1 Kings 7
New American Standard Bible
Solomon’s Palace
7 Now (A)Solomon built his own house over the course of thirteen years, and he finished all of his house. 2 (B)He built the house of the timber from Lebanon; its length was [a]a hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits, on four rows of cedar pillars with cedar beams on the pillars. 3 And it was paneled with cedar above the side chambers which were on the forty-five pillars, fifteen in each row. 4 There were artistic window frames in three rows, and window was opposite window at three [b]intervals. 5 And all the doorways and doorposts had squared artistic frames, and window was opposite window at three [c]intervals.
6 Then he made (C)the hall of pillars; its length was [d]fifty cubits and its width thirty cubits, and a porch was in front of them and pillars and a (D)threshold in front of them.
7 And he made the hall of the (E)throne where he was to judge, the hall of judgment, and (F)it was paneled with cedar from floor to floor.
8 And his house where he was to live, the other courtyard inward from the hall, was of this same workmanship. (G)He also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, (H)whom Solomon had married.
9 All of these were made of valuable stones, of stone cut according to measure, sawed with saws, inside and outside; even from the foundation to the [e]coping, and from the outside to the large courtyard.
10 And the foundation was of valuable stones, large stones, stones of [f]ten cubits and stones of eight cubits. 11 And above were valuable stones, cut according to measure, and cedar. 12 So (I)the large courtyard all around had three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams as well as the inner courtyard of the house of the Lord, and (J)the porch of the house.
Hiram’s Work in the Temple
13 Now (K)King Solomon sent word and had Hiram brought from Tyre. 14 (L)He was a widow’s son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, an artisan in bronze; and (M)he was filled with wisdom, skill, and knowledge for doing any work in bronze. So he came to King Solomon and (N)performed all his work.
15 He fashioned (O)the two pillars of bronze; [g](P)eighteen cubits was the height of [h]each pillar, and a line of [i]twelve cubits [j]measured the circumference of both. 16 He also made two capitals of cast bronze to put on the tops of the pillars; the height of the one capital was [k]five cubits and the height of the other capital was [l]five cubits. 17 There were lattices of latticework and wreaths of chainwork for the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; seven for the one capital and seven for the other capital. 18 So he made the pillars, and two rows around on the one lattice to cover the capitals which were on the top of the pomegranates; and so he did for the other capital. 19 The capitals which were on the tops of the pillars in the porch were of lily design, four cubits. 20 So there were capitals on the two pillars, also above and close to the [m]rounded projection which was beside the lattice; and (Q)the pomegranates totaled two hundred in rows around [n]both capitals. 21 (R)And he set up the pillars at the (S)porch of the [o]main room: he set up the right pillar and named it [p]Jachin, and he set up the left pillar and named it [q]Boaz. 22 On the top of the pillars was the lily design. So the work of the pillars was finished.
23 (T)He also he made the [r]Sea of (U)cast metal [s]ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in shape, and its height was five cubits, and [t]it was [u]thirty cubits in circumference. 24 Under its brim (V)gourds went around encircling it ten to a cubit, (W)completely surrounding the Sea; the gourds were in two rows, cast [v]with the rest. 25 (X)It was standing on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; and the Sea was set on top of them, and all their rear parts turned inward. 26 And it was a [w]hand width thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom; it could hold [x]two thousand baths.
27 Then (Y)he made the ten stands of bronze; the length of each stand was [y]four cubits, its width four cubits, and its height was three cubits. 28 This was the design of the stands: they had borders, that is, borders between the crossbars, 29 and on the borders which were between the crossbars were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and on the crossbars there was a pedestal above, and beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work. 30 Now each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles, and its four feet had supports; beneath the basin were cast supports with wreaths at each side. 31 And its opening inside the crown at the top was a [z]cubit, and its opening was round like the design of a pedestal, a cubit and a half; and on its opening also there were engravings, and their borders were square, not round. 32 The four wheels were underneath the borders, and the axles of the wheels were on the stand. And the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half. 33 The workmanship of the wheels was like the workmanship of a chariot wheel. Their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all cast. 34 Now there were four supports at the four corners of each stand; its supports were part of the stand itself. 35 And on the top of the stand there was a circular form [aa]half a cubit high, and on the top of the stand its [ab]stays and its borders were part of it. 36 And he engraved on the plates of its stays and on its borders cherubim, lions, and palm trees, as there was clear space on each, with wreaths all around. 37 (Z)He made the ten stands like this: all of them had the [ac]same casting, [ad]same measure, and [ae]same form.
