1 Kings 7
Good News Translation
Solomon's Palace
7 Solomon also built a palace for himself, and it took him thirteen years. 2-3 The Hall of the Forest of Lebanon[a] was 150 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. It had three[b] rows of cedar pillars, 15 in each row, with cedar beams resting on them. The ceiling was of cedar, extending over storerooms, which were supported by the pillars. 4 On each of the two side walls there were three rows of windows. 5 The doorways and the windows[c] had rectangular frames, and the three rows of windows in each wall faced the opposite rows.
6 The Hall of Columns was 75 feet long and 45 feet wide. It had a covered porch, supported by columns.
7 The Throne Room, also called the Hall of Judgment, where Solomon decided cases, had cedar panels from the floor to the rafters.[d]
8 (A)Solomon's own quarters, in another court behind the Hall of Judgment, were made like the other buildings. He also built the same kind of house for his wife, the daughter of the king of Egypt.
9 All these buildings and the great court were made of fine stones from the foundations to the eaves. The stones were prepared at the quarry and cut to measure, with their inner and outer sides trimmed with saws. 10 The foundations were made of large stones prepared at the quarry, some of them twelve feet long and others fifteen feet long. 11 On top of them were other stones, cut to measure, and cedar beams. 12 The palace court, the inner court of the Temple, and the entrance room of the Temple had walls with one layer of cedar beams for every three layers of cut stones.
Huram's Task
13 King Solomon sent for a man named Huram, a craftsman living in the city of Tyre, who was skilled in bronze work. 14 His father, who was no longer living, was from Tyre, and had also been a skilled bronze craftsman; his mother was from the tribe of Naphtali. Huram was an intelligent and experienced craftsman. He accepted King Solomon's invitation to be in charge of all the bronze work.
The Two Bronze Columns(B)
15 Huram cast two bronze columns, each one 27 feet tall and 18 feet in circumference,[e] and placed them at the entrance of the Temple. 16 He also made two bronze capitals, each one 7½ feet tall, to be placed on top of the columns. 17 The top of each column was decorated with a design of interwoven chains[f] 18 and two rows of bronze pomegranates.
19 The capitals were shaped like lilies, 6 feet tall, 20 and were placed on a rounded section which was above the chain design. There were 200 pomegranates in two rows around each[g] capital.
21 Huram placed these two bronze columns in front of the entrance of the Temple: the one on the south side was named Jachin[h] and the one on the north was named Boaz.[i] 22 The lily-shaped bronze capitals were on top of the columns.
And so the work on the columns was completed.
The Bronze Tank(C)
23 Huram made a round tank of bronze, 7½ feet deep, 15 feet in diameter, and 45 feet in circumference. 24 All around the outer edge of the rim of the tank[j] were two rows of bronze gourds, which had been cast all in one piece with the rest of the tank. 25 The tank rested on the backs of twelve bronze bulls that faced outward, three facing in each direction. 26 The sides of the tank were 3 inches thick. Its rim was like the rim of a cup, curving outward like the petals of a lily. The tank held about 10,000 gallons.
The Bronze Carts
27 Huram also made ten bronze carts; each was 6 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 4½ feet high. 28 They were made of square panels which were set in frames, 29 with the figures of lions, bulls, and winged creatures on the panels; and on the frames, above and underneath the lions and bulls, there were spiral figures in relief. 30 Each cart had four bronze wheels with bronze axles. At the four corners were bronze supports for a basin; the supports were decorated with spiral figures in relief. 31 There was a circular frame on top for the basin. It projected upward 18 inches from the top of the cart and 7 inches down into it. It had carvings around it. 32 The wheels were 25 inches high; they were under the panels, and the axles were of one piece with the carts. 33 The wheels were like chariot wheels; their axles, rims, spokes, and hubs were all of bronze. 34 There were four supports at the bottom corners of each cart, which were of one piece with the cart. 35 There was a 9-inch band around the top of each cart; its supports and the panels were of one piece with the cart. 36 The supports and panels were decorated with figures of winged creatures, lions, and palm trees, wherever there was space for them, with spiral figures all around. 37 This, then, is how the carts were made; they were all alike, having the same size and shape.
38 (D)Huram also made ten basins, one for each cart. Each basin was 6 feet in diameter and held 200 gallons. 39 He placed five of the carts on the south side of the Temple, and the other five on the north side; the tank he placed at the southeast corner.
