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13 King Solomon sent and brought Hiram out of Tyre. 14 He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill, to work all works in bronze. He came to king Solomon, and performed all his work. 15 For he fashioned the two pillars of bronze, eighteen cubits high apiece; and a line of twelve cubits encircled either of them. 16 He 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, and wreaths of chain work, 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 there were two rows around on the one network, to cover the capitals that were on the top of the pillars: and he did so for the other capital. 19 The capitals that were on the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily work, four cubits. 20 There were capitals above also on the two pillars, close by the belly which was beside the network. There were two hundred pomegranates in rows around the other capital. 21 He set up the pillars at the porch of the temple. He set up the right pillar, and called its name Jachin; and he set up the left pillar, and called its name Boaz. 22 On the top of the pillars was lily work: so the work of the pillars was finished. 23 He made the molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in shape. Its height was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits encircled it. 24 Under its brim around there were buds which encircled it for ten cubits, encircling the sea. The buds were in two rows, cast when it was cast. 25 It stood on twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was set on them above, and all their hindquarters were inward. 26 It was a hand width thick. Its brim was worked like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It held two thousand baths. 27 He made the ten bases of bronze. The length of one base was four cubits, four cubits its width, and three cubits its height. 28 The work of the bases was like this: they had panels; and there were panels between the ledges; 29 and on the panels that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and on the ledges there was a pedestal above; and beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work. 30 Every base had four bronze wheels, and axles of bronze; and the four feet of it had supports. The supports were cast beneath the basin, with wreaths at the side of each. 31 Its mouth within the capital and above was a cubit. Its mouth was round after the work of a pedestal, a cubit and a half; and also on its mouth were engravings, and their panels were square, not round. 32 The four wheels were underneath the panels; and the axles of the wheels were in the base. The height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit. 33 The work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel. Their axles, and their rims, and their spokes, and their naves, were all of cast metal. 34 There were four supports at the four corners of each base. Its supports were of the base itself. 35 In the top of the base there was a round band half a cubit high; and on the top of the base its supports and its panels were the same. 36 On the plates of its supports, and on its panels, he engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, each in its space, with wreaths all around. 37 He made the ten bases in this way: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one form. 38 He made ten basins of bronze. One basin contained forty baths;[a] and every basin was four cubits; and on every one of the ten bases one basin. 39 He set the bases, five 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 eastward and toward the south. 40 Hiram made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram finished doing all the work that he worked for king Solomon in Yahweh’s house: 41 the two pillars; the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; 42 the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks; two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars; 43 the ten bases; the ten basins on the bases; 44 the one sea; the twelve oxen under the sea; 45 the pots; the shovels; and the basins: even all these vessels, which Hiram made for king Solomon, in Yahweh’s house, were of burnished bronze. 46 The king cast them in the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan. 47 Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because there were so many of them. The weight of the bronze could not be determined.

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Footnotes

  1. 7:38 1 bath is one tenth of a cor, or about 5.6 U. S. gallons or 21 liters, so 40 baths was about 224 gallons or 840 liters.

13 King Solomon had Hiram[a](A) brought from Tyre. 14 He was a widow’s son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a bronze craftsman. Hiram had great skill,(B) understanding, and knowledge to do every kind of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and carried out all his work.(C)

The Bronze Pillars

15 He cast two bronze pillars,(D) each 27 feet[b] high and 18 feet[c] in circumference.[d](E) 16 He also made two capitals(F) of cast bronze to set on top of the pillars; 7½ feet[e] was the height of the first capital, and 7½ feet was also the height of the second capital. 17 The capitals on top of the pillars had gratings of latticework, wreaths[f] made of chainwork—seven for the first capital and seven for the second.

