< 2 Chronicles 3 >
1 Then Solomon began to build the house of Yahweh at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where Yahweh had appeared to David his father. He prepared the place that David had planned for it, at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
And Solomon began to build the house of the Lord, in Jerusalem on mount Moriah, as it had been shown to David his father, at the place which David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
2 He began to build on the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.
Now he began to build in the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.
3 Now these are the dimensions of the foundation that Solomon laid for the house of God. Using the old style cubit, the length was sixty cubits, and the width was twenty cubits.
And these are the foundations, which Solomon set forth so that he might build the house of God: the length in cubits by the first measure sixty, the width in cubits twenty.
4 The length of the portico at the front of the house was twenty cubits, matching the building's width. Its height was also twenty cubits, and Solomon overlaid its interior with pure gold.
Truly, at the front, the portico, which was extended in length according to the measure of the width of the house, was of twenty cubits. Then the height was of one hundred twenty cubits. And he overlaid it on the interior with the purest gold.
5 He fashioned the ceiling of the main hall with cypress, which he overlaid with fine gold, and which he carved with palm trees and chains.
Also, he covered the greater house with wooden panels of spruce, and he affixed layers of refined gold through it all. And he engraved in them palm trees, and the likeness of little chains interlaced with one another.
6 He decorated the house with precious stones; the gold was gold from Parvaim.
Also, he paved the floor of the temple with the most precious marble, of great beauty.
7 He also overlaid its beams, thresholds, walls, and doors with gold; he carved cherubs on its walls.
Now the gold, with which he covered in layers the house and its beams and posts and walls and doors, was highly refined. And he engraved cherubim on the walls.
8 He built the most holy place. Its length matched the house's width, twenty cubits, and its width was also twenty cubits. He overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.
Also, he made the house of the Holy of Holies. Its length, in accord with the width of the temple, was of twenty cubits. And its width, similarly, was of twenty cubits. And he covered it with layers of gold, of about six hundred talents.
9 The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. He overlaid its high surfaces with gold.
Then he also made nails of gold, such that each nail weighed fifty shekels. Also, he covered the upper rooms in gold.
10 He made two images of cherubs for the most holy place; craftsmen overlaid them with gold.
Now he also made, in the house of the Holy of Holies, two cherubim as a work of statues. And he covered them with gold.
11 The wings of the cherubs were twenty cubits long all together; the wing of one cherub was five cubits long, reaching to the wall of the room; the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.
The wings of the cherubim extended for twenty cubits, such that one wing had five cubits and it touched the wall of the house, and the other, having five cubits, touched the wing of the other cherub.
12 The wing of the other cherub was also five cubits, reaching to the wall of the room; its other wing was also five cubits, touching the wing of the first cherub.
Similarly, the wing of the other cherub was five cubits, and it touched the wall, and his other wing of five cubits also touched the wing of the other cherub.
13 The wings of these cherubs spread a total of twenty cubits. The cherubs stood on their feet, with their faces toward the main hall.
And so the wings of both cherubim were stretched out and extended for twenty cubits. Now they were standing upright on their feet, and their faces were turned toward the exterior house.
14 He made the curtain of blue, purple, and crimson wool and fine linen, and he fashioned cherubs on it.
Also, he made a veil from hyacinth, purple, scarlet, and fine linen. And he wove within it cherubim.
15 Solomon also made two pillars, each thirty-five cubits high, for in front of the house; the capitals that were on the top of them were five cubits high.
And also, before the doors of the temple, there were two pillars, having a height of thirty-five cubits. But their heads were of five cubits.
16 He made chains for the pillars and put them on top of them; he also made one hundred pomegranates and joined them to the chains.
Then too, there were something like little chains on the oracle, and he placed these upon the heads of the pillars. And there were one hundred pomegranates, which he placed between the little chains.
17 He set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; he named the pillar on the right Jakin, and the pillar on the left Boaz.
Also, he placed these pillars in the vestibule of the temple, one to the right, and the other to the left. The one that was on the right, he called Jachin; and the one that was on the left, Boaz.