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Then he made an altar of bronze, twenty cubits[a] long, twenty cubits wide, and ten cubits high. Also he made the molten sea[b] of ten cubits from brim to brim. It was round, five cubits high, and thirty cubits in circumference. Under it was the likeness of oxen, which encircled it, for ten cubits, encircling the sea. The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast. 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. It was a handbreadth thick; and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It received and held three thousand baths.[c] He also made ten basins, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them. The things that belonged to the burnt offering were washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in.

He made the ten lamp stands of gold according to the ordinance concerning them; and he set them in the temple, five on the right hand, and five on the left. He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left. He made one hundred basins of gold. Furthermore he made the court of the priests, the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid their doors with bronze. 10 He set the sea on the right side of the house eastward, toward the south.

11 Huram made the pots, the shovels, and the basins.

So Huram finished doing the work that he did for king Solomon in God’s house: 12 the two pillars, the bowls, the two capitals which 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, 13 and 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. 14 He also made the bases, and he made the basins on the bases; 15 one sea, and the twelve oxen under it. 16 Huram his father also made the pots, the shovels, the forks, and all its vessels for king Solomon, for Yahweh’s house, of bright bronze. 17 The king cast them in the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah. 18 Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance; for the weight of the bronze could not be determined.

19 Solomon made all the vessels that were in God’s house, the golden altar also, and the tables with the show bread on them; 20 and the lamp stands with their lamps, to burn according to the ordinance before the inner sanctuary, of pure gold; 21 and the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of gold that was perfect gold; 22 and the snuffers, the basins, the spoons, and the fire pans of pure gold. As for the entry of the house, its inner doors for the most holy place and the doors of the main hall of the temple were of gold.

Footnotes

  1. 4:1 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.
  2. 4:2 or, pool, or, reservoir
  3. 4:5 A bath is about 5.6 U. S. gallons or 21.1 liters, so 3,000 baths is about 16,800 gallons or 63.3 kiloliters.

Also Solomon made an altar of bronze, its top twenty by twenty cubits and its height ten cubits.

Also he made a round Sea of molten metal, ten cubits from brim to brim and five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits measured around it.

Under it were figures of oxen encircling it, ten to a cubit. The oxen were in two rows, cast in one piece with it.

It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking north, three west, three south, three east; and the Sea rested upon them, and all their hind parts were inward.

Its thickness was a handbreadth; its brim was like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily; it held 3,000 baths (measures).

He made also ten lavers in which to wash and put five on the right (south) side and five on the left (north). Such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them, but the Sea was for the priests to wash in.

And he made ten golden lampstands as directed and set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left.

He made also ten tables and placed them in the temple, five each on the right and left sides, and 100 basins of gold.

Moreover, he made the priests’ court, and the great court and doors for the court, and overlaid their doors with bronze.

10 And he set the Sea at the southeast corner of the house.

11 And Huram made the pots, shovels, and basins. So Huram finished the work of God’s house that he did for King Solomon:

12 The two pillars; the bowls; the capitals on top of the two pillars; and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals on top of the pillars;

13 And 400 pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals upon the pillars.

14 He made also bases or stands and lavers upon the bases;

15 One Sea and the twelve oxen under it;

16 The pots, shovels, and fleshhooks, and all their equipment Huram his trusted counselor made of burnished bronze for King Solomon for the house of the Lord.

17 In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah.

18 Solomon made all these things in such great numbers that the weight of the bronze was not computed.

19 And Solomon made all the vessels for the house of God: the golden altar also; and the tables for the showbread (the bread of the Presence);

20 And the lampstands with their lamps of pure gold, to burn before the inner sanctuary (the Holy of Holies) as directed;

21 The flowers, lamps, and tongs, of purest gold;

22 The snuffers, basins, dishes for incense, and firepans, of pure gold; and for the temple entry, the inner doors for the Most Holy Place and the doors of the Holy Place were of gold.