2 Chronicles 3
1 Then Solomon began to build the house of YHWH at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where he appeared to David his father, at the place that David had designated, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
Then Solomon’s workers started to build the temple for Yahweh in Jerusalem. They built it on Moriah Hill, where [an angel from] Yahweh had appeared to his father David. They built it on the ground that Araunah, a descendant of the Jebus people-group, had sold to David and where David said that it should be built.
2 And he began to build in the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.
They began the work in April, when Solomon had been ruling almost four years.
3 Now these are the foundations which Solomon laid for the building of God's house. The length, using the former standard measure, was one hundred three feet and four inches, and the breadth was thirty-four feet and five inches, and its height was fifty-one feet and eight inches.
The foundation of the temple was about 90 feet long and 30 feet wide.
4 The porch that was in front of the house was the same as the width of the house, thirty-four feet and five inches, and the depth was seventeen feet and three inches; and he overlaid it on the inside with pure gold.
The entrance room across the front of the temple was 30 feet wide and 30 feet high.
5 The greater house he made a ceiling with fir wood, which he overlaid with fine gold, and ornamented it with palm trees and chains.
Solomon’s workers used [panels/boards of] pine [wood] to line the main hall of the temple. Then they covered those panels with [very thin sheets of] pure gold. Then they decorated the walls with [carved images of] palm trees and designs that resembled chains.
6 He garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim.
They decorated the temple with very valuable stones. The gold that they used was from [the land of] Parvaim.
7 He overlaid also the house, the beams, the thresholds, and its walls, and its doors, with gold; and engraved cherubim on the walls.
They covered the ceiling beams, the door frames, the walls and the doors of the temple with [very thin sheets of] gold. They also carved [statues of] winged creatures on the walls.
8 He made the most holy house: its length, according to the breadth of the house, was thirty-four feet and five inches, and its breadth thirty-four feet and five inches; and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.
They also built the Very Holy Place [inside the temple]. It was 30 feet wide and 30 feet long. They covered its walls with sheets of pure gold that altogether weighed 23 tons.
9 The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. He overlaid the upper rooms with gold.
They used 1-1/4 pounds of gold to [cover the heads of] the nails. They also covered the walls of the upper rooms with sheets of gold.
10 In the most holy house he made two cherubim of sculptured work; and he overlaid them with gold.
Solomon’s workers made two statues of creatures with wings to put inside the Very Holy Place. They covered those statues with [very thin sheets of] gold.
11 The wings of the cherubim were thirty-four feet and five inches: the wing of the one was eight feet and seven inches, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was eight feet and seven inches, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.
[Each statue had two long wings]. One wing of each statue touched one of the walls of the Temple. The other wing of each statue touched a wing of the other statue. It was 7-1/2 feet from the outer tip of one wing to the outer tip of the other wing. The inner wings of the two statues touched each other.
12 The wing of the other cherub was eight feet and seven inches, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was eight feet and seven inches, joining to the wing of the other cherub.
13 The wings of these cherubim were extended thirty-four feet and five inches: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were toward the house.
It was 30 feet from the outer wing of the one statue to the outer wing of the other statue. The statues faced the doorway to the main room.
14 He made the veil of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and ornamented it with cherubim.
Solomon’s workers made a curtain [to separate the main room from the Very Holy Place]. It was made of blue, purple, and red thread and fine linen. There were figures of winged creatures that were embroidered on the curtain.
15 Also he made before the house two pillars sixty feet and three inches high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was eight feet and seven inches.
They made two [bronze] pillars and put them at the entrance of the temple. They were each 27 feet high. Each had a top over it that was 7-1/2 feet high.
16 He made chains in the inner sanctuary, and put them on the tops of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains.
The workers made [carvings that resembled] chains and put them on top of the pillars. They made [carvings that resembled] pomegranates and attached them to the chains.
17 He set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jakin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.
They set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the south side [of the entrance] and the other on the north side. The one on the south side was named Jakin and the one on the north side was named Boaz.
