1 Kings 7

1 However, it took Solomon thirteen years to finish building the whole of his palace.

And Solomon built his own house in thirteen years, and brought it to perfection.

2 He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon— a hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high. There were four rows of cedar pillars that supported cedar beams.

He built also the house of the forest of Libanus, the length of it was a hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty cubits, and the height thirty cubits: and four galleries between pillars of cedar: for he had cut cedar trees into pillars.

3 The cedar roof of the house was on top of the beams that rested on the pillars. There were forty-five beams, fifteen in each row.

And he covered the whole vault with boards of cedar, and it was held up with five and forty pillars. And one row had fifteen pillars,

4 The windows were placed high up, in three rows facing each other.

Set one against another,

5 All the doorways and door casings had rectangular frames, the openings facing each other in sets of three.

And looking one upon another, with equal space between the pillars, and over the pillars were square beams in all things equal.

6 He also had the Hall of Columns made—forty cubits long and thirty cubits wide. It had a porch in front, its canopy also supported by columns.

And he made a porch of pillars of fifty cubits in length, and thirty cubits in breadth: and another porch before the greater porch: and pillars, and chapiters upon the pillars.

7 The throne room where he sat as judge was called the Hall of Justice, lined with cedar panels from floor to ceiling.

He made also the porch of the throne, wherein is the seat of judgment: and covered it with cedar wood from the floor to the top.

8 Solomon's own palace where he lived was in a courtyard behind the porch, made in a similar way to the Temple. He also had a palace made for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he'd married.

And in the midst of the porch, was a small house where he sat in judgment, of the like work. He made also a house for the daughter of Pharao (whom Solomon had taken to wife) of the same work, as this porch,

9 All these buildings were built using stone blocks that were expensive to produce. They were cut to size and trimmed with saws on the inside and outside. These stones were used from the foundation to the eaves, from the outside of the building all the way to the great courtyard.

All of costly stones, which were sawed by a certain rule and measure both within and without: from the foundation to the top of the walls, and without unto the great court.

10 The foundations were laid with very large top-quality stones, between eight and ten cubits long.

And the foundations were of costly stones, great stones of ten cubits or eight cubits:

11 On these were placed top-quality stones, cut to size, along with cedar timber.

And above there were costly stones, or equal measure, hewed; and, in like manner, planks of cedar:

12 Around the great courtyard, the inner courtyard, and the porch of the Lord's Temple were three courses of dressed stone and a course of cedar beams.

And the greater court was made round with three rows of hewed stones, and one row of planks of cedar, moreover also in the inner court of the house of the Lord, and in the porch of the house.

13 King Solomon sent for Hiram from Tyre.

And king Solomon sent, and brought Hiram from Tyre,

14 He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was from Tyre, a craftsman who worked in bronze. Hiram had great expertise, understanding and being familiar with all kinds of bronze work. He came to King Solomon and carried out all that the king required.

The son of a widow woman of the tribe of Nephtali, whose father was a Tyrian, an artificer in brass, and full of wisdom, and understanding, and skill to work all work in brass. And when he was come to king Solomon, he wrought all his work.

15 He cast two columns in bronze. They were both eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference.

And he cast two pillars in brass, each pillar was eighteen cubits high: and a line of twelve cubits compassed both the pillars.

16 He also cast two capitals in bronze to place on top of the columns. Each capital was five cubits high.

He made also two chapiters of molten brass, to be set upon the tops of the pillars: the height of one chapiter was five cubits, and the height of the other chapiter was five cubits:

17 He made a network of lattice of interlinked chains for both capitals, seven for each one.

And a kind of network, and chain work wreathed together with wonderful art. Both the chapiters of the pillars were cast: seven rows of nets were on one chapiter, and seven nets on the other chapiter.

18 Around the lattice network he made two rows of ornamental pomegranates to cover the capitals on the top of both the columns.

