And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about: ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast.

It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

And the thickness of it was an handbreadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and it received and held three thousand baths.

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Below the rim, figures of bulls encircled it—ten to a cubit.[a] The bulls were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea.

The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east.(A) The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. It was a handbreadth[b] in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held three thousand baths.[c]

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 4:3 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters
  2. 2 Chronicles 4:5 That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters
  3. 2 Chronicles 4:5 That is, about 18,000 gallons or about 66,000 liters

Under it were figures of gourds,[a] for ten cubits, compassing the sea all around. The gourds were in two rows, cast with it when it was cast. It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The sea was set on them, and all their rear parts were inward. Its thickness was a handbreadth.[b] And its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. (A)It held 3,000 baths.[c]

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 4:3 Hebrew oxen; twice in this verse; compare 1 Kings 7:24
  2. 2 Chronicles 4:5 A handbreadth was about 3 inches or 7.5 centimeters
  3. 2 Chronicles 4:5 A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters

(A)And under it was the likeness of oxen encircling it all around, ten to a cubit, all the way around the Sea. The oxen were cast in two rows, when it was cast. It stood on twelve (B)oxen: three looking toward the north, three looking toward the west, three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; the Sea was set upon them, and all their back parts pointed inward. It was a handbreadth thick; and its brim was shaped like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It contained [a]three thousand baths.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 4:5 About 8,000 gallons; two thousand, 1 Kin. 7:26