38 (AA)And he made ten basins of bronze, [af]each holding [ag]forty baths; each basin was [ah]four cubits, and on each of the ten stands was one basin. 39 Then he placed the stands, five on the right side of the house and five on the left side of the house; and he set the [ai]Sea of cast metal on the right side of the house eastward toward the south.
40 Now Hiram made the basins and the shovels and the bowls. So Hiram finished doing all the work which he performed for King Solomon in the house of the Lord: 41 the two pillars and the two bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the (AB)two pillars, and the two lattices to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; 42 and the (AC)four hundred pomegranates for the two lattices, two rows of pomegranates for each lattice to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the tops of the pillars; 43 and the ten stands with the ten basins on the stands; 44 and (AD)the one [aj]Sea and the twelve oxen under the Sea; 45 and (AE)the buckets, the shovels, and the bowls; indeed, all these utensils which Hiram made for King Solomon in the house of the Lord were of polished bronze. 46 (AF)The king had them cast in the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between (AG)Succoth and (AH)Zarethan. 47 However, Solomon left all the utensils unweighed, because they were too many; (AI)the weight of the bronze could not be determined.
48 Solomon also made all the furniture that was in the house of the Lord: (AJ)the golden altar and the golden table on which was set the (AK)bread of the Presence; 49 and the lampstands of pure gold, five on the right side and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary; and (AL)the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of gold; 50 also the cups, the [ak]shears, the bowls, the ladles, and the (AM)firepans, of pure gold; and the hinges both for the doors of the inner house, the Most Holy Place, and for the doors of the house, that is, for the main room, of gold.
51 (AN)So all the work that King Solomon performed in the house of the Lord was finished. And (AO)Solomon brought in the offerings vowed by his father David, the silver and the gold and the utensils, and he put them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 7:2 About 150 ft. long, 75 wide, and 45 high or 46 m long, 23 wide, and 14 high;
- 1 Kings 7:4 Lit paces
- 1 Kings 7:5 Lit paces
- 1 Kings 7:6 About 75 ft. long and 45 ft. wide or 23 m long and 7 m wide
- 1 Kings 7:9 I.e., top sloping course of stone
- 1 Kings 7:10 About 15 and 12 ft. or 4.5 and 3.7 m
- 1 Kings 7:15 About 27 ft. or 8 m
- 1 Kings 7:15 Lit the one
- 1 Kings 7:15 About 18 ft. or 5.5 m
- 1 Kings 7:15 Lit went around the other pillar
- 1 Kings 7:16 About 7.5 ft. or 2.3 m
- 1 Kings 7:16 About 7.5 ft. or 2.3 m
- 1 Kings 7:20 Lit belly
- 1 Kings 7:20 Lit on the other capital
- 1 Kings 7:21 Lit sanctuary
- 1 Kings 7:21 I.e., he shall establish
- 1 Kings 7:21 I.e., in it is strength
- 1 Kings 7:23 I.e., large basin
- 1 Kings 7:23 About 15 ft. in diameter and 7.5 ft. high or 4.6 m and 2.3 m high
- 1 Kings 7:23 Lit a line of 30 cubits went around it all around;
