The Temple’s Furnishings(A)

He made a bronze altar(B) twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high.[a] He made the Sea(C) of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits[b] high. It took a line of thirty cubits[c] to measure around it. Below the rim, figures of bulls encircled it—ten to a cubit.[d] The bulls were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea.

The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east.(D) The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. It was a handbreadth[e] in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held three thousand baths.[f]

He then made ten basins(E) for washing and placed five on the south side and five on the north. In them the things to be used for the burnt offerings(F) were rinsed, but the Sea was to be used by the priests for washing.

He made ten gold lampstands(G) according to the specifications(H) for them and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north.

He made ten tables(I) and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. He also made a hundred gold sprinkling bowls.(J)

He made the courtyard(K) of the priests, and the large court and the doors for the court, and overlaid the doors with bronze. 10 He placed the Sea on the south side, at the southeast corner.

11 And Huram also made the pots and shovels and sprinkling bowls.

So Huram finished(L) the work he had undertaken for King Solomon in the temple of God:

12 the two pillars;

the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars;

the two sets of network decorating the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars;

13 the four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pomegranates for each network, decorating the bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars);

14 the stands(M) with their basins;

15 the Sea and the twelve bulls under it;

16 the pots, shovels, meat forks and all related articles.

All the objects that Huram-Abi(N) made for King Solomon for the temple of the Lord were of polished bronze. 17 The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain of the Jordan between Sukkoth(O) and Zarethan.[g] 18 All these things that Solomon made amounted to so much that the weight of the bronze(P) could not be calculated.

19 Solomon also made all the furnishings that were in God’s temple:

the golden altar;

the tables(Q) on which was the bread of the Presence;

20 the lampstands(R) of pure gold with their lamps, to burn in front of the inner sanctuary as prescribed;

21 the gold floral work and lamps and tongs (they were solid gold);

22 the pure gold wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes(S) and censers;(T) and the gold doors of the temple: the inner doors to the Most Holy Place and the doors of the main hall.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 4:1 That is, about 30 feet long and wide and 15 feet high or about 9 meters long and wide and 4.5 meters high
  2. 2 Chronicles 4:2 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters
  3. 2 Chronicles 4:2 That is, about 45 feet or about 14 meters
  4. 2 Chronicles 4:3 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters
  5. 2 Chronicles 4:5 That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters
  6. 2 Chronicles 4:5 That is, about 18,000 gallons or about 66,000 liters
  7. 2 Chronicles 4:17 Hebrew Zeredatha, a variant of Zarethan

Furnishings of the Temple(A)

Moreover he made (B)a bronze altar: twenty cubits was its length, twenty cubits its width, and ten cubits its height.

(C)Then he made the [a]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. (D)And under it was the likeness of oxen encircling it all around, ten to a cubit, all the way around the Sea. The oxen were cast in two rows, when it was cast. It stood on twelve (E)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. It was a handbreadth thick; and its brim was shaped like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It contained [b]three thousand baths.

He also made (F)ten lavers, and put five on the right side and five on the left, to wash in them; such things as they offered for the burnt offering they would wash in them, but the [c]Sea was for the (G)priests to wash in. (H)And he made ten lampstands of gold (I)according to their design, and set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. (J)He also made ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made one hundred (K)bowls of gold.

Furthermore (L)he made the court of the priests, and the (M)great court and doors for the court; and he overlaid these doors with bronze. 10 (N)He set the Sea on the right side, toward the southeast.

11 Then (O)Huram made the pots and the shovels and the bowls. So Huram finished doing the work that he was to do for King Solomon for the house of God: 12 the two pillars and (P)the bowl-shaped capitals that were on top of the two pillars; the two networks covering the two bowl-shaped capitals which were on top of the pillars; 13 (Q)four hundred pomegranates for the two networks (two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on the pillars); 14 he also made (R)carts and the lavers on the carts; 15 one Sea and twelve oxen under it; 16 also the pots, the shovels, the forks—and all their articles (S)Huram his [d]master craftsman made of burnished bronze for King Solomon for the house of the Lord.

17 In the plain of Jordan the king had them cast in clay molds, between Succoth and [e]Zeredah. 18 (T)And Solomon had all these articles made in such great abundance that the weight of the bronze was not determined.

