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1 Kings 6
New English Translation

The Building of the Temple

6 In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites left Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, during the month Ziv[a] (the second month), he began building the Lord’s temple. 2 The temple King Solomon built for the Lord was 90 feet[b] long, 30 feet[c] wide, and 45 feet[d] high. 3 The porch in front of the main hall of the temple was 30 feet[e] long, corresponding to the width of the temple. It was 15 feet[f] wide, extending out from the front of the temple. 4 He made framed windows for the temple. 5 He built an extension all around the walls of the temple’s main hall and Holy Place and constructed side rooms in it.[g] 6 The bottom floor of the extension was 7½ feet[h] wide, the middle floor 9 feet[i] wide, and the third floor 10½ feet[j] wide. He made ledges[k] on the temple’s outer walls so the beams would not have to be inserted into the walls.[l] 7 As the temple was being built, only stones shaped at the quarry[m] were used; the sound of hammers, pickaxes, or any other iron tool was not heard at the temple while it was being built. 8 The entrance to the bottom[n] level of side rooms was on the south side of the temple; stairs went up[o] to the middle floor and then on up to the third[p] floor. 9 He finished building the temple[q] and covered it[r] with rafters[s] and boards made of cedar.[t] 10 He built an extension all around the temple; it was 7½ feet high[u] and it was attached to the temple by cedar beams.

11 [v] The Lord’s message came to Solomon: 12 “As for this temple you are building, if you follow[w] my rules, observe[x] my regulations, and obey all my commandments,[y] I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father David.[z] 13 I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.”

14 So Solomon finished building the temple.[aa] 15 He constructed the walls inside the temple with cedar planks; he paneled the inside with wood from the floor of the temple to the rafters[ab] of the ceiling. He covered the temple floor with boards made from the wood of evergreens. 16 He built a wall 30 feet in from the rear of the temple as a partition for an inner sanctuary that would be the Most Holy Place.[ac] He paneled the wall with cedar planks from the floor to the rafters.[ad] 17 The main hall in front of the inner sanctuary was 60 feet long.[ae] 18 The inside of the temple was all cedar and was adorned with carvings of round ornaments and of flowers in bloom. Everything was cedar; no stones were visible.[af]

19 He prepared the inner sanctuary inside the temple so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord could be placed there. 20 The inner sanctuary was 30 feet[ag] long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. He plated it with gold,[ah] as well as the cedar altar.[ai] 21 Solomon plated the inside of the temple with gold.[aj] He hung golden chains in front of the inner sanctuary and plated the inner sanctuary[ak] with gold. 22 He plated the entire inside of the temple with gold, as well as the altar inside the inner sanctuary.[al]

23 In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood; each stood 15 feet[am] high. 24 Each of the first cherub’s wings was 7½ feet long; its entire wingspan was 15 feet.[an] 25 The second cherub also had a wingspan of 15 feet; it was identical to the first in measurements and shape.[ao] 26 Each cherub stood 15 feet high.[ap] 27 He put the cherubim in the inner sanctuary of the temple.[aq] Their wings were spread out. One of the first cherub’s wings touched one wall and one of the other cherub’s wings touched the opposite wall. The first cherub’s other wing touched the second cherub’s other wing in the middle of the room.[ar] 28 He plated the cherubim with gold.

29 On all the walls around the temple, inside and out,[as] he carved[at] cherubim, palm trees, and flowers in bloom. 30 He plated the floor of the temple with gold, inside and out.[au] 31 He made doors of olive wood at the entrance to the inner sanctuary; the pillar on each doorpost was five-sided.[av] 32 On the two doors made of olive wood he carved[aw] cherubim, palm trees, and flowers in bloom, and he plated them with gold.[ax] He plated the cherubim and the palm trees with hammered gold.[ay] 33 In the same way he made doorposts of olive wood for the entrance to the main hall, only with four-sided pillars.[az] 34 He also made[ba] two doors out of wood from evergreens; each door had two folding leaves.[bb] 35 He carved cherubim, palm trees, and flowers in bloom and plated them with gold, leveled out over the carvings. 36 He built the inner courtyard with three rows of chiseled stones and a row of cedar beams.