- 1 Kings 7:23 About 45 ft. or 14 m
- 1 Kings 7:24 Lit in its casting
- 1 Kings 7:26 About 3 in. or 7.6 cm
- 1 Kings 7:26 About 12,000 gallons or 45,424 liters
- 1 Kings 7:27 About 6 ft. long and wide and 4.5 ft. high or 1.8 m and 1.4 m
- 1 Kings 7:31 About 18 in. or 45 cm
- 1 Kings 7:35 About 9 in. or 23 cm
- 1 Kings 7:35 Lit hands
- 1 Kings 7:37 Lit one
- 1 Kings 7:37 Lit one
- 1 Kings 7:37 Lit one
- 1 Kings 7:38 Lit the one basin held
- 1 Kings 7:38 About 240 gallons or 908 liters
- 1 Kings 7:38 About 6 ft. or 1.8 m
- 1 Kings 7:39 I.e., large basin
- 1 Kings 7:44 I.e., large basin
- 1 Kings 7:50 I.e., a tool to trim wicks
1 Kings 7
New King James Version
Solomon’s Other Buildings
7 But Solomon took (A)thirteen years to build his own house; so he finished all his house.
2 He also built the (B)House of the Forest of Lebanon; its length was [a]one hundred cubits, its width [b]fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits, with four rows of cedar pillars, and cedar beams on the pillars. 3 And it was paneled with cedar above the beams that were on forty-five pillars, fifteen to a row. 4 There were windows with beveled frames in three rows, and window was opposite window in three tiers. 5 And all the doorways and doorposts had rectangular frames; and window was opposite window in three tiers.
6 He also made the Hall of Pillars: its length was fifty cubits, and its width thirty cubits; and in front of them was a portico with pillars, and a canopy was in front of them.
7 Then he made a hall for the throne, the Hall of Judgment, where he might judge; and it was paneled with cedar from floor to [c]ceiling.
8 And the house where he dwelt had another court inside the hall, of like workmanship. Solomon also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, (C)whom he had taken as wife.
9 All these were of costly stones cut to size, trimmed with saws, inside and out, from the foundation to the eaves, and also on the outside to the great court. 10 The foundation was of costly stones, large stones, some ten cubits and some eight cubits. 11 And above were costly stones, hewn to size, and cedar wood. 12 The great court was enclosed with three rows of hewn stones and a row of cedar beams. So were the (D)inner court of the house of the Lord (E)and the vestibule of the temple.
Hiram the Craftsman
13 Now King Solomon sent and brought [d]Huram from Tyre. 14 (F)He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and (G)his father was a man of Tyre, a bronze worker; (H)he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill in working with all kinds of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and did all his work.
The Bronze Pillars for the Temple(I)
15 And he [e]cast (J)two pillars of bronze, each one eighteen cubits high, and a line of twelve cubits measured the circumference of each. 16 Then he made two capitals of cast bronze, to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits. 17 He made a lattice network, with wreaths of chainwork, for the capitals which were on top of the pillars: seven chains for one capital and seven for the other capital. 18 So he made the pillars, and two rows of pomegranates above the network all around to cover the capitals that were on top; and thus he did for the other capital.
19 The capitals which were on top of the pillars in the hall were in the shape of lilies, four cubits. 20 The capitals on the two pillars also had pomegranates above, by the convex surface which was next to the network; and there were (K)two hundred such pomegranates in rows on each of the capitals all around.
21 (L)Then he set up the pillars by the vestibule of the temple; he set up the pillar on the right and called its name [f]Jachin, and he set up the pillar on the left and called its name [g]Boaz. 22 The tops of the pillars were in the shape of lilies. So the work of the pillars was finished.
The Sea and the Oxen
23 And he made (M)the Sea of cast bronze, ten cubits from one brim to the other; it was completely round. Its height was five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference.
24 Below its brim were ornamental buds encircling it all around, ten to a cubit, (N)all the way around the Sea. The ornamental buds were cast in two rows when it was cast. 25 It stood on (O)twelve 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. 26 It was a handbreadth thick; and its brim was shaped like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It contained [h]two thousand baths.
