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1 Kings 5:1-10
New English Translation

Solomon Gathers Building Materials for the Temple

5 (5:15)[a] King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers[b] to Solomon when he heard that he had been anointed king in his father’s place. (Hiram had always been an ally of David.) 2 Solomon then sent this message to Hiram: 3 “You know that my father David was unable to build a temple to honor the Lord[c] his God, for he was busy fighting battles on all fronts while the Lord subdued his enemies.[d] 4 But now the Lord my God has made me secure on all fronts; there is no adversary or dangerous threat. 5 So I have decided[e] to build a temple to honor the Lord[f] my God, as the Lord instructed my father David, ‘Your son, whom I will put on your throne in your place, is the one who will build a temple to honor me.’[g] 6 So now order some cedars of Lebanon to be cut for me. My servants will work with your servants. I will pay your servants whatever you say is appropriate, for you know that we have no one among us who knows how to cut down trees like the Sidonians.”

7 When Hiram heard Solomon’s message, he was very happy. He said, “The Lord is worthy of praise today because he[h] has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation.” 8 Hiram then sent this message to Solomon: “I received[i] the message you sent to me. I will give you all the cedars and evergreens you need.[j] 9 My servants will bring the timber down from Lebanon to the sea. I will send it by sea in raft-like bundles to the place you designate.[k] There I will separate the logs[l] and you can carry them away. In exchange you will supply the food I need for my royal court.”[m]

10 So Hiram supplied the cedars and evergreens Solomon needed,[n]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 5:1 sn The verse numbers in the English Bible differ from those in the Hebrew text (BHS) here; 5:1-18 in the English Bible corresponds to 5:15-32 in the Hebrew text. See the note at 4:21.
  2. 1 Kings 5:1 tn Heb “his servants.”
  3. 1 Kings 5:3 tn Heb “a house for the name of the Lord.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name.
  4. 1 Kings 5:3 tn Heb “because of the battles which surrounded him until the Lord placed them under the soles of his feet.”
  5. 1 Kings 5:5 tn Heb “Look, I am saying.”
  6. 1 Kings 5:5 tn Heb “a house for the name of the Lord.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name.
  7. 1 Kings 5:5 tn Heb “a house for my name.”
  8. 1 Kings 5:7 tn Or “Blessed be the Lord today, who….”
  9. 1 Kings 5:8 tn Heb “heard.”
  10. 1 Kings 5:8 tn Heb “I will satisfy all your desire with respect to cedar wood and with respect to the wood of evergreens.”
  11. 1 Kings 5:9 tn Heb “I will place them [on? as?] rafts in the sea to the place where you designate to me.” This may mean he would send them by raft, or that he would tie them in raft-like bundles, and have ships tow them down to an Israelite port.
  12. 1 Kings 5:9 tn Heb “smash them,” i.e., untie the bundles.
  13. 1 Kings 5:9 tn Heb “as for you, you will satisfy my desire by giving food for my house.”
  14. 1 Kings 5:10 tn Heb “and Hiram gave to Solomon cedar wood and the wood of evergreens, all his desire.”
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1 Kings 4
1 Kings 6
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1 Kings 6:1-7
New English Translation

The Building of the Temple

6 In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites left Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, during the month Ziv[a] (the second month), he began building the Lord’s temple. 2 The temple King Solomon built for the Lord was 90 feet[b] long, 30 feet[c] wide, and 45 feet[d] high. 3 The porch in front of the main hall of the temple was 30 feet[e] long, corresponding to the width of the temple. It was 15 feet[f] wide, extending out from the front of the temple. 4 He made framed windows for the temple. 5 He built an extension all around the walls of the temple’s main hall and Holy Place and constructed side rooms in it.[g] 6 The bottom floor of the extension was 7½ feet[h] wide, the middle floor 9 feet[i] wide, and the third floor 10½ feet[j] wide. He made ledges[k] on the temple’s outer walls so the beams would not have to be inserted into the walls.[l] 7 As the temple was being built, only stones shaped at the quarry[m] were used; the sound of hammers, pickaxes, or any other iron tool was not heard at the temple while it was being built.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 6:1 sn During the month Ziv. This would be April-May, 966 b.c. by modern reckoning.
  2. 1 Kings 6:2 tn Heb “60 cubits.” A cubit was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 cm. Measurements in vv. 2-10 have been converted to feet in the translation for clarity.
  3. 1 Kings 6:2 tn Heb “20 [cubits].”
  4. 1 Kings 6:2 tn Heb “30 cubits.”
  5. 1 Kings 6:3 tn Heb “20 cubits.”
  6. 1 Kings 6:3 tn Heb “10 cubits.”
  7. 1 Kings 6:5 tn Heb “and he built on the wall of the temple an extension all around, the walls of the temple all around, for the main hall and for the holy place, and he made side rooms all around.”
  8. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “five cubits.”
  9. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “six cubits.”
  10. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “7 cubits.”
  11. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Or “offsets” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “offset ledges.”
  12. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “so that [the beams] would not have a hold in the walls of the temple.”
  13. 1 Kings 6:7 tn Heb “finished stone of the quarry,” i.e., stones chiseled and shaped at the time they were taken out of the quarry.
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1 Kings 5
1 Kings 7
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1 Kings 6:19-28
New English Translation