37 In the month of Ziv[bc] in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign[bd] the foundation was laid for the Lord’s temple. 38 In the eleventh year, in the month of Bul[be] (the eighth month) the temple was completed in accordance with all its specifications and blueprints. It took seven years to build.[bf]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 6:1 sn During the month Ziv. This would be April-May, 966 b.c. by modern reckoning.
  2. 1 Kings 6:2 tn Heb “60 cubits.” A cubit was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 cm. Measurements in vv. 2-10 have been converted to feet in the translation for clarity.
  3. 1 Kings 6:2 tn Heb “20 [cubits].”
  4. 1 Kings 6:2 tn Heb “30 cubits.”
  5. 1 Kings 6:3 tn Heb “20 cubits.”
  6. 1 Kings 6:3 tn Heb “10 cubits.”
  7. 1 Kings 6:5 tn Heb “and he built on the wall of the temple an extension all around, the walls of the temple all around, for the main hall and for the holy place, and he made side rooms all around.”
  8. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “five cubits.”
  9. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “six cubits.”
  10. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “7 cubits.”
  11. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Or “offsets” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “offset ledges.”
  12. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “so that [the beams] would not have a hold in the walls of the temple.”
  13. 1 Kings 6:7 tn Heb “finished stone of the quarry,” i.e., stones chiseled and shaped at the time they were taken out of the quarry.
  14. 1 Kings 6:8 tc The Hebrew text has “middle,” but the remainder of the verse suggests this is an error.
  15. 1 Kings 6:8 tn Heb “by stairs they went up.” The word translated “stairs” occurs only here. Other options are “trapdoors” or “ladders.”
  16. 1 Kings 6:8 tc The translation reads with a few medieval Hebrew mss, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate הַשְּׁלִשִׁית (hashelishit, “the third”) rather than MT הַשְּׁלִשִׁים (hashelishim, “the thirty”).
  17. 1 Kings 6:9 tn Heb “ built the house and completed it.”
  18. 1 Kings 6:9 tn Heb “the house.”
  19. 1 Kings 6:9 tn The word occurs only here; the precise meaning is uncertain.
  20. 1 Kings 6:9 tn Heb “and rows with cedar wood.”
  21. 1 Kings 6:10 tn Heb “5 cubits.” This must refer to the height of each floor or room.
  22. 1 Kings 6:11 tc The LXX lacks vv. 11-14.
  23. 1 Kings 6:12 tn Heb “walk in.”
  24. 1 Kings 6:12 tn Heb “do.”
  25. 1 Kings 6:12 tn Heb “and keep all my commandments by walking in them.”
  26. 1 Kings 6:12 tn Heb “I will establish my word with you which I spoke to David your father.”
  27. 1 Kings 6:14 tn Heb “ built the house and completed it.”
  28. 1 Kings 6:15 tc The MT reads קִירוֹת (qirot, “walls”), but this should be emended to קוֹרוֹת (qorot, “rafters”). See BDB 900 s.v. קוֹרָה.
  29. 1 Kings 6:16 tn Heb “He built 20 cubits from the rear areas of the temple with cedar planks from the floor to the walls, and he built it on the inside for an inner sanctuary, for a holy place of holy places.”
  30. 1 Kings 6:16 tc The MT reads קִירוֹת (qirot, “walls”), but this should be emended to קוֹרוֹת (qorot, “rafters”). See BDB 900 s.v. קוֹרָה.
  31. 1 Kings 6:17 tn Heb “and the house was 40 cubits, that is, the main hall before it.”
  32. 1 Kings 6:18 tn Heb “Cedar was inside the temple, carvings of gourds (i.e., gourd-shaped ornaments) and opened flowers; the whole was cedar, no stone was seen.”
  33. 1 Kings 6:20 tn Heb “20 cubits” (this measurement occurs three times in this verse).
  34. 1 Kings 6:20 tn Heb “with plated gold” (or perhaps, “with pure gold”).
  35. 1 Kings 6:20 tn Heb “he plated [the] altar of cedar.”
  36. 1 Kings 6:21 tn Heb “with plated gold” (or perhaps, “with pure gold”).
  37. 1 Kings 6:21 tn Heb “it.”
  38. 1 Kings 6:22 tn Heb “all the temple he plated with gold until all the temple was finished; and the whole altar which was in the inner sanctuary he plated with gold.”
  39. 1 Kings 6:23 tn Heb “10 cubits” (a cubit was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 cm).
  40. 1 Kings 6:24 tn Heb “The first wing of the [one] cherub was 5 cubits, and the second wing of the cherub was 5 cubits, 10 cubits from the tips of his wings to the tips of his wings.”
  41. 1 Kings 6:25 tn Heb “and the second cherub was 10 cubits, the two cherubim had one measurement and one shape.”
  42. 1 Kings 6:26 tn Heb “the height of the first cherub was 10 cubits; and so was the second cherub.”
  43. 1 Kings 6:27 tn Heb “in the midst of the inner house,” i.e., in the inner sanctuary.
  44. 1 Kings 6:27 tn Heb “and their wings were in the middle of the room, touching wing to wing.”
  45. 1 Kings 6:29 sn Inside and out probably refers to the inner and outer rooms within the building.
  46. 1 Kings 6:29 tn Heb “carved engravings of carvings.”
  47. 1 Kings 6:30 sn Inside and out probably refers to the inner and outer rooms within the building.
  48. 1 Kings 6:31 tn Heb “the pillar, doorposts, a fifth part” (the precise meaning of this description is uncertain).
  49. 1 Kings 6:32 tn Heb “carved carvings of.”
  50. 1 Kings 6:32 tn Heb “he plated [with] gold” (the precise object is not stated).
  51. 1 Kings 6:32 tn Heb “and he hammered out the gold on the cherubim and the palm trees.”
  52. 1 Kings 6:33 tn Heb “and so he did at the entrance of the main hall, doorposts of olive wood, from a fourth.”
  53. 1 Kings 6:34 tn The words “he also made” are added for stylistic reasons.
  54. 1 Kings 6:34 tc Heb “two of the leaves of the first door were folding, and two of the leaves of the second door were folding.” In the second half of the description, the MT has קְלָעִים (qelaʿim, “curtains”), but this probably should be emended to צְלָעִים (tselaʿim, “leaves”), which appears in the first half of the statement. One Hebrew ms, the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate support צְלָעִים (tselaʿim, “leaves”).
  55. 1 Kings 6:37 sn In the month of Ziv. This would be April-May, 966 b.c. by modern reckoning.
  56. 1 Kings 6:37 tn The words “of Solomon’s reign” are added for clarification. See v. 1.
  57. 1 Kings 6:38 sn In the month Bul. This would be October-November 959 b.c. in modern reckoning.
  58. 1 Kings 6:38 tn Heb “he built it in seven years.”
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1 Kings 6
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Solomon Builds the Temple