The Carts and the Lavers
27 He also made ten [i]carts of bronze; four cubits was the length of each cart, four cubits its width, and three cubits its height. 28 And this was the design of the carts: They had panels, and the panels were between frames; 29 on the panels that were between the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim. And on the frames was a pedestal on top. Below the lions and oxen were wreaths of plaited work. 30 Every cart had four bronze wheels and axles of bronze, and its four feet had supports. Under the laver were supports of cast bronze beside each wreath. 31 Its opening inside the crown at the top was one cubit in diameter; and the opening was round, shaped like a pedestal, one and a half cubits in outside diameter; and also on the opening were engravings, but the panels were square, not round. 32 Under the panels were the four wheels, and the axles of the wheels were joined to the cart. The height of a wheel was one and a half cubits. 33 The workmanship of the wheels was like the workmanship of a chariot wheel; their axle pins, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all of cast bronze. 34 And there were four supports at the four corners of each cart; its supports were part of the cart itself. 35 On the top of the cart, at the height of half a cubit, it was perfectly round. And on the top of the cart, its flanges and its panels were of the same casting. 36 On the plates of its flanges and on its panels he engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, wherever there was a clear space on each, with wreaths all around. 37 Thus he made the ten carts. All of them were of [j]the same mold, one measure, and one shape.
38 Then (P)he made ten lavers of bronze; each laver contained [k]forty baths, and each laver was four cubits. On each of the ten carts was a laver. 39 And he put five carts on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house. He set the Sea on the right side of the house, toward the southeast.
Furnishings of the Temple(Q)
40 (R)Huram[l] made the lavers and the shovels and the bowls. So Huram finished doing all the work that he was to do for King Solomon for the house of the Lord: 41 the two pillars, the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on top of the two pillars; the two (S)networks covering the two bowl-shaped capitals which were on top of the pillars; 42 (T)four hundred pomegranates for the two networks (two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on top of the pillars); 43 the ten carts, and ten lavers on the carts; 44 one Sea, and twelve oxen under the Sea; 45 (U)the pots, the shovels, and the bowls.
All these articles which [m]Huram made for King Solomon for the house of the Lord were of burnished bronze. 46 (V)In the plain of Jordan the king had them cast in clay molds, between (W)Succoth and (X)Zaretan. 47 And Solomon did not weigh all the articles, because there were so many; the weight of the bronze was not (Y)determined.
48 Thus Solomon had all the furnishings made for the house of the Lord: (Z)the altar of gold, and (AA)the table of gold on which was (AB)the showbread; 49 the lampstands of pure gold, five on the right side and five on the left in front of the inner sanctuary, with the flowers and the lamps and the wick-trimmers of gold; 50 the basins, the trimmers, the bowls, the ladles, and the [n]censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner room (the Most Holy Place) and for the doors of the main hall of the temple.
51 So all the work that King Solomon had done for the house of the Lord was finished; and Solomon brought in the things (AC)which his father David had dedicated: the silver and the gold and the furnishings. He put them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 7:2 About 150 feet
- 1 Kings 7:2 About 75 feet
- 1 Kings 7:7 Lit. floor of the upper level
- 1 Kings 7:13 Heb. Hiram; cf. 2 Chr. 2:13, 14
- 1 Kings 7:15 fashioned
- 1 Kings 7:21 Lit. He Shall Establish
- 1 Kings 7:21 Lit. In It Is Strength
- 1 Kings 7:26 About 12,000 gallons; three thousand, 2 Chr. 4:5
- 1 Kings 7:27 Or stands
- 1 Kings 7:37 one
- 1 Kings 7:38 About 240 gallons
- 1 Kings 7:40 Heb. Hiram; cf. 2 Chr. 2:13, 14
- 1 Kings 7:45 Heb. Hiram; cf. 2 Chr. 2:13, 14
- 1 Kings 7:50 firepans
1 Kings 7
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Solomon’s Palace and Other Buildings
7 Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished his entire house.(A)
2 He built the House of the Forest of the Lebanon one hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high, built on four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on the pillars.(B) 3 It was roofed with cedar on the forty-five rafters, fifteen in each row, which were on the pillars. 4 There were window frames in the three rows, facing each other in the three rows. 5 All the doorways and doorposts had four-sided frames, opposite, facing each other in the three rows.
6 He made the Hall of Pillars fifty cubits long and thirty cubits wide. There was a porch in front with pillars and a canopy in front of them.