And he made the pillars, and two rows round about each network to cover the chapiters, that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and in like manner did he to the other chapiter.

19 The capitals placed on top of columns in the porch were in the shape of lilies, four cubits high.

And the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars, were of lily work in the porch, of four cubits.

20 On the capitals of both columns were the two hundred pomegranates in rows that encircled them, just above the rounded part that was next to the chain network.

And again other chapiters in the top of the pillars above, according to the measure of the pillar over against the network: and of pomegranates there were two hundred in rows round about the other chapiter.

21 He erected the columns at the entrance porch of the Temple. The southern column he named Jachin, and the northern column he named Boaz.

And he set up the two pillars in the porch of the temple: and when he had set up the pillar on the right hand, he called the name thereof Jachin: in like manner he set up the second pillar, and called the name thereof Booz.

22 The capitals on the columns were in the shape of lilies. And so the work on the columns was finished.

And upon the tops of the pillars he made lily work: so the work of the pillars was finished.

23 Then he made the Sea of cast metal. Its shape was circular, and measured ten cubits from edge to edge, five cubits in height, and thirty cubits in circumference.

He made also a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round all about; the height of it was five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits compassed it round about.

24 Below the edge it was decorated with ornamental gourds that encircled it, ten per cubit all the way around. They were in two rows cast as one piece with the Sea.

And a graven work under the brim of it compassed it, for ten cubits going about the sea: there were two rows cast of chamfered sculptures.

25 The Sea stood on twelve metal bulls. Three faced to the north, three to the west, three to the south, and three to the east. The Sea was placed on them, with their rears toward the center.

And it stood upon twelve oxen, of which three looked towards the north, and three towards the west, and three towards the south, and three towards the east, and the sea was above upon them, and their hinder parts were all hid within.

26 It was as thick as the width of a hand, and its edge was like the flared edge of a cup or a lily flower. It held two thousand baths.

And the laver was a handbreadth thick: and the brim thereof was like the brim of a cup, or the leaf of a crisped lily: it contained two thousand bates.

27 He also made ten carts to carry basins. The carts measured four cubits long, four cubits wide, and three cubits high.

And he made ten bases of brass, every base was four cubits in length, and four cubits in breadth, and three cubits high.

28 This is how they were put together: side panels were attached to uprights.

And the work itself of the bases, was intergraven: and there were gravings between the joinings.

29 Both the side panels and the uprights were decorated with lions, bulls, and cherubim. Above and below the lions and the bulls were decorative wreaths.

And between the little crowns and the ledges were lions, and oxen, and cherubims: and in the joinings likewise above: and under the lions and oxen, as it were bands of brass hanging down.

30 Each cart had four bronze wheels with bronze axles. A basin rested on four supports that had decorative wreaths on each side.

And every base had four wheels, and axletrees of brass: and at the four sides were undersetters under the laver molten, looking one against another.

31 At the top of each cart was a round opening like a pedestal to hold the basin. The opening was one cubit deep, and one and a half cubits wide. The opening had carvings around it. The panels of the cart were square, not round.

The mouth also of the laver within, was in the top of the chapiter: and that which appeared without, was of one cubit all round, and together it was one cubit and a half: and in the corners of the pillars were divers engravings: and the spaces between the pillars were square, not round.

32 The four wheels were under the panels, and the axles of the wheels were attached to the cart. Each wheel measured one and a half cubits in diameter.

And the four wheels, which were at the four corners of the base, were joined one to another under the base: the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half.

33 The wheels were made in the same way as chariot wheels; their axles, rims, spokes, and hubs were all made by casting.

And they were such wheels as are used to be made in a chariot: and their axletrees, and spokes, and strakes, and naves, were all east.

34 Each cart had four handles, one on each corner, made as part of the stand.

And the four undersetters that were at every corner of each base, were of the base itself cast and joined together.

35 There was a ring on the top of the cart a half cubit wide. The supports and panels were cast as one piece with the top of the cart.