19 He prepared the inner sanctuary inside the temple so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord could be placed there. 20 The inner sanctuary was 30 feet[a] long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. He plated it with gold,[b] as well as the cedar altar.[c] 21 Solomon plated the inside of the temple with gold.[d] He hung golden chains in front of the inner sanctuary and plated the inner sanctuary[e] with gold. 22 He plated the entire inside of the temple with gold, as well as the altar inside the inner sanctuary.[f]

23 In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood; each stood 15 feet[g] high. 24 Each of the first cherub’s wings was 7½ feet long; its entire wingspan was 15 feet.[h] 25 The second cherub also had a wingspan of 15 feet; it was identical to the first in measurements and shape.[i] 26 Each cherub stood 15 feet high.[j] 27 He put the cherubim in the inner sanctuary of the temple.[k] Their wings were spread out. One of the first cherub’s wings touched one wall and one of the other cherub’s wings touched the opposite wall. The first cherub’s other wing touched the second cherub’s other wing in the middle of the room.[l] 28 He plated the cherubim with gold.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 6:20 tn Heb “20 cubits” (this measurement occurs three times in this verse).
  2. 1 Kings 6:20 tn Heb “with plated gold” (or perhaps, “with pure gold”).
  3. 1 Kings 6:20 tn Heb “he plated [the] altar of cedar.”
  4. 1 Kings 6:21 tn Heb “with plated gold” (or perhaps, “with pure gold”).
  5. 1 Kings 6:21 tn Heb “it.”
  6. 1 Kings 6:22 tn Heb “all the temple he plated with gold until all the temple was finished; and the whole altar which was in the inner sanctuary he plated with gold.”
  7. 1 Kings 6:23 tn Heb “10 cubits” (a cubit was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 cm).
  8. 1 Kings 6:24 tn Heb “The first wing of the [one] cherub was 5 cubits, and the second wing of the cherub was 5 cubits, 10 cubits from the tips of his wings to the tips of his wings.”
  9. 1 Kings 6:25 tn Heb “and the second cherub was 10 cubits, the two cherubim had one measurement and one shape.”
  10. 1 Kings 6:26 tn Heb “the height of the first cherub was 10 cubits; and so was the second cherub.”
  11. 1 Kings 6:27 tn Heb “in the midst of the inner house,” i.e., in the inner sanctuary.
  12. 1 Kings 6:27 tn Heb “and their wings were in the middle of the room, touching wing to wing.”
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1 Kings 5
1 Kings 7
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2 Chronicles 1:8-12
New English Translation

8 Solomon replied to God, “You demonstrated[a] great loyalty to my father David and have made me king in his place. 9 Now, Lord God, may your promise[b] to my father David be realized,[c] for you have made me king over a great nation as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 Now give me wisdom and discernment so[d] I can effectively lead this nation.[e] Otherwise[f] no one is able[g] to make judicial decisions for[h] this great nation of yours.”[i]

11 God said to Solomon, “Because you desire this,[j] and did not ask for riches, wealth, and honor, or for vengeance on your enemies,[k] and because you did not ask for long life,[l] but requested wisdom and discernment so you can make judicial decisions for my people over whom I have made you king, 12 you are granted wisdom and discernment.[m] Furthermore I am giving you riches, wealth, and honor surpassing that of any king before or after you.”[n]

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 1:8 tn Heb “did.”
  2. 2 Chronicles 1:9 tn Heb “your word.”
  3. 2 Chronicles 1:9 tn Or “be firm, established.”
  4. 2 Chronicles 1:10 tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) following the imperative here indicates purpose/result.
  5. 2 Chronicles 1:10 tn Heb “so I may go out before this nation and come in.” The expression “go out…and come in” here means “to lead” (see HALOT 425 s.v. יצא qal.4).
  6. 2 Chronicles 1:10 tn Heb “for.” The word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.
  7. 2 Chronicles 1:10 tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”
  8. 2 Chronicles 1:10 tn Heb “to judge.”
  9. 2 Chronicles 1:10 tn Heb “these numerous people of yours.”
  10. 2 Chronicles 1:11 tn Heb “because this was in your heart.”
  11. 2 Chronicles 1:11 tn Heb “the life of those who hate you.”
  12. 2 Chronicles 1:11 tn Heb “many days.”
  13. 2 Chronicles 1:12 tn Heb “wisdom and discernment are given to you.”
  14. 2 Chronicles 1:12 tn Heb “which was not so for the kings who were before you, and after you there will not be so.”
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1 Chronicles 29
2 Chronicles 2
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New English Translation (NET)

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