18 He made the pillars with two encircling rows of pomegranates on the one grating to cover the capital on top; he did the same for the second capital. 19 And the capitals on top of the pillars in the portico were shaped like lilies, six feet[g] high. 20 The capitals on the two pillars were also immediately above the rounded surface next to the grating, and two hundred pomegranates(G) were in rows encircling each[h] capital. 21 He set up the pillars at the portico(H) of the sanctuary: he set up the right pillar and named it Jachin;[i] then he set up the left pillar and named it Boaz.[j](I) 22 The tops of the pillars were shaped like lilies. Then the work of the pillars was completed.(J)

The Basin

23 He made the cast metal basin,[k](K) 15 feet[l] from brim to brim, perfectly round. It was 7½ feet high and 45 feet in circumference. 24 Ornamental gourds(L) encircled it below the brim, ten every half yard,[m] completely encircling the basin.(M) The gourds were cast in two rows when the basin was cast. 25 It stood on twelve oxen,(N) three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The basin was on top of them and all their hindquarters were toward the center. 26 The basin was three inches[n] thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup or of a lily blossom. It held eleven thousand gallons.[o]

The Bronze Water Carts

27 Then he made ten bronze water carts.[p](O) Each water cart was 6 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 4½ feet[q] high. 28 This was the design of the carts: They had frames; the frames were between the cross-pieces, 29 and on the frames between the cross-pieces were lions, oxen, and cherubim.(P) On the cross-pieces there was a pedestal above, and below the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging[r] work. 30 Each cart(Q) had four bronze wheels with bronze axles. Underneath the four corners of the basin were cast supports, each next to a wreath. 31 And the water cart’s opening inside the crown on top was eighteen inches[s] wide. The opening was round, made as a pedestal twenty-seven inches[t] wide. On it were carvings, but their frames were square, not round. 32 There were four wheels under the frames, and the wheel axles were part of the water cart; each wheel was twenty-seven inches[u] tall. 33 The wheels’ design was similar to that of chariot wheels: their axles, rims, spokes, and hubs were all of cast metal. 34 Four supports were at the four corners of each water cart; each support was one piece with the water cart. 35 At the top of the cart was a band nine inches[v] high encircling it; also, at the top of the cart, its braces and its frames were one piece with it. 36 He engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees(R) on the plates of its braces and on its frames, wherever each had space, with encircling wreaths. 37 In this way he made the ten water carts using the same casting, dimensions, and shape for all of them.

Bronze Basins and Other Utensils

38 Then he made ten bronze basins(S)—each basin held 220 gallons[w] and each was six feet wide—one basin for each of the ten water carts. 39 He set five water carts on the right side of the temple and five on the left side. He put the basin near the right side of the temple toward the southeast.(T) 40 Then Hiram made(U) the basins, the shovels, and the sprinkling basins.

Completion of the Bronze Works

So Hiram finished all the work that he was doing for King Solomon on the Lord’s temple: 41 two pillars;(V) bowls for the capitals that were on top of the two pillars; the two gratings for covering both bowls of the capitals that were on top of the pillars;(W) 42 the four hundred pomegranates for the two gratings (two rows of pomegranates for each grating covering both capitals’ bowls on top of the pillars(X)); 43 the ten water carts;(Y) the ten basins on the water carts;(Z) 44 the basin;(AA) the twelve oxen underneath the basin;(AB) 45 and the pots, shovels, and sprinkling basins.(AC) All the utensils that Hiram made for King Solomon at the Lord’s temple were made of burnished bronze. 46 The king had them cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth(AD) and Zarethan.(AE) 47 Solomon left all the utensils unweighed because there were so many; the weight of the bronze was not determined.(AF)

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Footnotes

  1. 7:13 = Huram in 2Ch 4:11
  2. 7:15 Lit 18 cubits
  3. 7:15 Lit 12 cubits
  4. 7:15 LXX adds and the thickness of the pillar was four fingers hollowed and similarly the second pillar
  5. 7:16 Lit five cubits, also in v. 23
  6. 7:17 Lit tassels
  7. 7:19 Lit four cubits, also in vv. 27,38
  8. 7:20 Lit encircling the second
  9. 7:21 = He Will Establish
  10. 7:21 = In Him Is Strength
  11. 7:23 Lit sea
  12. 7:23 Lit 10 cubits
  13. 7:24 Lit 10 per cubit
  14. 7:26 Lit a handbreadth
  15. 7:26 Lit 2,000 baths
  16. 7:27 Lit bronze stands
  17. 7:27 Lit three cubits
  18. 7:29 Or hammered-down
  19. 7:31 Lit a cubit
  20. 7:31 Lit one and a half cubits
  21. 7:32 Lit was one and a half cubits
  22. 7:35 Lit half a cubit
  23. 7:38 Lit 40 baths