6 In the four hundred eightieth year after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the Lord.(A) 2 The house that King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high.(B) 3 The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits wide, across the width of the house. Its depth was ten cubits in front of the house. 4 For the house he made windows with recessed frames.[a](C) 5 He also built a structure against the wall of the house, running around the walls of the house, both the nave and the inner sanctuary, and he made side chambers all around.(D) 6 The lowest story[b] was five cubits wide, the middle one was six cubits wide, and the third was seven cubits wide, for around the outside of the house he made offsets on the wall in order that the supporting beams should not be inserted into the walls of the house.

7 The house was built with stone finished at the quarry so that neither hammer nor ax nor any tool of iron was heard in the temple while it was being built.(E)

8 The entrance for the lower[c] story was on the south side of the house: one went up by winding stairs to the middle story and from the middle story to the third. 9 So he built the house and finished it; he roofed the house with beams and planks of cedar.(F) 10 He built the structure against the whole house, each story[d] five cubits high, and it was joined to the house with timbers of cedar.

11 Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, 12 “Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes, obey my ordinances, and keep all my commandments by walking in them, then I will establish my promise with you that I made to your father David.(G) 13 I will dwell among the Israelites and will not forsake my people Israel.”(H)

14 So Solomon built the house and finished it.(I) 15 He lined the walls of the house on the inside with boards of cedar; from the floor of the house to the rafters of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood, and he covered the floor of the house with boards of cypress. 16 He built twenty cubits of the rear of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the rafters, and he built this within as an inner sanctuary, as the most holy place.(J) 17 The house, that is, the nave in front of the inner sanctuary, was forty cubits long. 18 The cedar within the house had carvings of gourds and open flowers; all was cedar; no stone was seen.(K) 19 The inner sanctuary he prepared in the innermost part of the house, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 20 The interior of the inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high; he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid the altar with cedar.[e] 21 Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold, then he drew chains of gold across, in front of the inner sanctuary, and overlaid it with gold. 22 Next he overlaid the whole house with gold, in order that the whole house might be perfect; even the whole altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold.(L)

The Furnishings of the Temple

23 In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olivewood, each ten cubits high.(M) 24 Five cubits was the length of one wing of the cherub and five cubits the length of the other wing of the cherub; it was ten cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. 25 The other cherub also measured ten cubits; both cherubim had the same measure and the same form. 26 The height of one cherub was ten cubits, and so was that of the other cherub. 27 He put the cherubim in the innermost part of the house; the wings of the cherubim were spread out so that a wing of one was touching the one wall and a wing of the other cherub was touching the other wall; their other wings toward the center of the house were touching wing to wing.(N) 28 He also overlaid the cherubim with gold.

29 He carved the walls of the house all around about with carved engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, in the inner and outer rooms. 30 The floor of the house he overlaid with gold, in the inner and outer rooms.

31 For the entrance to the inner sanctuary he made doors of olivewood; the lintel and the doorposts were five-sided.[f] 32 He covered the two doors of olivewood with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; he overlaid them with gold and spread gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees.

33 So also he made for the entrance to the nave doorposts of olivewood, four-sided each, 34 and two doors of cypress wood; the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.(O) 35 He carved cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, overlaying them with gold evenly applied upon the carved work. 36 He built the inner court with three courses of dressed stone to one course of cedar beams.(P)

37 In the fourth year the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid, in the month of Ziv.(Q) 38 In the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its parts and according to all its specifications. He was seven years in building it.

