Solomon Builds His Palace

7 Solomon was ^(A)building his own house thirteen years, and he finished his entire house.

² He built ^(B)the House of the Forest of Lebanon. Its length was a hundred cubits^[a] and its breadth fifty cubits and its height thirty cubits, and it was built on four^[b] rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on the pillars. ³ And it was covered with cedar above the chambers that were on the forty-five pillars, fifteen in each row. ⁴ There were window frames in three rows, and window opposite window in three tiers. ⁵ All the doorways and windows^[c] had square frames, and window was opposite window in three tiers.

⁶ And he made ^(C)the Hall of Pillars; its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth thirty cubits. There was a porch in front with pillars, and ^(D)a canopy in front of them.

⁷ And he made the Hall of the Throne where he was to pronounce judgment, even the Hall of Judgment. ^(E)It was finished with cedar from floor to rafters.^[d]

⁸ His own house where he was to dwell, in the other court back of the hall, was of like workmanship. Solomon also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh's daughter ^(F)whom he had taken in marriage.

⁹ All these were made of costly stones, cut according to measure, sawed with saws, back and front, even from the foundation to the coping, and from the outside to the great court. ¹⁰ The foundation was of costly stones, huge stones, stones of eight and ten cubits. ¹¹ And above were costly stones, cut according to measurement, and cedar. ^12 (G)The great court had three courses of cut stone all around, and a course of cedar beams; so had the inner court of the house of the Lord and ^(H)the vestibule of the house.

The Temple Furnishings

¹³ And King Solomon sent and brought ^(I)Hiram from Tyre. ¹⁴ He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze. And ^(J)he was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill for making any work in bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all his work.

^15 (K)He cast ^(L)two pillars of bronze. ^(M)Eighteen cubits was the height of one pillar, and a line of twelve cubits measured its circumference. It was hollow, and its thickness was four fingers. The second pillar was the same.^{[e] 16} He also made two capitals of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of the one capital was five cubits, and ^(N)the height of the other capital was five cubits. ¹⁷ There were lattices of checker work with wreaths of chain work for the capitals on the tops of the pillars, a lattice^[f] for the one capital and a lattice for the other capital. ¹⁸ Likewise he made pomegranates^[g] in two rows around the one latticework to cover the capital that was on the top of the pillar, and he did the same with the other capital. ¹⁹ Now the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars in the vestibule were of lily-work, four cubits. ²⁰ The capitals were on the two pillars and also above the rounded projection which was beside the latticework. There were ^(O)two hundred pomegranates in two rows all around, and so with the other capital. ^21 (P)He set up the pillars at the vestibule of the temple. He set up the pillar on the south and called its name Jachin, and he set up the pillar on the north and called its name Boaz. ²² And on the tops of the pillars was lily-work. Thus the work of the pillars was finished.

^23 (Q)Then he made ^(R)the sea of cast metal. It was round, ten cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference. ²⁴ Under its brim were ^(S)gourds, for ten cubits, compassing the sea all around. The gourds were in two rows, cast with it when it was cast. ²⁵ It stood on ^(T)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. ²⁶ Its thickness was a handbreadth,^[h] and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It held two thousand baths.^[i]

²⁷ He also made the ^(U)ten stands of bronze. Each stand was four cubits long, four cubits wide, and three cubits high. ²⁸ This was the construction of the stands: they had panels, and the panels were set in the frames, ²⁹ and on the panels that were set in the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim. On the frames, both above and below the lions and oxen, there were wreaths of beveled work. ³⁰ Moreover, each stand had four bronze wheels and axles of bronze, and at the four corners were supports for a basin. The supports were cast with wreaths at the side of each. ³¹ Its opening was within a crown that projected upward one cubit. Its opening was round, as a pedestal is made, a cubit and a half deep. At its opening there were carvings, and its panels were square, not round. ³² And the four wheels were underneath the panels. The axles of the wheels were of one piece with the stands, and the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half. ³³ The wheels were made like a chariot wheel; their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all cast. ³⁴ There were four supports at the four corners of each stand. The supports were of one piece with the stands. ³⁵ And on the top of the stand there was a round band half a cubit high; and on the top of the stand its stays and its panels were of one piece with it. ³⁶ And on the surfaces of its stays and on its panels, he carved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, according to the space of each, with wreaths all around. ³⁷ After this manner he made ^(V)the ten stands. All of them were cast alike, of the same measure and the same form.

³⁸ And he made ^(W)ten basins of bronze. Each basin held forty baths, each basin measured four cubits, and there was a basin for each of the ten stands. ³⁹ And he set the stands, five on the south side of the house, and five on the north side of the house. And he set the sea at the southeast corner of the house.

^40 (X)Hiram also made ^(Y)the pots, the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram finished all the work that he did for King Solomon on the house of the Lord: ⁴¹ the two pillars, the two bowls of the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars, and the two ^(Z)latticeworks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars; ⁴² and the ^(AA)four hundred pomegranates for the two latticeworks, two rows of pomegranates for each latticework, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars; ⁴³ the ten stands, and the ten basins on the stands; ⁴⁴ and ^(AB)the one sea, and the twelve oxen underneath the sea.

