³ It was encircled just below its rim by two rows of figures that resembled oxen. There were about six oxen per foot^[a] all the way around, and they were cast as part of the basin.

⁷ The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight.

⁹ For the law of Moses says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.”^[a] Was God thinking only about oxen when he said this? ¹⁰ Wasn’t he actually speaking to us? Yes, it was written for us, so that the one who plows and the one who threshes the grain might both expect a share of the harvest.

¹⁴ Each of the four cherubim had four faces: the first was the face of an ox,^[a] the second was a human face, the third was the face of a lion, and the fourth was the face of an eagle.

¹⁰ Each had a human face in the front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle at the back.

²⁴ It was encircled just below its rim by two rows of decorative gourds. There were about six gourds per foot^[a] all the way around, and they were cast as part of the basin.

²⁵ The Sea was placed on a base of twelve bronze oxen,^[b] all facing outward. Three faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east, and the Sea rested on them. ²⁶ The walls of the Sea were about three inches^[c] thick, and its rim flared out like a cup and resembled a water lily blossom. It could hold about 11,000 gallons^[d] of water.