1 Kings 6
International Children’s Bible
Solomon Builds the Temple
6 So Solomon began to build the Temple. This was 480 years after the people of Israel had left Egypt. (This was the fourth year of King Solomon’s rule over Israel.) It was the second month, the month of Ziv.
2 The Temple was 90 feet long and 30 feet wide. It was 45 feet high. 3 The porch in front of the main room of the Temple was 15 feet deep and 30 feet wide. The room ran along the front of the Temple itself. Its width was equal to the width of the Temple. 4 There were narrow windows in the Temple. These windows were narrow on the outside and larger on the inside. 5 Then Solomon built some side rooms against the walls of the main room of the Temple. These rooms were built on top of each other. 6 The rooms on the bottom floor were 7½ feet wide. The rooms on the middle floor were 9 feet wide. The rooms above that were 10½ feet wide. The Temple wall which made the side of each room was thinner than the wall in the room below. The rooms were pushed against the wall but did not have their main beams built into the wall.
7 The stones were prepared at the same place they were cut from the ground. Only these stones were used to build the Temple. So there was no noise of hammers, axes or any other iron tools at the Temple.
8 The entrance to the bottom rooms built beside the Temple was on the south side. From there, stairs went up to the second floor rooms. And from there, they went on to the third floor rooms. 9 Solomon put a roof made from beams and cedar boards on the Temple. So he finished building the Temple. 10 He also finished building the bottom floor that was beside the Temple. It was 7½ feet high. It was attached to the Temple by cedar beams.
11 The Lord spoke his word to Solomon: 12 “Obey all my laws and commands. If you do, I will do for you what I promised your father David. 13 And I will live among the children of Israel in this Temple you are building. I will never leave the people of Israel.”
14 So Solomon finished building the Temple. 15 The inside walls were covered from floor to ceiling with cedar boards. The floor was made from pine boards. 16 A room 30 feet long was built in the back part of the Temple. It was divided from the rest of the Temple by cedar boards reaching from floor to ceiling. It was called the Most Holy Place. 17 The main room, the room in front of the Most Holy Place, was 60 feet long. 18 Inside the Temple was cedar. It was carved with pictures of flowers and plants. Everything inside was covered with cedar. So a person could not see the stones of the wall.
19 He prepared the inner room at the back of the Temple to keep the Ark of the Covenant with the Lord. 20 This inner room was 30 feet long, 30 feet wide and 30 feet high. Solomon covered this room with pure gold. He built an altar of cedar and covered it also. 21 He covered the inside of the Temple with pure gold. And he placed gold chains across the front of the inner room. It was covered with gold. 22 So all the inside of the Temple was covered with gold. Also the altar in the Most Holy Place was covered with gold.
23 Solomon made two creatures with wings from olive wood. Each creature was 15 feet tall. They were put in the Most Holy Place. 24 Each creature had two wings. Each wing was 7½ feet long. So it was 15 feet from the end of one wing to the end of the other wing. 25 The creatures were the same size and shape. 26 And each was 15 feet tall. 27 These creatures were put beside each other in the Most Holy Place. Their wings were spread out. So one creature’s wing touched one wall. The other creature’s wing touched the other wall. And their wings touched each other in the middle of the room. 28 The two creatures were covered with gold.
29 All the walls around the Temple were carved. They were carved with pictures of creatures with wings, palm trees and flowers. This was true for both the main room and the inner room. 30 The floors of both rooms were covered with gold.
31 Doors made from olive wood were put at the entrance to the Most Holy Place. The doors were made to fit into an area with five sides. 32 Creatures with wings, palm trees and flowers were carved on the two olive wood doors. Then the doors were covered with gold. And the creatures and the palm trees were covered with gold. 33 At the entrance to the main room there was a door frame. It was square and was made of olive wood. 34 Two doors were made from pine. Each door had two parts so that the doors folded. 35 The doors were covered with pictures of creatures with wings, palm trees and flowers. And all of the carvings were covered with gold. The gold was smoothed over the carvings.
36 The inner courtyard was built and enclosed with walls. The walls were made of three rows of cut stones and one row of cedar boards.
37 Work began on the Temple in Ziv, the second month. This was during the fourth year Solomon ruled over Israel. 38 The Temple was finished during the eleventh year Solomon ruled. It was finished in the eighth month, the month of Bul. It was finished exactly as it was planned. Solomon had worked seven years to build the Temple.
1 Kings 6
New American Standard Bible
The Building of the Temple
6 (A)Now it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, that is, the second month, that he [a]began to build the house of the Lord. 2 And the house which King Solomon built for the Lord was [b]sixty cubits in its length, and twenty cubits in its width, and its height was thirty cubits. 3 The porch in front of the main room of the house was [c]twenty cubits in [d]length, [e]corresponding to the width of the house, and its width along the front of the house was ten cubits. 4 Also for the house (B)he made windows with artistic frames. 5 (C)Against the wall of the house he built stories encompassing the walls of the house around both the main room and the [f](D)inner sanctuary; so he made (E)side chambers all around. 6 The lowest story was [g]five cubits wide, the middle was six cubits wide, and the third was seven cubits wide; for on the outside he [h]made offsets in the wall of the house all around so that the beams would not [i]be inserted into the walls of the house.
7 (F)The house, while it was being built, was built of stone finished at the quarry, and neither hammer, nor axe, nor any iron tool was heard in the house while it was being built.