7 He made the Hall of the Throne where he was to pronounce judgment, the Hall of Justice, covered with cedar from the floor to the rafters.[a](C)
8 His own house where he would reside, in the other court back of the hall, was of the same construction. Solomon also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had taken in marriage.(D)
9 All these were made of costly stones, cut according to measure, sawed with saws, back and front, from the foundation to the coping and from outside to the great court. 10 The foundation was of costly stones, huge stones, stones of eight and ten cubits. 11 There were costly stones above, cut to measure, and cedarwood. 12 The great court had three courses of dressed stone to one layer of cedar beams all around; so had the inner court of the house of the Lord and the vestibule of the house.(E)
Products of Hiram the Bronzeworker
13 Now King Solomon invited and received Hiram from Tyre.(F) 14 He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, whose father, a man of Tyre, had been an artisan in bronze; he was full of skill, intelligence, and knowledge in working bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all his work.(G)
15 He cast two pillars of bronze. Eighteen cubits was the height of the one, and a cord of twelve cubits would encircle it; the second pillar was the same.[b](H) 16 He also made two capitals of molten bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; the height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits. 17 There were nets of checker work with wreaths of chain work for the capitals on the tops of the pillars, seven for the one capital and seven for the other capital. 18 He made the columns with two rows around each latticework to cover the capitals that were above the pomegranates; 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 high. 20 The capitals were on the two pillars and also above the rounded projection that was beside the latticework; there were two hundred pomegranates in rows all around, and so with the other capital.(I) 21 He set up the pillars at the vestibule of the temple; he set up the pillar on the south and called it Jachin, and he set up the pillar on the north and called it Boaz.(J) 22 On the tops of the pillars was lily-work. Thus the work of the pillars was finished.
23 Then he made the molten sea; it was round, ten cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits high. A line of thirty cubits would encircle it completely.(K) 24 Under its brim were gourds[c] all around it, each of ten cubits, surrounding the sea; there were two rows of gourds,[d] cast when it was cast.(L) 25 It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; the sea was set on them. The hindquarters of each were toward the inside.(M) 26 Its thickness was a handbreadth; its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily; it held two thousand baths.[e]
27 He also made the ten stands of bronze; each stand was four cubits long, four cubits wide, and three cubits high.(N) 28 This was the construction of the stands: they had borders; the borders were within the frames; 29 on the borders 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 Each stand had four bronze wheels and axles of bronze; at the four corners were supports for a basin. The supports were cast with wreaths at the side of each.(O) 31 Its opening was within the crown, whose height was one cubit; its opening was round, as a pedestal is made; it was a cubit and a half wide. At its opening there were carvings; its borders were four-sided, not round. 32 The four wheels were underneath the borders; the axles of the wheels were in 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 On the top of the stand there was a round band half a cubit high; on the top of the stand, its stays and its borders were of one piece with it. 36 On the surfaces of its stays and on its borders he carved cherubim, lions, and palm trees where each had space, with wreaths all around. 37 In this way he made the ten stands; all of them were cast alike, with the same size and the same form.(P)
38 He made ten basins of bronze; each basin held forty baths;[f] each basin measured four cubits; there was a basin for each of the ten stands.(Q) 39 He set five of the stands on the south side of the house and five on the north side of the house; he set the sea on the southeast corner of the house.
40 Hiram also made 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, the two latticeworks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars;(R) 42 the 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;(S) 43 the ten stands, the ten basins on the stands; 44 the one sea and the twelve oxen underneath the sea.(T)
45 The pots, the shovels, and the basins—all these vessels that Hiram made for King Solomon for the house of the Lord were of burnished bronze.(U) 46 In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan.(V) 47 Solomon left all the vessels unweighed because there were so many of them; the weight of the bronze was not determined.
48 So Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of the Lord: the golden altar, the golden table for the bread of the Presence,(W) 49 the lampstands of pure gold, five on the south side and five on the north, in front of the inner sanctuary; the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of gold;(X) 50 the cups, snuffers, basins, dishes for incense, and firepans, of pure gold; the sockets for the doors of the innermost part of the house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the main hall of the temple, of gold.
