Building the Temple

3 Then Solomon began^(A) to build the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah^(B) where the Lord^[a] had appeared to his father David, at the site David had prepared on the threshing-floor of Ornan^[b] the Jebusite. ² He began to build on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign. ³ These are Solomon’s foundations^[c] for building God’s temple: the length^[d] was twenty-seven metres,^[e] and the width nine metres.^{[f] 4} The portico, which was across the front extending across the width of the temple, was nine metres wide; its height was nine metres;^[g] he overlaid its inner surface with pure gold. ⁵ The larger room^[h] he panelled with cypress wood, overlaid with fine gold, and decorated with palm trees and chains. ⁶ He adorned the temple with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was the gold of Parvaim. ⁷ He overlaid the temple – the beams, the thresholds, its walls and doors – with gold,^(C) and he carved cherubim on the walls.^(D)

The Most Holy Place

⁸ Then he made the most holy place; its length corresponded to the width of the temple, nine metres, and its width was nine metres.^(E) He overlaid it with twenty tonnes^[i] of fine gold. ⁹ The weight of the nails was 575 grams^[j] of gold, and he overlaid the ceiling with gold.

¹⁰ He made^(F) two cherubim of sculptured work, for the most holy place, and he overlaid them with gold. ¹¹ The overall length of the wings of the cherubim was 9 metres: the wing of one was 2.25 metres,^[k] touching the wall of the room; its other wing was 2.25 metres, touching the wing of the other cherub. ¹² The wing of the other^[l] cherub was 2.25 metres, touching the wall of the room; its other wing was 2.25 metres, reaching the wing of the other cherub. ¹³ The wingspan of these cherubim was 9 metres. They stood on their feet and faced the larger room.^[m]

¹⁴ He made the curtain of blue, purple, and crimson yarn and fine linen, and he wove cherubim into it.^(G)

The Bronze Pillars

¹⁵ In front of the temple^(H) he made two pillars, each 8 metres^[n] high. The capital on top of each was 2.25 metres high. ¹⁶ He had made chainwork in the inner sanctuary and also put it on top of the pillars.^(I) He made a hundred pomegranates and fastened them into the chainwork. ¹⁷ Then he set up the pillars in front of the sanctuary, one on the right and one on the left. He named the one on the right Jachin^[o] and the one on the left Boaz.^[p]