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Objects for Worship

Then he made a brass altar. It was ten steps long, and ten steps wide, and three times taller than a man. He melted brass and made a pool. It was round, and five long steps from one side to the other. It was as tall as a man can raise his hand. And it took fifteen steps to walk around it. There were objects that looked like oxen under the pool and all around it, (ten long steps around it). The oxen were in two rows, and were made of one piece. The pool was put on the twelve oxen. Three had their faces toward the north, three toward the west, three toward the south, and three toward the east. The pool was put on top of them. All their tails were toward the center. The brass of the pool was as thick as a hand is wide. Its round top was made like the top of a cup, like a lily flower. It could hold 22,000 bottles of water. He made ten pots in which to wash. He put five on the right side and five on the left side. They were to wash what was used for the burnt gifts. But the pool was for the religious leaders to wash in.

Then he made ten gold lamp-stands, as was shown in the plan. He put them in the house of God, five on the right side and five on the left. He made ten tables and put them in the house of God. Five were on the right side and five on the left. And he made 100 deep dishes out of gold. Then he made the open space of the religious leaders, the large open space, and the doors for the open space. And he covered their doors with brass. 10 He set the pool at the south-east corner of the house.

11 Then Huram made the pails, the tools for digging, and the pots. So Huram finished the work of God’s house that he did for King Solomon. 12 He finished making the two pillars, the pots, and the two pieces on top of the pillars. He finished the two networks to cover the two pots of the pieces on top of the pillars. 13 He finished the 400 pomegranates for the two networks. There were two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two pots of the pieces on top of the pillars. 14 He made the stands and he made the pots on the stands. 15 He made the one pool with the twelve oxen under it. 16 Huram-abi made the pails, the tools for digging, the meat-hooks, and all their objects. He made them of shining brass for King Solomon for the house of the Lord. 17 The king had them made on the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah. 18 Solomon made so many of these objects that the weight of the brass could not be known.

19 Solomon made all the things that were in the house of God. He made the gold altar, and the tables for the holy bread. 20 He made the lamp-stands with their lamps of pure gold, to burn in front of the most holy place in the way given. 21 He made the flowers, the lamps and their objects of pure gold. 22 He made the things to put out the lamps, the pots and the fire-holders of pure gold. And he made the front of the house, its inside doors for the most holy place, and the doors of the holy place, all of gold.

He made a bronze altar ·thirty feet [L twenty cubits] long, ·thirty feet [L twenty cubits] wide, and ·fifteen feet [L ten cubits] tall. Then he made from ·bronze [cast metal] a large round ·bowl [basin], which was called the Sea [C symbol of chaos subdued; 1 Kin. 7:23]. It was ·forty-five feet [L thirty cubits] ·around [in circumference], ·fifteen feet [L ten cubits] ·across [from rim to rim], and ·seven and one-half feet [L five cubits] ·deep [high]. There were ·carvings [figures; images] of ·bulls [oxen] under the rim of the bowl—ten ·bulls [oxen] every ·eighteen inches [L cubit]. They were in two rows and were ·made [cast] in one piece with the bowl.

The bowl rested on the backs of twelve bronze ·bulls [oxen] ·that faced outward from the center of the bowl [L all their hindquarters were toward the inside]. Three ·bulls [oxen] faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east. The sides of the bowl were ·four inches [four fingers; L a handbreadth] thick, and it held ·about seventeen thousand five hundred gallons [L three thousand baths]. The rim of the bowl was like the rim of a cup ·or like [and resembled] a lily blossom.

He made ten ·smaller bowls [basins] and put five on the ·south [L right] side and five on the ·north [L left]. They were for ·washing [rinsing] the ·animals [or utensils; L things] for the burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17], but the ·large bowl [L Sea; v. 2] was for the priests to wash in.

He ·made [cast] ten lampstands of gold, ·following the plans [according to the specifications]. He put them in the Temple, five on the ·south [L right] side and five on the ·north [L left].

He made ten tables and put them in the Temple, five on the ·south [L right] side and five on the ·north [L left]. And he used gold to ·make [mold] a hundred other ·bowls [basins].

He also made the priests’ courtyard and the large courtyard. He made the doors that opened to the courtyard and ·covered [overlaid] them with bronze. 10 Then he put the large ·bowl [basin; C the Sea] on the right side toward the southeast corner.

11 Huram also made ·bowls [pots; pails; washbasins], shovels, and ·small [or sprinkling] bowls. So he finished his work for King Solomon on the ·Temple [L house] of God:

12 two pillars;
two ·large bowls for the [bowl-shaped] capitals on top of the pillars;
two ·nets [networks of interwoven chains] to cover the two ·large bowls for the [bowl-shaped] capitals on top of the pillars;
13 four hundred pomegranates for the ·two nets [chains] (there were two rows of pomegranates for each ·net [chain] covering the ·bowls for the [bowl-shaped] capitals on top of the pillars);
14 the ·stands [water carts] with a ·bowl [basin] on each stand;
15 the large ·bowl [basin] with twelve ·bulls [oxen] under it;
16 the ·pots [pails; ash buckets], shovels, ·forks [meat hooks], and all the ·things to go with them [related articles/utensils].

All the things that Huram-Abi made for King Solomon for the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord were made of ·polished [burnished] bronze. 17 The king had these things ·poured [cast] into clay molds that were made in the plain of the Jordan River between Succoth and Zarethan. 18 Solomon had so many things made that the total weight of all the bronze ·was never known [could not be/was not calculated].

