1 Kings 7

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

But his own house was Solomon building thirteen years, and then he finished all his house.

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 Lebanon: a hundred cubits was its length, and fifty cubits was its breadth, and thirty cubits was its height, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the 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 it was covered with cedar above over the beams, that lay on the forty-five pillars, fifteen in a row.

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

And there were window-spaces in three rows, and windows were opposite each other in three ranks.

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

And all the entrances and door-posts formed a square in shape: and windows were opposite windows in three ranks.

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: fifty cubits was its length, and thirty cubits its breadth; and the porch was before them; and the other pillars with an entablature before them.

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

Then he made a porch for the throne where he might judge, the porch of judgment: and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other.

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 his house where he dwelt in another court within the porch, was of the like work: and Solomon made also a house for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had taken for wife, like unto 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 heavy stones, hewn after a fixed measure, sawed with the saw inside and outside, even from the foundation unto the coping, and from the outside unto the great court.

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

And the foundation was of heavy stones, large stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits.

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

And above were heavy stones, hewn after a fixed measure, and 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.

And the great court round about was of three rows of hewn stones, and one row of cedar beams, both for the inner court of the house of the Lord, and for the porch of the house.

13 King Solomon sent for Hiram from Tyre.

And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram 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.

He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in copper: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and knowledge, to make every work in copper; and he came to king Solomon, and did 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 of copper, eighteen cubits was the height of the one pillar; and a line of twelve cubits did encompass the second pillar.

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 capitals, to set upon the tops of the pillars, of molten copper; five cubits was the height of the one capital, and five cubits was the height of the other capital;

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

And nets of checker-work, and wreaths of chain-work, for the capitals which were upon the top of the pillars; seven for the one capital, and seven for the other capital.

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, so that two rows of pomegranates were round about upon the one net-work, to cover the capitals that were upon the top: and the same he made for the other capital.

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

And the capitals, that were upon the top of the pillars, furnished with lily-work, [as] those in the porch, were 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 the capitals upon the two pillars rose also above, close by the rounding which was on the side of the network: and the pomegranates were two hundred, in rows round about, upon either capital.

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 pillars for the porch of the temple; and he set up the right pillar, and called its name Yachin; and he set up the left pillar, and called its name Boaz.

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

And upon the top of the pillars there was lily-work: and so was finished the work of the pillars.

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 molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other, rounded all about, and it was five cubits in height: and a line of thirty cubits did encompass 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 colocynth-shaped knobs were under its brim round about encompassing it, ten in a cubit, encircling the sea round about: the colocynths were in two rows, and were cast [with it] when it was cast.

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.

It was standing upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was resting above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

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 thickness was a hand's breadth, and its brim was wrought like the brim of a cup, with lily-buds: it could contain two thousand baths.

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 copper: four cubits was the length of each one base, and four cubits its breadth, and three cubits its height.

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

And this was the workmanship of the bases: They had borders, and the borders were between the corner 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 on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and upon the corner ledges it was thus also above; and likewise beneath the lions and oxen were pendant wreaths of plated 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 every base had four copper wheels, and axles of copper; and its four corners had undersetters; under the laver were the undersetters cast on; at the side of each were pendants.

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 its mouth was within the capital and above a cubit in height; but the mouth of this was rounded after the work of the base, a cubit and a half cubit; and also upon its mouth were carvings; and their borders were square, not rounded.

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 were under the borders; and the axletrees of the wheels were joined to the base: and the height of each one wheel was a cubit and a half cubit.

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 workmanship of the wheels was like the workmanship of a chariot-wheel: their axletrees, and their naves, and their felloes, and their spokes, were all cast.

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

And there were four undersetters to the four corners of each one base; the undersetters were of one piece with the base itself.

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 was a rounded compass of half a cubit high: and on the top of the base were its side-ledges; and its borders were of one piece with 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.

And he engraved on the plates of its side-ledges and on its borders, cherubim, lions, and palm-trees: and in the open space of every one were pendant wreaths round about.

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

After this manner did he make the ten bases: one casting, one measure, one form, was there for all of them.

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.

Then made he ten lavers of copper; forty baths could each one laver contain; every laver was four cubits: each one laver was upon each one base of 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 the bases, five on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house: and the sea he set on the right side of the house eastward opposite 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 Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the basins; so Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made for king Solomon for 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;

The two pillars, and the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on the top of the two pillars; and the two net-works, to cover the two bowl-shaped capitals which 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 the four hundred pomegranates for the two net-works, two rows of pomegranates for each one net-work, to cover the two bowl-shaped, capitals that were upon the front of the 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 the 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 pots, and the shovels, and the basins; and all these vessels, which Hiram had made for king Solomon for the house of the Lord, were of polished copper.

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

In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay-ground 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.

And Solomon set down all the vessels [unweighed], because they were exceedingly many: the weight of the copper was not inquired into.

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 that pertained unto the house of the Lord: The altar of gold, and the table whereupon the show-bread was, of gold,

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 candlesticks, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the debir, of pure gold, with the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs 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 the bowls, and the knives, and the basins, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges, for the doors of the inner house, for the holy of holies, for the doors of the house, and for 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 so was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the Lord: and Solomon brought in the things sanctified by David his father, the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, [and] he placed [these] in the treasuries of the house of the Lord.