1 Kings 6

1 So Solomon began to build the temple of Yahweh. This happened in the 480th year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month.

In the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the LORD’s house.

2 The temple that King Solomon built for Yahweh was sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high.

The house which King Solomon built for the LORD had a length of sixty cubits, and its width twenty, and its height thirty cubits.

3 The portico in front of the temple's main hall was twenty cubits in length, equal to the width of the temple, and ten cubits deep in front of the temple.

The porch in front of the temple of the house had a length of twenty cubits, which was along the width of the house. Ten cubits was its width in front of the house.

4 For the house he made windows with frames that made them more narrow at the outside than on the inside.

He made windows of fixed lattice work for the house.

5 Against the walls of the main chamber he built rooms around it, around both the outer room and the inner room. He built rooms all around the sides.

Against the wall of the house, he built floors all around, against the walls of the house all around, both of the temple and of the inner sanctuary; and he made side rooms all around.

6 The lowest story was five cubits wide, the middle was six cubits wide, and the third was seven cubits wide. For on the outside he made offsets in the wall of the house all around so that the beams would not be inserted in the walls of the house.

The lowest floor was five cubits wide, and the middle was six cubits wide, and the third was seven cubits wide; for on the outside he made offsets in the wall of the house all around, that the beams should not be inserted into the walls of the house.

7 The house was built of stones prepared at the quarry. No hammer, ax, or any iron tool was heard in the house while it was being built.

The house, when it was under construction, was built of stone prepared at the quarry; and no hammer or axe or any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was under construction.

8 On the south side of the temple there was an entrance at the ground level, then one went up by stairs to the middle level, and from the middle to the third level.

The door for the middle side rooms was in the right side of the house. They went up by winding stairs into the middle floor, and out of the middle into the third.

9 So Solomon built the temple and finished it; he covered the house with beams and planks of cedar.

So he built the house and finished it; and he covered the house with beams and planks of cedar.

10 He built the side rooms against the inner chambers of the temple, each side five cubits high; they were joined to the house with timbers of cedar.

He built the floors all along the house, each five cubits high; and they rested on the house with timbers of cedar.

11 The word of Yahweh came to Solomon, saying,

The LORD’s word came to Solomon, saying,

12 “Concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in my statutes and do justice, keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will confirm my promise with you that I had made to David your father.

“Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in my statutes, and execute my ordinances, and keep all my commandments to walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father.

13 I will live among the people of Israel and will not forsake them.”

I will dwell amongst the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.”

14 So Solomon built the house and finished it.

So Solomon built the house and finished it.

15 Then he built the interior walls of the house with boards of cedar. From the floor of the house to the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood, and he covered the floor of the house with cypress boards.

He built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar; from the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood. He covered the floor of the house with cypress boards.

16 He built twenty cubits onto the rear of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the ceiling. He built this room to be the inner room, the most holy place.

He built twenty cubits of the back part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the ceiling. He built this within, for an inner sanctuary, even for the most holy place.

17 The main hall, that is, the holy place that was in front of the most holy place, was forty cubits long.

In front of the temple sanctuary was forty cubits long.

18 There was cedar inside the house, carved in the shape of gourds and open flowers. All was cedar inside. No stonework was visible on the inside.

There was cedar on the house within, carved with buds and open flowers. All was cedar. No stone was visible.

19 Solomon prepared the inner room inside the house in order to place the ark of the covenant of Yahweh there.

He prepared an inner sanctuary in the middle of the house within, to set the ark of the LORD’s covenant there.

20 The inner room was twenty cubits in length, twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in height. Solomon overlaid the walls with pure gold and covered the altar with cedar wood.

Within the inner sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in its height. He overlaid it with pure gold. He covered the altar with cedar.

21 Solomon overlaid the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he placed chains of gold across the front of the inner room, and overlaid the front with gold.

So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold. He drew chains of gold across before the inner sanctuary, and he overlaid it with gold.

22 He overlaid the entire interior with gold until all the temple was finished. He also overlaid with gold the whole altar that belonged to the inner room.

He overlaid the whole house with gold, until all the house was finished. He also overlaid the whole altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary with gold.

23 Solomon made two cherubim of olivewood, each ten cubits high, for the inner room.

In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high.

24 One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long and its other wing was also five cubits long. So from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other there was a distance of ten cubits.

Five cubits was the length of one wing of the cherub, and five cubits was the length of the other wing of the cherub. From the tip of one wing to the tip of the other was ten cubits.

25 The other cherub also had a wingspan ten cubits. Both the cherubim were of the same dimensions and shape.

The other cherub was ten cubits. Both the cherubim were of one measure and one form.

26 The height of one cherub was ten cubits and the other cherub was the same.

One cherub was ten cubits high, and so was the other cherub.

27 Solomon placed the cherubim in the innermost room. The wings of the cherubim were stretched out so that the wing of one touched one wall and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall. Their wings touched one another in the middle of the most holy place.

He set the cherubim within the inner house. The wings of the cherubim were stretched out, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the middle of the house.

28 Solomon overlaid the cherubim with gold.

He overlaid the cherubim with gold.

29 He carved all the walls of the house around about with figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, in the outer and inner rooms.

He carved all the walls of the house around with carved figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, inside and outside.

30 Solomon overlaid the floor of the house with gold, in both the outer and inner rooms.

He overlaid the floor of the house with gold, inside and outside.

31 Solomon made doors of olivewood for the entrance to the inner room. The lintel and doorposts had five indented sections.

For the entrance of the inner sanctuary, he made doors of olive wood. The lintel and door posts were a fifth part of the wall.

32 So he made two doors of olivewood, and he made on them carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. He overlaid them with gold and he spread the gold on the cherubim and palm trees.

So he made two doors of olive wood; and he carved on them carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold. He spread the gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees.

33 In this way, Solomon also made for the temple entrance doorposts of olive wood having four indented sections

He also made the entrance of the temple door posts of olive wood, out of a fourth part of the wall,

34 and two doors of cypress wood. The two leaves of the one door were folding and the two leaves of the other door were folding.

and two doors of cypress wood. The two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.

35 He carved on them cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and he evenly overlaid gold on the carved work.

He carved cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold fitted on the engraved work.

36 He built the inner courtyard with three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams.

He built the inner court with three courses of cut stone and a course of cedar beams.

37 The foundation of the house of Yahweh was laid in the fourth year, in the month of Ziv.

The foundation of the LORD’s house was laid in the fourth year, in the month Ziv.

38 In the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its parts and conforming to all its specifications. Solomon took seven years to build the temple.

In the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished throughout all its parts and according to all its specifications. So he spent seven years building it.