Furnishings of the Temple

4 Then ^(A)he made a bronze altar, ^[a]twenty cubits in length, ^[b]twenty cubits in width, and ^[c]ten cubits in height. ^2 (B)He also made the ^[d]Sea of cast metal, ^[e]ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in form, and its height was ^[f]five cubits and ^[g]its circumference ^[h]thirty cubits. ³ Now figures like oxen were under it and all around it, ^[i]ten cubits, entirely encircling the Sea. The oxen were in two rows, cast ^[j]in one piece. ⁴ It was standing on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; and the Sea was set on top of them and all their hindquarters turned inward. ⁵ It was a ^[k]hand width thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom; it ^(C)could hold three thousand ^[l]baths.

^23 (A)He also he made the ^[a]Sea of ^(B)cast metal ^[b]ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in shape, and its height was five cubits, and ^[c]it was ^[d]thirty cubits in circumference. ²⁴ Under its brim ^(C)gourds went around encircling it ten to a cubit, ^(D)completely surrounding the Sea; the gourds were in two rows, cast ^[e]with the rest. ^25 (E)It was standing on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; and the Sea was set on top of them, and all their rear parts turned inward. ²⁶ And it was a ^[f]hand width thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom; it could hold ^[g]two thousand baths.

²⁷ Then ^(F)he made the ten stands of bronze; the length of each stand was ^[h]four cubits, its width four cubits, and its height was three cubits. ²⁸ This was the design of the stands: they had borders, that is, borders between the crossbars, ²⁹ and on the borders which were between the crossbars were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and on the crossbars there was a pedestal above, and beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work. ³⁰ Now each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles, and its four feet had supports; beneath the basin were cast supports with wreaths at each side. ³¹ And its opening inside the crown at the top was a ^[i]cubit, and its opening was round like the design of a pedestal, a cubit and a half; and on its opening also there were engravings, and their borders were square, not round. ³² The four wheels were underneath the borders, and the axles of the wheels were on the stand. And the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half. ³³ The workmanship of the wheels was like the workmanship of a chariot wheel. Their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all cast. ³⁴ Now there were four supports at the four corners of each stand; its supports were part of the stand itself. ³⁵ And on the top of the stand there was a circular form ^[j]half a cubit high, and on the top of the stand its ^[k]stays and its borders were part of it. ³⁶ And he engraved on the plates of its stays and on its borders cherubim, lions, and palm trees, as there was clear space on each, with wreaths all around. ^37 (G)He made the ten stands like this: all of them had the ^[l]same casting, ^[m]same measure, and ^[n]same form.

^38 (H)And he made ten basins of bronze, ^[o]each holding ^[p]forty baths; each basin was ^[q]four cubits, and on each of the ten stands was one basin. ³⁹ Then he placed the stands, five on the right side of the house and five on the left side of the house; and he set the ^[r]Sea of cast metal on the right side of the house eastward toward the south.

⁴⁰ Now Hiram made the basins and the shovels and the bowls. So Hiram finished doing all the work which he performed for King Solomon in the house of the Lord: ⁴¹ the two pillars and the two bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the ^(I)two pillars, and the two lattices to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; ⁴² and the ^(J)four hundred pomegranates for the two lattices, two rows of pomegranates for each lattice to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the tops of the pillars; ⁴³ and the ten stands with the ten basins on the stands; ⁴⁴ and ^(K)the one ^[s]Sea and the twelve oxen under the Sea; ⁴⁵ and ^(L)the buckets, the shovels, and the bowls; indeed, all these utensils which Hiram made for King Solomon in the house of the Lord were of polished bronze. ^46 (M)The king had them cast in the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between ^(N)Succoth and ^(O)Zarethan. ⁴⁷ However, Solomon left all the utensils unweighed, because they were too many; ^(P)the weight of the bronze could not be determined.

⁴⁸ Solomon also made all the furniture that was in the house of the Lord: ^(Q)the golden altar and the golden table on which was set the ^(R)bread of the Presence; ⁴⁹ and the lampstands of pure gold, five on the right side and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary; and ^(S)the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of gold; ⁵⁰ also the cups, the ^[t]shears, the bowls, the ladles, and the ^(T)firepans, of pure gold; and the hinges both for the doors of the inner house, the Most Holy Place, and for the doors of the house, that is, for the main room, of gold.

^51 (U)So all the work that King Solomon performed in the house of the Lord was finished. And ^(V)Solomon brought in the offerings vowed by his father David, the silver and the gold and the utensils, and he put them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord.

