1 Kings 7

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

And Solomon built a house for himself in thirteen years.

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.

And he built the house with the wood of Libanus; its length [was] a hundred cubits, and its breadth [was] fifty cubits, and its height [was] of thirty cubits, and [it was made] with three rows of cedar pillars, and the pillars had side-pieces of cedar.

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 formed the house with chambers above on the sides of the pillars, and the number of the pillars [was each] row forty and five,

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

and [there were] three chambers, and space against space in three rows.

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

And all the doors and spaces formed like chambers [were] square, and from door to door [was a correspondence] in three rows.

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] the porch of the pillars, [they were] fifty [cubits] long and fifty broad, the porch joining them in front; and the [other] pillars and the thick beam [were] in front of the house by the porches.

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

And [there was] the Porch of seats where he would judge, the porch of judgment.

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 their house where he would dwell, [had] one court communicating with these according to this work; and [he built] the house for the daughter of Pharao whom Solomon had taken, according to 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 these [were] of costly stones, sculptured at intervals within even from the foundation even to the top, and outward to the great court,

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

founded with large costly stones, stones of ten cubits and eight cubits [long].

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

And above with costly stones, according to the measure of hewn stones, and with cedars.

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.

[There were] three rows of hewn [stones] round about the great hall, and a row of sculptured cedar.

13 King Solomon sent for Hiram from Tyre.

And king Solomon sent, and took Chiram out of 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; and he [was] of the tribe of Nephthalim, and his father [was] a Tyrian; a worker in brass, and accomplished in are and skill and knowledge to work every work in brass: and he was brought in to king Solomon, and he wrought all the works.

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

And he cast the two pillars for the porch of the house: eighteen cubits [was] the height of [each] pillar, and a circumference of fourteen cubits encompassed it, even the thickness of the pillar: the flutings [were] four fingers [wide], and thus [was] the other pillar [formed].

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

And he made two molten chapiters to put on the heads of the pillars: five cubits [was] the height of one chapiter, and five cubits [was] the height of the other chapiter.

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

And he made two ornaments of network to cover the chapiters of the pillars; even a net for one chapiter, and a net for 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 hanging work, two rows of brazen pomegranates, formed with network, hanging work, row upon row: and thus he framed [the ornaments] for the second chapiter. And he set up the pillars of the porch of the temple: and he set up the one pillar, and called its name Jachum: and he set up the second pillar, and called its name Boloz.

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

And on the heads of the pillars he made lily-work against 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 a chamber over both the pillars, and above the sides an addition [equal to] the chamber in width.

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.

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

And he made the sea, ten cubits from one rim to the other, the same was completely circular round about: its height [was] five cubits, and its circumference thirty-three cubits.

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 stays underneath its rim round about compassed it ten cubits round;

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 [there were] twelve oxen under the sea: three looking to the north, and three looking to the west, and three looking to the south, and three looking to the east: and all their hinder parts [were] inward, and the sea [was] above upon them.

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 its rim [was] as the work of the rim of a cup, a lily-flower, and the thickness of it [was] a span.

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 brazen bases: five cubits [was] the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth of it, and its height [was] six cubits.

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

And this work of the bases [was] formed with a border the them, and [there was] a border between the ledges.

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 upon their borders between the projection [were] lions, and oxen, and cherubs: and on the projections, even so above, and also below [were] the places of lions and oxen, hanging work.

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

And [there were] four brazen wheels to one base; and [there were] brazen bases, and their four sides [answering to them], side pieces under the bases.

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.

And [there were] axles in the wheels under the base.

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 height of one 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 the work of the wheels [was] as the work of chariot wheels: their axles, and their felloes, and [the rest of] their work, [were] all molten.

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

The four side pieces were at the four corners of each base; its shoulders [were formed] of the base.

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 on the top of the base half a cubit [was] the size of it, [there was] a circle on the top of the base, and [there was] the top of its spaces and its borders: and it was open at the top of its spaces.

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.

And its borders [were] cherubs, and lions, and palm-trees, upright, each [was] joined in front [and] within and round about.

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

According to the same form he made all the ten bases, [even] one order and one measure to all.

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.

And he made ten brazen lavers, each laver containing forty baths, [and] measuring four cubits, each laver [placed] on a several base throughout the ten bases.

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 put five bases on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house: and the sea was placed on the right side of the house eastward in the direction of the south.

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 Chiram made the caldrons, and the pans, and the bowls; and Chiram finished making all the works that he wrought for king Solomon in the house 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;

two pillars and the wreathen works of the pillars on the heads of the two pillars; and the two networks to cover both the wreathen works of the flutings that were upon 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);

The four hundred pomegranates for both the networks, two rows of pomegranates for one network, to cover both the wreathen works of the bases belonging to both pillars.

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

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

44 the Sea; the twelve bulls under the Sea;

And one sea, and the 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 pans, and bowls, and all the furniture, which Chiram made for king Solomon for the house of the Lord: and [there were] eight and forty pillars of the house of the king and of the house of the Lord: all the works of the king which Chiram made were entirely of brass.

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

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.

There was no reckoning of the brass of which he made all these works, from the very great abundance, there was no end of the weight of the brass. In the country round about Jordan did he cast them, in the clay land between Socchoth and Sira.

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 king Solomon took the furniture which [Chiram] made for the house of the Lord, the golden altar, and the golden table of show bread.

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 [he put] the five candlesticks on the left, and five on the right in front of the oracle, [being] of pure gold, and the lamp-stands, and the lamps, and the snuffers of gold.

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 [there were made] the porches, and the nails, and the bowls, and the spoons, and the golden censers, of pure gold: and the panels of the doors of the innermost part of the house, [even] the holy of holies, and the golden doors of the temple.

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.

So the work of the house of the Lord which Solomon wrought was finished; and Solomon brought in the holy things of David his father, and all the holy things of Solomon; he put the silver, and the gold, and the furniture, into the treasures of the house of the Lord.