19 Thus (U)Solomon had all the furnishings made for the house of God: the altar of gold and the tables on which was (V)the showbread; 20 the lampstands with their lamps of pure gold, to burn (W)in the prescribed manner in front of the inner sanctuary, 21 with (X)the flowers and the lamps and the wick-trimmers of gold, of purest gold; 22 the trimmers, the bowls, the ladles, and the censers of pure gold. As for the entry of the [f]sanctuary, its inner doors to the Most Holy Place, and the doors of the main hall of the temple, were gold.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 4:2 Great laver or basin
  2. 2 Chronicles 4:5 About 8,000 gallons; two thousand, 1 Kin. 7:26
  3. 2 Chronicles 4:6 Great basin
  4. 2 Chronicles 4:16 Lit. father
  5. 2 Chronicles 4:17 Zaretan, 1 Kin. 7:46
  6. 2 Chronicles 4:22 Lit. house

Furnishings for the Temple

Solomon[a] also made a bronze altar 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 15 feet high.[b] Then he cast a great round basin, 15 feet across from rim to rim, called the Sea. It was 7 1⁄2 feet deep and about 45 feet in circumference.[c] It was encircled just below its rim by two rows of figures that resembled oxen. There were about six oxen per foot[d] all the way around, and they were cast as part of the basin.

The Sea was placed on a base of twelve bronze oxen, all facing outward. Three faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east, and the Sea rested on them. The walls of the Sea were about three inches[e] thick, and its rim flared out like a cup and resembled a water lily blossom. It could hold about 16,500 gallons[f] of water.

He also made ten smaller basins for washing the utensils for the burnt offerings. He set five on the south side and five on the north. But the priests washed themselves in the Sea.

He then cast ten gold lampstands according to the specifications that had been given, and he put them in the Temple. Five were placed against the south wall, and five were placed against the north wall.

He also built ten tables and placed them in the Temple, five along the south wall and five along the north wall. Then he molded 100 gold basins.

He then built a courtyard for the priests, and also the large outer courtyard. He made doors for the courtyard entrances and overlaid them with bronze. 10 The great bronze basin called the Sea was placed near the southeast corner of the Temple.

11 Huram-abi also made the necessary washbasins, shovels, and bowls.

So at last Huram-abi completed everything King Solomon had assigned him to make for the Temple of God:

12 the two pillars;
the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars;
the two networks of interwoven chains that decorated the capitals;
13 the 400 pomegranates that hung from the chains on the capitals (two rows of pomegranates for each of the chain networks that decorated the capitals on top of the pillars);
14 the water carts holding the basins;
15 the Sea and the twelve oxen under it;
16 the ash buckets, the shovels, the meat hooks, and all the related articles.

Huram-abi made all these things of burnished bronze for the Temple of the Lord, just as King Solomon had directed. 17 The king had them cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth and Zarethan.[g] 18 Solomon used such great quantities of bronze that its weight could not be determined.

19 Solomon also made all the furnishings for the Temple of God:

the gold altar;
the tables for the Bread of the Presence;
20 the lampstands and their lamps of solid gold, to burn in front of the Most Holy Place as prescribed;
21 the flower decorations, lamps, and tongs—all of the purest gold;
22 the lamp snuffers, bowls, ladles, and incense burners—all of solid gold;
the doors for the entrances to the Most Holy Place and the main room of the Temple, overlaid with gold.

Footnotes

  1. 4:1a Or Huram-abi; Hebrew reads He.
  2. 4:1b Hebrew 20 cubits [9.2 meters] long, 20 cubits wide, and 10 cubits [4.6 meters] high.
  3. 4:2 Hebrew 10 cubits [4.6 meters] across . . . 5 cubits [2.3 meters] deep and 30 cubits [13.8 meters] in circumference.
  4. 4:3 Or 20 oxen per meter; Hebrew reads 10 per cubit.
  5. 4:5a Hebrew a handbreadth [8 centimeters].
  6. 4:5b Hebrew 3,000 baths [63 kiloliters].
  7. 4:17 As in parallel text at 1 Kgs 7:46; Hebrew reads Zeredah.