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Footnotes

  1. 6.4 Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain
  2. 6.6 Gk: Heb structure
  3. 6.8 Gk Tg: Heb middle
  4. 6.10 Heb lacks each story
  5. 6.20 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  6. 6.31 Meaning of Heb uncertain
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1 Kings 6
New International Version

Solomon Builds the Temple(A)

6 In the four hundred and eightieth[a] year after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month,(B) he began to build the temple of the Lord.(C)

2 The temple(D) that King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits long, twenty wide and thirty high.[b] 3 The portico(E) at the front of the main hall of the temple extended the width of the temple, that is twenty cubits,[c] and projected ten cubits[d] from the front of the temple. 4 He made narrow windows(F) high up in the temple walls. 5 Against the walls of the main hall and inner sanctuary he built a structure around the building, in which there were side rooms.(G) 6 The lowest floor was five cubits[e] wide, the middle floor six cubits[f] and the third floor seven.[g] He made offset ledges around the outside of the temple so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls.

7 In building the temple, only blocks dressed(H) at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool(I) was heard at the temple site while it was being built.

8 The entrance to the lowest[h] floor was on the south side of the temple; a stairway led up to the middle level and from there to the third. 9 So he built the temple and completed it, roofing it with beams and cedar(J) planks. 10 And he built the side rooms all along the temple. The height of each was five cubits, and they were attached to the temple by beams of cedar.

11 The word of the Lord came(K) to Solomon: 12 “As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands(L) and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise(M) I gave to David your father. 13 And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon(N) my people Israel.”

14 So Solomon(O) built the temple and completed(P) it. 15 He lined its interior walls with cedar boards, paneling them from the floor of the temple to the ceiling,(Q) and covered the floor of the temple with planks of juniper.(R) 16 He partitioned off twenty cubits at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place.(S) 17 The main hall in front of this room was forty cubits[i] long. 18 The inside of the temple was cedar,(T) carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; no stone was to be seen.

19 He prepared the inner sanctuary(U) within the temple to set the ark of the covenant(V) of the Lord there. 20 The inner sanctuary(W) was twenty cubits long, twenty wide and twenty high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar.(X) 21 Solomon covered the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold. 22 So he overlaid the whole interior with gold. He also overlaid with gold the altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary.

23 For the inner sanctuary he made a pair of cherubim(Y) out of olive wood, each ten cubits high. 24 One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long, and the other wing five cubits—ten cubits from wing tip to wing tip. 25 The second cherub also measured ten cubits, for the two cherubim were identical in size and shape. 26 The height of each cherub was ten cubits. 27 He placed the cherubim(Z) inside the innermost room of the temple, with their wings spread out. The wing of one cherub touched one wall, while the wing of the other touched the other wall, and their wings touched each other in the middle of the room. 28 He overlaid the cherubim with gold.

29 On the walls(AA) all around the temple, in both the inner and outer rooms, he carved cherubim,(AB) palm trees and open flowers. 30 He also covered the floors of both the inner and outer rooms of the temple with gold.

31 For the entrance to the inner sanctuary he made doors out of olive wood that were one fifth of the width of the sanctuary. 32 And on the two olive-wood doors(AC) he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid the cherubim and palm trees with hammered gold. 33 In the same way, for the entrance to the main hall he made doorframes out of olive wood that were one fourth of the width of the hall. 34 He also made two doors out of juniper wood, each having two leaves that turned in sockets. 35 He carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers on them and overlaid them with gold hammered evenly over the carvings.

36 And he built the inner courtyard(AD) of three courses(AE) of dressed stone and one course of trimmed cedar beams.

37 The foundation of the temple of the Lord was laid in the fourth year, in the month of Ziv. 38 In the eleventh year in the month of Bul, the eighth month, the temple was finished in all its details(AF) according to its specifications.(AG) He had spent seven years building it.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 6:1 Hebrew; Septuagint four hundred and fortieth
  2. 1 Kings 6:2 That is, about 90 feet long, 30 feet wide and 45 feet high or about 27 meters long, 9 meters wide and 14 meters high
  3. 1 Kings 6:3 That is, about 30 feet or about 9 meters; also in verses 16 and 20
  4. 1 Kings 6:3 That is, about 15 feet or about 4.5 meters; also in verses 23-26
  5. 1 Kings 6:6 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters; also in verses 10 and 24
  6. 1 Kings 6:6 That is, about 9 feet or about 2.7 meters
  7. 1 Kings 6:6 That is, about 11 feet or about 3.2 meters
  8. 1 Kings 6:8 Septuagint; Hebrew middle
  9. 1 Kings 6:17 That is, about 60 feet or about 18 meters
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