19 Solomon also made all the ·things [furnishings] for God’s ·Temple [L house]: the golden altar; tables which held the bread ·that shows God’s people are in his presence [L of Presence; Ex. 25:23–30]; 20 the lampstands and their lamps of ·pure [solid] gold, to burn in front of the ·Most Holy Place [inner sanctuary] as ·planned [prescribed; specified]; 21 the flowers, lamps, and tongs of pure gold; 22 the pure gold ·wick trimmers [lamp snuffers], small bowls, pans, and dishes ·used to carry coals [and incense burners/censers], the gold doors for the ·Temple [L house], and the inside doors of the ·Most Holy Place [T Holy of Holies] and of the ·main room [main hall; nave].

And he made a bronze Altar, twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high.

And he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, all around, and five cubits high. And a line of thirty cubits went around it.

And under it was the fashion of oxen, which encircled it all around, ten per cubit, surrounding the Sea all around. Two rows of oxen were cast after it had melted.

It stood upon twelve oxen. Three looked northward and three looked westward and three looked southward and three looked eastward. And the Sea stood above, upon them. And all their hind parts were inward.

And its thickness was a hand breadth. And its brim was like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies. It contained three thousand baths.

He also made ten caldrons and put five on the right and five on the left, in which to wash and cleanse the things for the Burnt Offerings. But the Sea was for the priests to wash in.

And he made ten gold candlesticks (according to their form) and put them in the Temple, five on the right and five on the left.

And he made ten tables and put them in the Temple, five on the right and five on the left. And he made a hundred gold basins.

And he made the court of the priests, and the great court and doors for the court, and overlaid its doors with bronze.

10 And he set the Sea on the right side, eastward, toward the south.

11 And Huram made pots and shovels and basins. And Huram finished the work that he would make for King Solomon, for the House of God:

12 two pillars, and the bowls, and the chapiters on the top of the two pillars, and two grates to cover the two bowls of the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars,

13 and four hundred pomegranates for the two grates, two rows of pomegranates for every grate to cover the two bowls of the chapiters that were upon the pillars.

14 He also made bases and made caldrons upon the bases.

15 And a Sea and twelve bulls were under it,

16 also pots and brooms and flesh hooks. And Huram (the father) made all these vessels of shining bronze for King Solomon, for the House of the LORD.

17 The king cast them in clay in the plain of Jordan, between Succoth and Zeredathah.

18 And Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance; for the weight of bronze could not be measured.

19 And Solomon made all the vessels for the House of God: the golden Altar and also the Tables on which the showbread stood,

20 the candlesticks with their lamps (to burn after the manner, before the Oracle) of pure gold,

21 the flowers and the lamps and the snuffers of gold (which was fine gold),

22 and the hooks and the basins and the spoons and the ash pans of pure gold. Also, the entrance to the House and its doors within, of the Most Holy Place, and the doors of the House (Temple) were made of gold.

The Temple’s Furnishings(A)

He made a bronze altar(B) twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high.[a] He made the Sea(C) of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits[b] high. It took a line of thirty cubits[c] to measure around it. Below the rim, figures of bulls encircled it—ten to a cubit.[d] 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.(D) The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. It was a handbreadth[e] in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held three thousand baths.[f]

He then made ten basins(E) for washing and placed five on the south side and five on the north. In them the things to be used for the burnt offerings(F) were rinsed, but the Sea was to be used by the priests for washing.

He made ten gold lampstands(G) according to the specifications(H) for them and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north.

He made ten tables(I) and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. He also made a hundred gold sprinkling bowls.(J)

He made the courtyard(K) of the priests, and the large court and the doors for the court, and overlaid the doors with bronze. 10 He placed the Sea on the south side, at the southeast corner.

11 And Huram also made the pots and shovels and sprinkling bowls.

So Huram finished(L) the work he had undertaken for King Solomon in the temple of God:

12 the two pillars;

the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars;

the two sets of network decorating the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars;

13 the four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pomegranates for each network, decorating the bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars);

14 the stands(M) with their basins;

15 the Sea and the twelve bulls under it;

16 the pots, shovels, meat forks and all related articles.

All the objects that Huram-Abi(N) made for King Solomon for the temple of the Lord were of polished bronze. 17 The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain of the Jordan between Sukkoth(O) and Zarethan.[g] 18 All these things that Solomon made amounted to so much that the weight of the bronze(P) could not be calculated.

19 Solomon also made all the furnishings that were in God’s temple:

the golden altar;

the tables(Q) on which was the bread of the Presence;

20 the lampstands(R) of pure gold with their lamps, to burn in front of the inner sanctuary as prescribed;

21 the gold floral work and lamps and tongs (they were solid gold);

22 the pure gold wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes(S) and censers;(T) and the gold doors of the temple: the inner doors to the Most Holy Place and the doors of the main hall.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 4:1 That is, about 30 feet long and wide and 15 feet high or about 9 meters long and wide and 4.5 meters high
  2. 2 Chronicles 4:2 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters
  3. 2 Chronicles 4:2 That is, about 45 feet or about 14 meters
  4. 2 Chronicles 4:3 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters
  5. 2 Chronicles 4:5 That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters
  6. 2 Chronicles 4:5 That is, about 18,000 gallons or about 66,000 liters
  7. 2 Chronicles 4:17 Hebrew Zeredatha, a variant of Zarethan