51 Thus all the work that King Solomon did on the house of the Lord was finished. Solomon brought in the things that his father David had dedicated, the silver, the gold, and the vessels, and stored them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord.(Y)
1 Kings 7
Common English Bible
Solomon builds palaces
7 Now as for Solomon’s palace, it took thirteen years for him to complete its construction. 2 He built the Forest of Lebanon Palace one hundred fifty feet in length, seventy-five feet in width, and forty-five feet in height. It had four rows of cedar columns with cedar engravings above the columns. 3 The palace’s cedar roof stood above forty-five beams resting on the columns, fifteen beams to each row. 4 Three sets of window frames faced each other. 5 All the doorframes were rectangular, facing each other in three sets. 6 He made a porch with columns that was seventy-five feet long and forty-five feet wide. Another porch was in front of these with roofed columns in front of them.[a] 7 He made the throne room the Hall of Justice, where he would judge. It was covered with cedar from the lower to the upper levels. 8 The royal residence where Solomon lived was behind this hall. It had a similar design. Solomon also made a similar palace for his wife, Pharaoh’s daughter. 9 He built all these with the best stones cut to size, sawed with saws, back and front, from the foundation to the highest points and from the outer boundary to the great courtyard. 10 The foundation was laid with large stones of high quality, some of fifteen feet and some of twelve feet. 11 Above them were high-quality stones cut to measure, as well as cedar. 12 The surrounding great courtyard had three rows of cut stones and a row of trimmed cedar just like the inner courtyard of the Lord’s temple and its porch.
Solomon’s temple equipment
13 Then King Solomon sent a message and brought Hiram from Tyre. 14 Hiram’s mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali. His father was a Tyrian skilled in bronze work. He was amazingly skillful in the techniques and knowledge for doing all kinds of work in bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all his work.
15 He[b] cast two bronze pillars. Each one was twenty-seven feet high and required a cord of eighteen feet to reach around it.[c] 16 He made two capitals of cast bronze for the tops of the columns. They were each seven and a half feet high. 17 He made an intricate network of chains for the capitals on top of the columns, seven for each capital. 18 He made the pillars and two rows of pomegranates for each network to adorn each of the capitals. 19 The capitals on top of the columns in the porch were made like lilies, each six feet high. 20 Above the round-shaped part and next to the network were two hundred pomegranates. These were placed in rows around both of the capitals on top of the columns. 21 He set up the columns at the temple’s porch. He named the south column Jachin. The north column he named Boaz. 22 After putting the lily shapes on top of the columns, he was finished with the columns.
23 He also made a tank of cast metal called the Sea. It was circular in shape, fifteen feet from rim to rim, seven and a half feet high, forty-five feet in circumference. 24 Under the rim were two rows of gourds completely encircling it, ten every eighteen inches, each cast in its mold. 25 The Sea rested on twelve oxen with their backs toward the center, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. 26 The Sea was as thick as the width of a hand. Its rim was shaped like a cup or an open lily blossom. It could hold two thousand baths.[d]
27 He also made ten bronze stands. Each was six feet long, six feet wide, and four and a half feet high. 28 This is how each stand was made: There were panels connected between the legs. 29 Lions, bulls, and winged otherworldly creatures appeared on the panels between the legs. On the legs above and below the lions and bulls were wreaths on panels hanging off the stands. 30 There were four bronze wheels with bronze axles for each stand. There were four feet and supports cast for each basin with wreaths on their sides.[e] 31 Inside the bowl was an opening eighteen inches deep. The opening was round, measuring twenty-seven inches, with engravings. The panels of the stands were square rather than round. 32 There were four wheels beneath the panels. The axles of the wheels were attached to the stand. Each wheel was twenty-seven inches in height. 33 The construction of the wheels resembled chariot wheels. The axles, rims, spokes, and hubs were all made of cast metal. 34 There was a handle on each of the four corners of every stand, projecting from the side of the stand. 35 The top of the stand had a band running around the perimeter that was nine inches deep. The stand had its own supports and panels. 36 On the surfaces of the supports and panels he carved winged otherworldly creatures, lions, and palm trees with wreaths everywhere.[f] 37 In this manner he made ten stands, each one cast in a single mold of the same size and shape.