8 The doorway for the [j]lowest side chamber was on the right side of the house; and they would go up by a winding staircase to the middle story, and from the middle to the third. 9 So (G)he built the house and finished it; and he covered the house with beams and [k]planks of cedar. 10 He also built the stories against the whole house, each [l]five cubits high; and they [m]were attached to the house with timbers of cedar.
11 Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying, 12 “As for this house which you are building, (H)if you will walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments by walking in them, then I will fulfill My word with you which I spoke to David your father. 13 And (I)I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and (J)will not abandon My people Israel.”
14 (K)So Solomon built the house and finished it. 15 He (L)built the walls of the house on the inside with boards of cedar; from the floor of the house to the [n]ceiling he paneled the walls on the inside with wood, and he paneled the floor of the house with boards of juniper. 16 (M)He also built [o]twenty cubits on the rear part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the [p]ceiling; he built them for it on the inside as an inner sanctuary, as (N)the Most Holy Place. 17 The house, that is, the main room in front of the inner sanctuary, was [q]forty cubits long. 18 There was cedar inside the house, carved in the shape of (O)gourds and open flowers; everything was cedar, there was no stone visible. 19 Then he prepared an inner sanctuary inside the house in order to place there the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 20 [r]The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in height; and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also paneled the altar with cedar. 21 So Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold. And he extended chains of gold across the front of the inner sanctuary, and he overlaid it with gold. 22 He overlaid the entire house with gold, until all the house was finished. Also (P)the entire altar which was by the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold.
23 (Q)And in the inner sanctuary he made two [s]cherubim of olive wood, each [t]ten cubits high. 24 The one wing of the first cherub was five cubits, and the other wing of the first cherub was five cubits; from the end of one wing to the end of the other wing were ten cubits. 25 The second cherub was ten cubits; both of the cherubim were of the same measurement and the same form. 26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was that of the other cherub. 27 He placed the cherubim in the midst of the inner house, and (R)the wings of the cherubim spread out so that the wing of the one was touching the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub was touching the other wall. And their wings were touching [u]end to [v]end in the center of the house. 28 He also overlaid the cherubim with gold.
29 Then he carved all the surrounding walls of the house with engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, for the inner and outer sanctuaries. 30 And he overlaid the floor of the house with gold, for the inner and outer sanctuaries.
31 And for the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood, the lintel, and five-sided doorposts. 32 So he made two doors of olive wood, and he carved on them carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he overlaid the cherubim and the palm trees with gold.
33 So too he made for the entrance of the main room four-sided doorposts of olive wood, 34 and (S)two doors of juniper wood; the two leaves of the one door turned on pivots, and the two [w]leaves of the other door turned on pivots. 35 He carved on it cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold plated on the carved work. 36 And (T)he built the inner courtyard with three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams.
37 (U)In the fourth year the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid, in the month of Ziv. 38 And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, that is, the eighth month, the house was finished in all its parts and in accordance with all its plans. So he was seven years in building it.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 6:1 Lit built
- 1 Kings 6:2 About 90 ft. long, 30 ft. wide, and 45 ft. high or 27 m, 9 m, and 14 m
- 1 Kings 6:3 About 30 ft. long and 15 ft. deep or 9 m and 4.6 m
- 1 Kings 6:3 Lit its length
- 1 Kings 6:3 Lit on the face of
- 1 Kings 6:5 I.e., Most Holy Place
- 1 Kings 6:6 About 7.5 ft. wide, 9 ft. wide, and 11 ft. wide or 2.3 m, 2.7 m, and 3.3 m
- 1 Kings 6:6 Lit gave
- 1 Kings 6:6 Lit take hold
- 1 Kings 6:8 As in LXX and ancient versions; MT middle
- 1 Kings 6:9 Or rows
- 1 Kings 6:10 About 7.5 ft. or 2.3 m
- 1 Kings 6:10 Lit took hold
- 1 Kings 6:15 Lit walls of the ceiling
- 1 Kings 6:16 About 30 ft. or 9 m
- 1 Kings 6:16 Lit walls
- 1 Kings 6:17 About 60 ft. or 18 m
- 1 Kings 6:20 Lit Before the
- 1 Kings 6:23 Heb plural of cherub
- 1 Kings 6:23 About 15 ft. or 4.6 m
- 1 Kings 6:27 Lit wing
- 1 Kings 6:27 Lit wing
- 1 Kings 6:34 As in LXX; MT curtains
1 Kings 6
King James Version
6 And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.
2 And the house which king Solomon built for the Lord, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.
3 And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house.
4 And for the house he made windows of narrow lights.
5 And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle: and he made chambers round about:
6 The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad: for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house.
7 And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.
8 The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third.
9 So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.
10 And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.
11 And the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying,
12 Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father:
13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.
14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.
15 And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and the walls of the ceiling: and he covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.
16 And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built them for it within, even for the oracle, even for the most holy place.
17 And the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits long.
18 And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.
19 And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
20 And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.
21 So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold.
22 And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.
23 And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high.
24 And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.
25 And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubims were of one measure and one size.
26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.
27 And he set the cherubims within the inner house: and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.
28 And he overlaid the cherubims with gold.
29 And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without.
30 And the floors of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without.
31 And for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive tree: the lintel and side posts were a fifth part of the wall.
32 The two doors also were of olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubims, and upon the palm trees.
33 So also made he for the door of the temple posts of olive tree, a fourth part of the wall.
34 And the two doors were of fir tree: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.
35 And he carved thereon cherubims and palm trees and open flowers: and covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work.
36 And he built the inner court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams.
37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the Lord laid, in the month Zif:
38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