⁴⁵ Now ^(AC)the pots, the shovels, and the basins, all these vessels in the house of the Lord, which Hiram made for King Solomon, were of burnished bronze. ⁴⁶ In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between ^(AD)Succoth and ^(AE)Zarethan. ⁴⁷ And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because there were so many of them; ^(AF)the weight of the bronze was not ascertained.

⁴⁸ So Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of the Lord: ^(AG)the golden altar, ^(AH)the golden table for ^(AI)the bread of the Presence, ^49 (AJ)the lampstands of pure gold, five on the south side and five on the north, before the inner sanctuary; ^(AK)the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of gold; ⁵⁰ the cups, snuffers, basins, dishes for incense, and ^(AL)fire pans, of pure gold; and the sockets of gold, for the doors of the innermost part of the house, ^(AM)the Most Holy Place, and for the doors of the nave of the temple.

⁵¹ Thus all the work that King Solomon did on the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in ^(AN)the things that David his father had dedicated, the silver, the gold, and the vessels, and stored them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord.

The Temple's Furnishings

4 He made ^(A)an altar of bronze, twenty cubits^[a] long and twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high. ^2 (B)Then he made the sea of cast metal. It was round, ten cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference. ³ Under it were figures of gourds,^[b] for ten cubits, compassing the sea all around. The gourds were in two rows, cast with it when it was cast. ⁴ 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. ⁵ Its thickness was a handbreadth.^[c] And its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. ^(C)It held 3,000 baths.^{[d] 6 (D)}He also made ten basins in which to wash, and set five on the south side, and five on the north side. In these they were to rinse off what was used for the burnt offering, and the sea was for the priests to wash in.

⁷ And he made ten golden lampstands ^(E)as prescribed, and set them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. ^8 (F)He also made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. And he made a hundred basins of gold. ⁹ He made ^(G)the court of the priests ^(H)and the great court and doors for the court and overlaid their doors with bronze. ^10 (I)And he set the sea at the southeast corner of the house.

^11 (J)(K)Hiram also made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. ^(L)So Hiram finished the work that he did for King Solomon on the house of God: ¹² the two pillars, ^(M)the bowls, and the two capitals on the top of the pillars; and the two latticeworks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; ^13 (N)and the 400 pomegranates for the two latticeworks, two rows of pomegranates for each latticework, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars. ^14 (O)He made the stands also, and the basins on the stands, ¹⁵ and the one sea, and the twelve oxen underneath it. ¹⁶ The pots, the shovels, ^(P)the forks, and all the equipment for these ^(Q)(R)Huram-abi made of burnished bronze for King Solomon for the house of the Lord. ¹⁷ In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah.^{[e] 18 (S)}Solomon made all these things in great quantities, for the weight of the bronze was not sought.

¹⁹ So Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of God: the golden altar, ^(T)the tables for the bread of the Presence, ²⁰ the lampstands and their lamps of pure gold ^(U)to burn before the inner sanctuary, as prescribed; ²¹ the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of purest gold; ²² the snuffers, basins, dishes for incense, and fire pans, of pure gold, and the sockets^[f] of the temple, for the inner doors to the Most Holy Place and for the doors of the nave of the temple were of gold.

Make a Joyful Noise to the Lord

A Psalm.

God's Righteous Judgment

2 Therefore you have ^(A)no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For ^(B)in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. ² We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. ³ Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? ⁴ Or do you presume on ^(C)the riches of his kindness and ^(D)forbearance and ^(E)patience, ^(F)not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? ⁵ But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are ^(G)storing up ^(H)wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

^6 (I)He will render to each one according to his works: ⁷ to those who ^(J)by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; ⁸ but for those who are self-seeking^[a] and ^(K)do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. ⁹ There will be tribulation and distress ^(L)for every human being who does evil, the Jew ^(M)first and also the Greek, ¹⁰ but glory and honor and ^(N)peace for everyone who does good, ^(O)the Jew first and also the Greek. ¹¹ For ^(P)God shows no partiality.

God's Judgment and the Law

¹² For all who have sinned ^(Q)without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. ¹³ For ^(R)it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. ¹⁴ For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, ^(S)by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵ They show that the work of the law is ^(T)written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them ^16 (U)on that day when, ^(V)according to my gospel, God judges ^(W)the secrets of men ^(X)by Christ Jesus.

¹⁷ But if you call yourself a Jew and ^(Y)rely on the law and boast in God ¹⁸ and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; ¹⁹ and if you are sure that you yourself are ^(Z)a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, ²⁰ an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law ^(AA)the embodiment of ^(AB)knowledge and truth— ^21 (AC)you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? ²² You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you ^(AD)rob temples? ²³ You who ^(AE)boast in the law ^(AF)dishonor God by breaking the law. ²⁴ For, ^(AG)as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed ^(AH)among the Gentiles because of you.”

²⁵ For circumcision indeed is of value ^(AI)if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. ²⁶ So, if ^(AJ)a man who is uncircumcised keeps ^(AK)the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded^[b] as circumcision? ²⁷ Then he who is physically^[c] uncircumcised but keeps the law ^(AL)will condemn you who have ^(AM)the written code^[d] and circumcision but break the law. ²⁸ For ^(AN)no one is a Jew ^(AO)who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. ²⁹ But a Jew is one ^(AP)inwardly, and ^(AQ)circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. ^(AR)His praise is not from man but from God.