] winged creatures, lions, and palm trees, whenever there was space for them, and there were bronze wreaths all around them.
37 In this manner, he made ten bases with the same casting and measure, and very similar engravings.
That is how Huram made the ten carts. They [were all cast in the same mold, so they] were all alike: They all were the same size and had the same shape.
38 He also made ten hand basins of brass. One hand basin contained four baths, and was of four cubits. And each basin he set upon a base, which is ten bases.
Huram also made ten bronze basins, one for each cart. Each basin was six feet across and held 200 gallons [of water].
39 And he stationed the ten bases, five to the right side of the temple, and five to the left. And the sea he placed to the right side of the temple, opposite the east, toward the south.
Huram placed five of the carts on the south side of the temple and five on the north side. He put the big tank at the southeast corner.
40 Then Hiram made cooking pots, and trays, and small hooks. And he completed all the work of king Solomon in the temple of the Lord:
Huram also made pots, shovels [for carrying ashes], and bowls [for carrying the blood of the animals that would be sacrificed]. He completed all the work that King Solomon requested him to do for the temple. [This is a list of the bronze things he made]:
41 the two columns, and the two cords of the heads over the tops of the columns, and the two networks which covered the two cords that were above the tops of the columns;
the two pillars; the two top parts to be put over the pillars; the two wreaths of chains to decorate the tops of the pillars;
42 and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two turnings of pomegranates for each network, in order to cover the cords of the heads, which were above the tops of the columns;
the 400 [figures of] pomegranates, in two rows, with 100 in each row, that were placed over the top parts of the pillars;
43 and the ten bases, and the ten basins on the bases;
the ten carts; the ten basins;
44 and the one sea, and the twelve oxen under the sea;
the big tank; the twelve [statues of] oxen on whose backs the tank was placed;
45 and the cooking pots, and the trays, and the small hooks. All of the items that Hiram made for king Solomon, for the house of the Lord, were of golden brass.
the pots, shovels [for the ashes of the altar], and bowls. Huram [and his workers] made all these things for King Solomon and put them outside the temple. They were all made of polished bronze.
46 In the open regions near the Jordan, the king cast these, in the clay soil between Succoth and Zarethan.
They made them by pouring melted bronze into the clay molds that Huram had set up near the Jordan [River] Valley, between [the cities of] Succoth and Zarethan.
47 And Solomon positioned all the items. But because of its exceedingly great amount, the brass was not weighed.
Solomon did not [tell his workers to] weigh those bronze objects, because there were many items. So no one ever knew what they weighed.
48 And Solomon made all the furniture for the house of the Lord: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, upon which the bread of the presence would be placed;
Solomon’s [workers] also made all the gold items for the temple: the altar; the table on which the priests put the sacred bread placed before God;
49 and the gold lampstands, five to the right, and five to the left, opposite the oracle, of pure gold; and likenesses of lily blossoms, with lamps above them, of gold; and gold tongs;
the ten lampstands [that were put] in front of the Very Holy Place, five on the south side and five on the north side; the [decorations that resembled] flowers; the lamps; the tongs [to grasp the hot coals];
50 and water pots, and little forks, and bowls, and little mortars, and censers, of the purest gold; and the hinges of the doors, for the interior house of the Holy of Holies and for the doors of the house of the temple, which were of gold.
the cups, the gold lamp wick snuffers, the small lamp bowls, the dishes for incense, the pans [for carrying the hot coals], and the hinges for the doors at the entrance to the Very Holy Place and for the doors at the entrance [to the main room] of the temple. Those things were all made of gold.
51 And Solomon perfected all the work that he was doing in the house of the Lord. And he brought in the things that his father David had sanctified: the silver, and the gold, and the vessels. And he stored these in the treasuries of the house of the Lord.
So Solomon’s [workers] finished all the work for the temple. Then they placed in the temple storerooms all the things that his father David had dedicated to Yahweh—all the silver and gold, and the other valuable items.