38 He made ten bronze washbasins, each able to hold forty baths.[g] Every washbasin was six feet across, and there was one for each of the ten stands. 39 He placed five stands on the south of the temple and five on the north of the temple. He placed the Sea at the southeast corner of the temple.
40 Hiram made the basins, shovels, and bowls.
And so Hiram finished his work on the Lord’s temple for King Solomon:
41 two columns;
two circular capitals on top of the columns;
two networks, adorning the two circular capitals on top of the columns;
42 four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, with two rows of pomegranates for each network that adorned the two circular capitals on top of the columns;
43 ten stands with ten basins on them;
44 one Sea;
twelve oxen beneath the Sea;
45 and the pots, shovels, and bowls.
All the equipment that Hiram made for King Solomon for the Lord’s temple was made from polished bronze. 46 The king cast it in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth and Zarethan. 47 Due to the very large number of objects, Solomon didn’t even try to weigh the bronze.
48 Solomon also made all the equipment for the Lord’s temple: the gold altar; the gold table for the bread of the presence; 49 the lampstands of pure gold, five on the right and five on the left in front of the inner sanctuary; the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of gold; 50 the cups, wick trimmers, bowls, ladles, and censers of pure gold; and the gold sockets for the doors to the most holy place and for the doors to the main hall. 51 When all King Solomon’s work on the Lord’s temple was finished, he brought the silver, gold, and all the objects his father David had dedicated and put them in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 7:6 Heb uncertain
- 1 Kings 7:15 Either Solomon or Hiram; this ambiguity continues in the following verses, but cf 1 Kgs 7:1, 8, 13; 1 Kgs 7:40.
- 1 Kings 7:15 Or the second; cf Jer 52:21
- 1 Kings 7:26 One bath is approximately twenty quarts or five gallons.
- 1 Kings 7:30 Heb uncertain
- 1 Kings 7:36 Heb uncertain
- 1 Kings 7:38 One bath is approximately twenty quarts or five gallons.
1 Kings 7
Contemporary English Version
Solomon's Palace Is Built
7 Solomon's palace took 13 years to build.
2-3 Forest Hall was the largest room in the palace. It was 44 meters long, 22 meters wide, and 13.5 meters high, and was lined with cedar from Lebanon. It had 4 rows of cedar pillars, 15 in a row, and they held up 45 cedar beams. The ceiling was covered with cedar. 4 Three rows of windows on each side faced each other, 5 and there were three doors on each side near the front of the hall.
6 Pillar Hall was 22 meters long and 13.5 meters wide. A covered porch supported by pillars went all the way across the front of the hall.
7 Solomon's throne was in Justice Hall, where he judged cases. This hall was completely lined with cedar.
8 (A) The section of the palace where Solomon lived was behind Justice Hall and looked exactly like it. He had a similar place built for his wife, the daughter of the king of Egypt.
9 From the foundation all the way to the top, these buildings and the courtyard were made out of the best stones[a] carefully cut to size, then smoothed on every side with saws. 10 The foundation stones were huge, good stones—some of them four and a half meters long and others three and a half meters long. 11 The cedar beams and other stones that had been cut to size were on top of these foundation stones. 12 The walls around the palace courtyard were made out of three layers of cut stones with one layer of cedar beams, just like the front porch and the inner courtyard of the temple.
Hiram Makes the Bronze Furnishings
(2 Chronicles 3.15-17; 4.1-10)
13-14 Hiram was a skilled bronze worker from the city of Tyre.[b] His father was now dead, but he also had been a bronze worker from Tyre, and his mother was from the tribe of Naphtali.
King Solomon asked Hiram to come to Jerusalem and make the bronze furnishings to use for worship in the Lord's temple, and he agreed to do it.
15 Hiram made two bronze columns eight meters tall and almost two meters across. 16 For the top of each column, he also made a bronze cap just over two meters high. 17 The caps were decorated with seven rows of designs that looked like chains,[c] 18 with two rows of designs that looked like pomegranates.[d]
19 The caps for the columns of the porch were almost two meters high and were shaped like lilies.[e]
20 The chain designs on the caps were right above the rounded tops of the two columns, and there were 200 pomegranates in rows around each cap. 21 Hiram placed the two columns on each side of the main door of the temple. The column on the south side was called Jachin,[f] and the one on the north was called Boaz.[g]
22 The lily-shaped caps were on top of the columns.
This completed the work on the columns.