Summary List of Temple Furnishings(E)
40-45 Huram also made pots, shovels, and bowls. He completed all his work for King Solomon for the Lord's Temple. This is what he made:
The two columns
The two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the columns
The design of interwoven chains on each capital
The 400 bronze pomegranates, in two rows of 100 each around the design on each capital
The ten carts
The ten basins
The tank
The twelve bulls supporting the tank
The pots, shovels, and bowls
All this equipment for the Temple, which Huram made for King Solomon, was of polished bronze. 46 The king had it all made in the foundry between Sukkoth and Zarethan, in the Jordan Valley. 47 Solomon did not have these bronze objects weighed, because there were too many of them, and so their weight was never determined.
48 (F)Solomon also had gold furnishings made for the Temple: the altar, the table for the bread offered to God, 49 (G)the ten lampstands that stood in front of the Most Holy Place, five on the south side and five on the north; the flowers, lamps, and tongs; 50 the cups, lamp snuffers, bowls, dishes for incense, and the pans used for carrying live coals; and the hinges for the doors of the Most Holy Place and of the outer doors of the Temple. All these furnishings were made of gold.
51 (H)When King Solomon finished all the work on the Temple, he placed in the Temple storerooms all the things that his father David had dedicated to the Lord—the silver, gold, and other articles.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 7:2 A large ceremonial hall in the palace, probably so called because it was paneled in cedar.
- 1 Kings 7:2 One ancient translation three; Hebrew four.
- 1 Kings 7:5 One ancient translation windows; Hebrew doorposts.
- 1 Kings 7:7 Some ancient translations rafters; Hebrew floor.
- 1 Kings 7:15 Some ancient translations each one … circumference; Hebrew the first column was 27 feet tall and the second column was 18 feet in circumference.
- 1 Kings 7:17 Verse 17 in Hebrew is unclear.
- 1 Kings 7:20 One ancient translation each; Hebrew the second.
- 1 Kings 7:21 This name sounds like the Hebrew for “he (God) establishes.”
- 1 Kings 7:21 This name sounds like the Hebrew for “by his (God's) strength.”
- 1 Kings 7:24 Probable text All around … tank; Hebrew unclear.
1 Kings 7
The Voice
7 It took Solomon 13 years to complete his own house. 2 He constructed the house of the forest of Lebanon, and it was 150 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. It was built on top of cedar beams supported by 4 rows of cedar columns. 3 The space above the side rooms (which were on top of the 45 columns, 15 columns in each row) was paneled with cedar. 4 There were 3 rows of window frames directly opposite each other—3 on each side. 5 The doorways and doorposts were square, and the openings were directly opposite each other: 3 on each side.
6 Solomon then constructed the hall of pillars. It was 75 feet long and 45 feet wide. There was a porch with pillars and a canopy as an entryway before them. 7 Then he made the hall for the throne. This is where he would give judgment; thus it was called the hall of judgment. The entire room was paneled from floor to floor[a] with cedar.
8 His own residence, the interior court behind the hall of judgment, was made the same way. For his wife, Pharaoh’s daughter, Solomon constructed another house like the hall of judgment. 9 They were all decorated inside and out, top to bottom, with costly stones, rare rocks perfectly cut with saws. 10 The foundation of the house was made out of rare, expensive stones. There were some gigantic stones, 12 and 15 feet long. 11 The elevation of the house was also made of large, costly stones; and they were trimmed to perfection, along with the cedar. 12 The courtyard had 3 rows of trimmed stones; and it also had 1 row of cedar beams, just like the porch and the central hall of the Eternal’s temple.
13 King Solomon sent for Hiram, the master craftsman from Tyre. 14 Hiram was the son of a widow from the Naphtali tribe. His father was a craftsman from Tyre who was wise, educated, and skilled enough to do anything with bronze. Hiram did all the bronze work for King Solomon. 15 He crafted the 2 bronze columns. Each one of them was 27 feet high, and the circumference of both was 18 feet. 16 He cast 2 capitals out of molten bronze for the columns. Each of the capitals was 7½ feet high. 17 There was an intricate network of twisted threads and chain on the capitals of the columns. There were 7 networks on each capital. 18 Hiram crafted the columns and 2 rows around one network in order to hide the capitals that were over the pomegranates.[b] He did the same thing for the other capital. 19 The capitals on the porch columns were crafted to look like 6-foot-high lilies. 20 There were capitals on top of both columns, and above the round sun face beside the network were 200 pomegranates in rows around both capitals. 21 He raised the columns on the porch of the central hall. After he raised the column on the right, he named it Jachin, meaning “he will establish.” He raised the column on the left and named it Boaz, meaning “in it is strength.” 22 There were lily designs at the top of both columns.
