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Solomon builds the temple

Solomon began to build the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord[a] had appeared to his father David, on the place David had prepared at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. He began building in the second month[b] of the fourth year of his rule. Solomon laid the foundations[c] for these structures in order to build the temple of God. The length according to the old standard of measurement was ninety feet and the width thirty feet. Across the front of the temple[d] was a porch as long as the temple was and thirty feet wide, and thirty feet[e] high. He covered the inside walls with pure gold. He paneled the walls of the main room with pine, covered them with fine gold, and decorated them with palm trees and chains. He studded the room with precious stones for beauty; the gold was from Parvaim. He covered the room, its beams, doorframes, walls, and doors with gold, and carved images of winged creatures on the walls. Then he made the most holy place. It was as long as the temple was wide, thirty feet long and thirty feet wide. He covered it with six hundred kikkars of fine gold. The gold nails weighed fifty shekels.[f] He also covered the upper rooms with gold.

10 In the most holy place he formed two statues of winged creatures and covered them with gold. 11 Together the wingspan of these creatures was thirty feet. One of the first creature’s wings was seven and a half feet long and touched the temple wall, while the other wing was seven and a half feet long, touching the wing of the other creature. 12 Similarly, one wing of the other creature was seven and a half feet long and touched the temple wall, while the other wing was seven and a half feet long and touched the other creature. 13 The wings of these creatures extended thirty feet. They stood on their feet facing the main room.

14 Then he made the curtain out of fine linen and violet, purple, and crimson yarn, weaving winged creatures into it. 15 Then he made two columns in front of the temple, fifty-two and a half feet high, with a seven and a half foot cap on top of each. 16 Then he made chains like a necklace[g] and placed them on the tops of the columns. He made a hundred pomegranates and placed them into the chains. 17 Then he set up the pillars in front of the sanctuary, one on the south, the other on the north. The one on the south he named Jachin, and the one on the north he named Boaz.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 3:1 LXX; MT lacks the Lord.
  2. 2 Chronicles 3:2 LXX; MT adds on the second (day).
  3. 2 Chronicles 3:3 Syr the measurements
  4. 2 Chronicles 3:4 LXX; cf 1 Kgs 6:3
  5. 2 Chronicles 3:4 LXX, Syr; MT one hundred eighty feet
  6. 2 Chronicles 3:9 Or approximately thirty ounces
  7. 2 Chronicles 3:16 Heb adds in the inner room.

Solomon Builds the Temple

Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Mori′ah, where the Lord had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jeb′usite. He began to build in the second month of the fourth year of his reign. These are Solomon’s measurements[a] for building the house of God: the length, in cubits of the old standard, was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house;[b] and its height was a hundred and twenty cubits. He overlaid it on the inside with pure gold. The nave he lined with cypress, and covered it with fine gold, and made palms and chains on it. He adorned the house with settings of precious stones. The gold was gold of Parva′im. So he lined the house with gold—its beams, its thresholds, its walls, and its doors; and he carved cherubim on the walls.

And he made the most holy place; its length, corresponding to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and its breadth was twenty cubits; he overlaid it with six hundred talents of fine gold. The weight of the nails was one shekel[c] to fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.

10 In the most holy place he made two cherubim of wood[d] and overlaid[e] them with gold. 11 The wings of the cherubim together extended twenty cubits: one wing of the one, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and its other wing, of five cubits, touched the wing of the other cherub; 12 and of this cherub, one wing, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and the other wing, also of five cubits, was joined to the wing of the first cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits; the cherubim[f] stood on their feet, facing the nave. 14 And he made the veil of blue and purple and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and worked cherubim on it.

15 In front of the house he made two pillars thirty-five cubits high, with a capital of five cubits on the top of each. 16 He made chains like a necklace[g] and put them on the tops of the pillars; and he made a hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains. 17 He set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the south, the other on the north; that on the south he called Jachin, and that on the north Bo′az.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 3:3 Syr: Heb foundations
  2. 2 Chronicles 3:4 1 Kg 6.3: Heb uncertain
  3. 2 Chronicles 3:9 Compare Gk: Heb lacks one shekel
  4. 2 Chronicles 3:10 Gk: Heb uncertain
  5. 2 Chronicles 3:10 Heb they overlaid
  6. 2 Chronicles 3:13 Heb they
  7. 2 Chronicles 3:16 Cn: Heb in the inner sanctuary

Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.

Now these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the first measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.

And the porch that was in the front of the house, the length of it was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the height was an hundred and twenty: and he overlaid it within with pure gold.

And the greater house he cieled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm trees and chains.

And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim.

He overlaid also the house, the beams, the posts, and the walls thereof, and the doors thereof, with gold; and graved cherubims on the walls.

And he made the most holy house, the length whereof was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits: and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.

And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.

10 And in the most holy house he made two cherubims of image work, and overlaid them with gold.

11 And the wings of the cherubims were twenty cubits long: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.

12 And one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was five cubits also, joining to the wing of the other cherub.

13 The wings of these cherubims spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were inward.

14 And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon.

15 Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the chapiter that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.

16 And he made chains, as in the oracle, and put them on the heads of the pillars; and made an hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains.

17 And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.