Solomon Builds the Temple^(A)

3 Then Solomon began to build the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah [Gen. 22:2]. This was where the Lord had appeared to David, Solomon’s father. Solomon built the ·Temple [^Lhouse] on the place David had prepared on the threshing floor of ·Araunah [or Ornan; 1 Chr. 21:15, 18–28] the Jebusite. ² Solomon began building in the ·second month [or second day of the second month; ^Cmidspring] of the fourth year ·he ruled Israel [of his reign].

³ Solomon used ·these measurements [or this foundation] for building the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of God. It was ·ninety feet [^Lsixty cubits] long and ·thirty feet [^Ltwenty cubits] wide, using the old ·measurement [standard]. ⁴ The ·porch [portico; vestibule; entry room] in front of the main ·room [hall] of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] was ·thirty feet [^Ltwenty cubits] long and ·thirty feet [^Ltwenty cubits; or ^Lone hundred twenty cubits] high.

He ·covered [overlaid] the ·inside of the porch [main hall; nave] with ·pure [fine] gold. ⁵ He put panels of ·pine [cypress; juniper; evergreens] on the walls of the ·main room [main hall; nave] and ·covered [overlaid] them with ·pure [fine] gold. Then he ·put [decorated/ornamented it with] designs of palm trees and chains in the gold. ⁶ He ·decorated [adorned] the ·Temple [^Lhouse] with ·gems [precious stones] and gold from Parvaim. ⁷ He ·put [overlaid] gold on the ·Temple’s [^Lhouse’s] ceiling beams, ·doorposts [thresholds], walls, and doors, and he carved ·creatures with wings [cherubim] on the walls.

⁸ Then he made the ·Most Holy Place [^THoly of Holies]. It was ·thirty feet [^Ltwenty cubits] long and ·thirty feet [^Ltwenty cubits] wide, ·as wide as [corresponding to the width of] the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. He ·covered [overlaid] its walls with ·about forty-six thousand pounds [^Lsix hundred talents] of ·pure [fine] gold. ⁹ The gold nails weighed ·over a pound [^Lfifty shekels]. He also ·covered [overlaid] the upper rooms with gold.

¹⁰ He ·made [sculpted; modeled] two ·creatures with wings [cherubim] for the ·Most Holy Place [^THoly of Holies] and ·covered [overlaid] them with gold. ¹¹ The wings of the ·gold creatures [cherubim] were ·thirty feet [^Ltwenty cubits] across. One wing of one creature was ·seven and one-half feet [^Lfive cubits] long and touched the ·Temple [^Lhouse] wall. The creature’s other wing was also ·seven and one-half feet [^Lfive cubits] long, and it touched a wing of the second ·creature [cherub]. ¹² One wing of the second creature touched the other side of the room and was also ·seven and one-half feet [^Lfive cubits] long. The second creature’s other wing touched the first creature’s wing, and it was also ·seven and one-half feet [^Lfive cubits] long. ¹³ Together, the creatures’ wings were ·thirty feet [^Ltwenty cubits] across. The creatures stood on their feet, facing the ·main room [main hall; nave].

¹⁴ He made the ·curtain [veil] of ·blue [violet], purple, and ·red thread [crimson cloth/yarn], and ·expensive [fine] linen, and he ·put [worked; embroidered] designs of ·creatures with wings [cherubim] in it.

The Pillars and Furnishings for the Temple^(B)

¹⁵ He made two pillars to stand in front of the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. They were ·about fifty-two feet [^Lthirty-five cubits; ^Cpossibly the combined length of the two] tall, and the capital on top of each pillar was over ·seven feet [^Lfive cubits] tall. ¹⁶ He made ·a net of [interwoven] chains and put them on the tops of the pillars. He made a hundred pomegranates and put them on the chains. ¹⁷ Then he put the pillars up in front of the Temple. One pillar stood on the ·south [^Lright] side, the other on the ·north [^Lleft]. He named the ·south [^Lright] pillar Jachin [^C“he establishes”] and the ·north [^Lleft] pillar Boaz [^C“in him is strength”].