Equipment for the Temple(A)

(B)King Solomon had a bronze altar made, which was 30 feet square and 15 feet high. He also made a round tank of bronze, 7½ feet deep, 15 feet in diameter, and 45 feet in circumference. All around the outer edge of the rim of the tank[a] were two rows of decorations, one above the other. The decorations were in the shape of bulls, which had been cast all in one piece with the rest of the tank. The tank rested on the backs of twelve bronze bulls that faced outward, three facing in each direction. 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 flower. The tank held about 15,000 gallons. (C)They also made ten basins, five to be placed on the south side of the Temple and five on the north side. They were to be used to rinse the parts of the animals that were burned as sacrifices. The water in the large tank was for the priests to use for washing.

7-8 (D)They made ten gold lampstands according to the usual pattern, and ten tables, and placed them in the main room of the Temple, five lampstands and five tables on each side. They also made a hundred gold bowls.

They made an inner courtyard for the priests, and also an outer courtyard. The doors in the gates between the courtyards were covered with bronze. 10 The tank was placed near the southeast corner of the Temple.

11-16 Huram also made pots, shovels, and bowls. He completed all the objects that he had promised King Solomon he would make for the Temple:

    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 arranged in two rows around the design of each capital
    The ten[b] carts
    The ten basins
    The tank
    The twelve bulls supporting the tank
    The pots, shovels, and forks

Huram the master metalworker made all these objects[c] out of polished bronze, as King Solomon had commanded, for use in the Temple of the Lord.

17 The king had them all made in the foundry between Sukkoth and Zeredah[d] in the Jordan Valley. 18 So many objects were made that no one determined the total weight of the bronze used.

19 King Solomon also had gold furnishings made for the Temple: the altar and the tables for the bread offered to God; 20 the lampstands and the lamps of fine gold that were to burn in front of the Most Holy Place, according to plan; 21 the flower decorations, the lamps, and the tongs; 22 the lamp snuffers, the bowls, the dishes for incense, and the pans used for carrying live coals. All these objects were made of pure gold. The outer doors of the Temple and the doors to the Most Holy Place were overlaid with gold.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 4:3 Probable text All around … tank; Hebrew unclear.
  2. 2 Chronicles 4:11 Probable text (see 1 K 7.40-45) ten; Hebrew he made.
  3. 2 Chronicles 4:11 One ancient translation all these objects; Hebrew all their objects.
  4. 2 Chronicles 4:17 (see Zarethan 1 K 7.46).

Furnishings of the Temple

He made an altar of bronze, twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and ten cubits high.(A) Then he made the molten sea; it was round, ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. A line of thirty cubits would encircle it completely.(B) Under it were figures of bulls all around, each of ten cubits, surrounding the sea; there were two rows of bulls, cast when it was cast.(C) It stood on twelve bulls, 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. Its thickness was a handbreadth; its rim was made like the rim of a cup, like the flower of a lily; it held three thousand baths.[a](D) He also made ten basins in which to wash and set five on the right side and five on the left. In these they were to rinse what was used for the burnt offering. The sea was for the priests to wash in.(E)

He made ten golden lampstands as prescribed and set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left.(F) He also made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made one hundred basins of gold.(G) He made the court of the priests and the great court and doors for the court; he overlaid their doors with bronze.(H) 10 He set the sea at the southeast corner of the house.(I)

11 And Huram made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. Thus Huram finished the work that he did for King Solomon on the house of God:(J) 12 the two pillars, the bowls, and the two capitals on the top of the pillars; and the two latticeworks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars;(K) 13 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.(L) 14 He made the stands, the basins on the stands,(M) 15 the one sea, and the twelve bulls underneath it. 16 The pots, the shovels, the forks, and all the equipment for these Huram-abi made of burnished bronze for King Solomon for the house of the Lord.(N) 17 In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah.(O) 18 Solomon made all these things in great quantities, so that the weight of the bronze was not determined.(P)

19 So Solomon made all the things that were in the house of God: the golden altar, the tables for the bread of the Presence,(Q) 20 the lampstands and their lamps of pure gold to burn before the inner sanctuary, as prescribed;(R) 21 the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of purest gold; 22 the snuffers, basins, ladles, and firepans, of pure gold. As for the entrance to the temple: the inner doors to the most holy place and the doors of the main hall of the temple were of gold.

Footnotes

  1. 4.5 A Hebrew measure of volume