23 Hiram also made a large bowl called the Sea. It was just over two meters deep, about 4.5 meters across, and 13.5 meters around. 24 Two rows of bronze gourds were around the outer edge of the bowl, ten gourds to every 45 centimeters. 25 The bowl itself sat on top of twelve bronze bulls with three bulls facing outward in each of four directions. 26 The sides of the bowl were 75 millimeters thick, and its rim was like a cup that curved outward like flower petals. The bowl held about 40,000 liters.
27 Hiram made ten movable bronze stands, each one over a meter high, almost two meters long, and almost two meters wide. 28-29 The sides were made with panels attached to frames decorated with flower designs. The panels themselves were decorated with figures of lions, bulls, and winged creatures. 30-31 Each stand had four bronze wheels and axles and a round frame 68 centimeters across, held up by four supports 45 centimeters high. A small bowl rested in the frame. The supports were decorated with flower designs, and the frame with carvings.
The side panels of the stands were square, 32 and the wheels and axles were underneath them. The wheels were about 68 centimeters high 33 and looked like chariot wheels. The axles, rims, spokes, and hubs were made out of bronze.
34-35 Around the top of each stand was a 22-centimeter strip, and there were four braces[h] attached to the corners of each stand. The panels and the supports were attached to the stands, 36 and the stands were decorated with flower designs and figures of lions, palm trees, and winged creatures. 37 Hiram made the ten bronze stands from the same mold, so they were exactly the same size and shape.
38 (B) Hiram also made ten small bronze bowls, one for each stand. The bowls were almost two meters across and could hold about 800 liters.
39 He put five stands on the south side of the temple, five stands on the north side, and the large bowl at the southeast corner of the temple.
40 Hiram made pans for hot ashes, and also shovels and sprinkling bowls.
A List of Everything inside the Temple
(2 Chronicles 4.11—5.1)
This is a list of the bronze items that Hiram made for the Lord's temple: 41 two columns; two bowl-shaped caps for the tops of the columns; two chain designs on the caps; 42 400 pomegranates[i] for the chain designs; 43 ten movable stands; ten small bowls for the stands; 44 a large bowl; twelve bulls that held up the bowl; 45 pans for hot ashes, and also shovels and sprinkling bowls.
Hiram made these bronze things for Solomon 46 near the Jordan River between Succoth and Zarethan by pouring melted bronze into clay molds.
47 There were so many bronze things that Solomon never bothered to weigh them, and no one ever knew how much bronze was used.
48 (C) Solomon gave orders to make the following temple furnishings out of gold: the altar; the table that held the sacred loaves of bread;[j] 49 (D) ten lampstands that went in front of the most holy place; flower designs; lamps and tongs; 50 cups, lamp snuffers, and small sprinkling bowls; dishes for incense; fire pans; and the hinges for the doors to the most holy place and the main room of the temple.
51 (E) After the Lord's temple was finished, Solomon put into its storage rooms everything that his father David had dedicated to the Lord, including the gold and the silver.
Footnotes
- 7.9 From … best stones: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 7.13,14 Hiram … city of Tyre: This is not the same person as “King Hiram of Tyre” (see 5.1).
- 7.17 seven rows … chains: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 7.18 pomegranates: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 18. A pomegranate is a bright red fruit that looks like an apple. In ancient times, it was a symbol of life.
- 7.19 lilies: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 19.
- 7.21 Jachin: Or “He makes secure.”
- 7.21 Boaz: Or “He is strong.”
- 7.34,35 braces: Or “handles.”
- 7.42 pomegranates: A pomegranate is a bright red fruit that looks like an apple. In ancient times, it was a symbol of life.
- 7.48 sacred loaves of bread: This bread was offered to the Lord and was a symbol of the Lord's presence in the temple. It was put out on a special table, and was replaced with fresh bread each week (see Leviticus 24.5-9).
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