And in the top of the base there was a round compass of half a cubit, so wrought that the laver might be set thereon, having its gravings, and divers sculptures of itself.

36 He had designs of cherubim, lions, and palm trees engraved on the panels, supports, and frame, wherever there was space, with decorative wreaths all around.

He engraved also in those plates, which were of brass. and in the corners, cherubims, and lions, and palm trees, in likeness of a man standing, so that they seemed not to be engraven, but added round about.

37 This is how he made the ten carts, with the same casts, size, and shape.

After this manner he made ten bases, of one casting and measure, and the like graving.

38 Then he made ten bronze basins. Each one held forty baths and measured four cubits across, one basin for each of the ten carts.

He made also ten lavers of brass: one laver contained four bases, and was of four cubits: and upon every base, in all ten, he put as many lavers.

39 He placed five carts on the south side of the Temple and five on the north side. He placed the Sea on the south side, by the southeast corner of the Temple.

And he set the ten bases, five on the right side of the temple, and five on the left: and the sea he put on the right side of the temple over against the east southward.

40 He also made the pots, shovels, and bowls. So Hiram finished making everything required by King Solomon for the Temple of the Lord:

And Hiram made caldrons, and shovels, and basins, and finished all the work of king Solomon in the temple of the Lord.

41 the two columns; the two capitals shaped like bowls on top the columns; the two chain networks that covered the bowls of the capitals on top of the columns;

The two pillars and the two cords of the chapiters, upon the chapiters of the pillars: and the two networks, to cover the two cords, that were upon the top of the pillars.

42 the four hundred ornamental pomegranates for the chain networks (in two rows for the chain networks that covered the capitals on top of the columns);

And four hundred pomegranates for the two networks: two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the cords of the chapiters, which were upon the tops of the pillars.

43 the ten carts; the ten basins on the carts;

And the ten bases, and the ten lavers on the bases.

44 the Sea; the twelve bulls under the Sea;

And one sea, and twelve oxen under the sea.

45 and the pots, shovels, and bowls. Everything that Hiram made for King Solomon in the Temple of the Lord was made of polished bronze.

And the caldrons, and the shovels, and the basins. All the vessels that Hiram made for king Solomon for the house of the Lord, were of fine brass.

46 The king had them cast in molds made of clay in the Jordan valley between Succoth and Zarethan.

In the plains of the Jordan did the king cast them in a clay ground, between Socoth and Sartham.

47 Solomon did not weigh anything that had been made because there was just so much—the weight of bronze used could not be measured.

And Solomon placed all the vessels: but for exceeding great multitude the brass could not be weighed.

48 Solomon also had made all the items for the Temple of the Lord: the golden altar; the golden table where the Bread of the Presence was placed;

And Solomon made all the vessels for the house of the Lord: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, upon which the leaves of proposition should be set:

49 the lampstands made of pure gold that stood in front of the inner sanctuary, five on the right and five on the left; the flowers, lamps, and tongs that were all made of pure gold;

And the golden candlesticks, five on the right hand, and five on the left, over against the oracle, of pure gold: and the flowers like lilies, and the lamps over them of gold: and golden snuffers,

50 the basins, wick trimmers, bowls, ladles, and censers that again were all made of pure gold; and the gold hinges for the doors of the inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place, in addition to the doors of the main hall of the Temple.

And pots, and fleshhooks, and bowls, and mortars, and censers, of most pure gold: and the hinges for the doors of the inner house of the holy of holies, and for the doors of the house of the temple were of gold.

51 In this way all King Solomon's work for the Temple of the Lord was completed. Then Solomon brought in the items his father David had dedicated, the special objects made of silver, the gold, and the Temple furnishings, and he placed them in the treasuries of the Temple of the Lord.

And Solomon finished all the work that he made in the house of the Lord, and brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, the silver and the gold, and the vessels, and laid them up in the treasures of the house of the Lord.