^6 (A)He also made ten basins in which to wash, and he set five on the right side and five on the left ^[a]to rinse things for the burnt offering; but the Sea was for the priests to wash in.

⁷ Then ^(B)he made the ten golden lampstands in the way prescribed for them, and he set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. ⁸ He also made ^(C)ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made a hundred golden bowls. ⁹ Then he made ^(D)the courtyard of the priests and ^(E)the great courtyard, and doors for the courtyard, and overlaid their doors with bronze. ^10 (F)He put the Sea on the right side of the house toward the southeast.

^11 (G)Huram also made the pails, the shovels, and the bowls. So Huram finished the work that he did for King Solomon in the house of God: ¹² the two pillars, the bowls and the two capitals on top of the pillars, and the two latticeworks to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on top of the pillars, ¹³ and ^(H)the four hundred pomegranates for the two latticeworks, two rows of pomegranates for each latticework to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the pillars. ^14 (I)He also made the stands and he made the basins on the stands, ¹⁵ and the one Sea with the twelve oxen under it. ¹⁶ The pails, the shovels, the forks, and all its utensils, ^(J)Huram-abi made of polished bronze for King Solomon, for the house of the Lord. ¹⁷ On the plain of the Jordan the king cast them in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah. ^18 (K)So Solomon made all these utensils in great quantities, for the weight of the bronze could not be determined.

¹⁹ Solomon also made all the things that were in the house of God: the golden altar, ^(L)the tables with the bread of the Presence on them, ²⁰ the lampstands with their lamps of pure gold, ^(M)to burn in front of the inner sanctuary in the way prescribed; ²¹ the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of gold, that is, of purest gold; ²² and the snuffers, the bowls, the spoons, and the firepans of pure gold; and the entrance of the house, its inner doors for the Most Holy Place and the doors of the house, that is, of the main room, of gold.

The Ark Is Brought into the Temple

5 ^(N)So all the work that Solomon performed for the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in the ^[b](O)things that his father David had dedicated, the silver, the gold, and all the utensils, and he put them in the treasuries of the house of God.

^2 (P)Then Solomon assembled at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes, and the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, ^(Q)to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord up from the city of David, which is Zion. ^3 (R)All the men of Israel assembled themselves before the king at ^(S)the feast, that is in the seventh month. ⁴ Then all the elders of Israel came, and ^(T)the Levites picked up the ark. ⁵ They brought up the ark, the tent of meeting, and all the holy utensils that were in the tent. The Levitical priests brought them up. ⁶ And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who had assembled with him before the ark were sacrificing ^[c]so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. ⁷ Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. ⁸ For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its ^[d]poles. ⁹ The poles were so long that ^(U)the ends of the poles of the ark could be seen in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen outside; and ^[e]they are there to this day. ^10 (V)There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

The Glory of God Fills the Temple

¹¹ When the priests came out from the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard ^(W)to divisions), ¹² and all the Levitical singers, ^(X)Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and kinsmen, clothed in fine linen, ^(Y)with cymbals, harps, and lyres, standing east of the altar, and with them 120 priests ^(Z)blowing trumpets ¹³ in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the Lord, and when they raised their voices ^(AA)accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other musical instruments, and when they praised the Lord saying, “^(AB)He indeed is good for His ^[f]kindness is everlasting,” then the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, ¹⁴ so that the priests could not rise to minister because of the cloud, for ^(AC)the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

The Ark Brought into the Temple

8 ^(A)Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all ^(B)the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, ^(C)to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from ^(D)the city of David, that is, Zion. ² So all the men of Israel assembled themselves before King Solomon at ^(E)the feast, in the month Ethanim, that is, the seventh month. ³ Then all the elders of Israel came, and ^(F)the priests took up the ark. ⁴ And they brought up the ark of the Lord, ^(G)the tent of meeting, and all the holy utensils which were in the tent; the priests and the Levites brought them up. ⁵ And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were gathered together to him, ^(H)were with him before the ark, sacrificing ^[a]so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. ⁶ Then ^(I)the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord ^(J)to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the Most Holy Place, ^(K)under the wings of the cherubim. ⁷ For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its carrying poles from above. ⁸ But ^(L)the poles were so long that the ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen outside; they are there to this day. ^9 (M)There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, where ^(N)the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. ¹⁰ And it happened that when the priests came from the holy place, ^(O)the cloud filled the house of the Lord, ¹¹ so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.