When he had finished casting the columns, 23 Hiram cast the sea. It was in the shape of a circle: 15 feet in diameter, 7½ feet deep, and 45 feet in circumference. 24 Gourds surrounded the sea underneath the brim: 10 gourds for every foot and a half. They were in 2 rows and had been cast as part of the sea. 25 Its pedestal was 12 oxen: 3 of the oxen faced north, 3 faced west, 3 faced south, and 3 faced east so that the back ends of the oxen were all on the inside. 26 The sea was as thick as a hand is wide. The edge of it was designed like the edge of a cup, curved back like the blossom of a lily. The sea had a water capacity of 12,000 gallons.[c]
27 Hiram then crafted 10 bronze moveable stands. Each water stand was 6 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 4½ feet high. 28 The stands had side panels and panels between the crossbars. 29 On the panels between the crossbars there were lions, oxen, and winged creatures. There was a pedestal over the crossbars that would support the basin, and there were garlands of ornaments below the lions and oxen. 30 There were 4 bronze wheels and 4 bronze axles for each stand. The 4 legs of each stand also had 4 bases. There were bases with garlands on all sides below the basin. 31 The opening at the crown of the cart was 1½ feet wide, in the shape of a circle, and like the pedestal, 27 inches. There were carvings on the opening, and the ends were straight, not rounded. 32 The 4 wheels were beneath the panels, and the wheel axles were on the base. Each wheel was 27 inches tall. 33 The wheels were crafted like the wheels of a chariot. Their axles, rims, spokes, and hubs were all cast. 34 There were 4 braces on the 4 corners of each base that were part of the stand. 35 There was a circular form 18 inches high above the base that the basin would rest in. It remained above the base, connected to the perimeter. 36 Hiram carved winged creatures, lions, and palm trees onto the braces wherever he found space, and he surrounded them with garlands. 37 All 10 of the stands were cast from the same mold, giving them all the same measurements and shape.
38 He crafted 10 bronze basins. Each basin had a capacity of 240 gallons and was 6 feet tall. There was 1 basin on each of the 10 stands. 39 He put 5 of the stands on the right side of the temple and the other 5 on the left side. He placed the sea on the right end of the temple, toward the southeast.
40 Hiram cast the basins, shovels, and bowls. He finally completed all his work for King Solomon in the Eternal’s temple: 41 2 columns and 2 bowls for the capitals (which were placed on top of the columns), 2 networks that were placed over the bowls of the capitals, 42 400 pomegranates for the 2 networks, 2 rows of pomegranates for each network to go over the 2 bowls of the capitals which sat on top of the columns, 43 10 stands, 10 basins for the stands, 44 the sea, the 12 oxen beneath the sea, 45 buckets, shovels, bowls, and everything else, including the objects Hiram crafted for Solomon in the Eternal’s temple. All were made out of burnished bronze. 46 The king molded the clay into forms in the plain of the Jordan and cast them there, between Succoth and Zarethan.
47 Solomon did not weigh any of the utensils because there were so many of them. It was impossible to get an accurate weight of the bronze.
48 Solomon had crafted all the furniture in the Eternal’s temple: the golden altar; the golden table that held the bread of the Presence; 49 5 golden lampstands on the right and 5 on the left in front of the inner sanctuary; the golden flowers, lamps, and tongs; 50 the golden cups, snuffers, bowls, spoons, and coal pans; the door hinges of the inner sanctuary (which was the most holy place); and the door hinges for the central hall of the temple that were crafted out of the purest gold.
51 Solomon’s work in the Eternal’s temple was complete. Solomon moved the sacred things his father had sanctified—the silver, gold, and utensils—into the treasuries in the Eternal’s temple.
Footnotes
- 7:7 Latin manuscripts read, “ceiling,” because the floor above is the ceiling of the first floor.
- 7:18 Some Hebrew manuscripts read, “columns.”
- 7:26 2 Chronicles 4:5, “18,000 gallons”
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.