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2 Chronicles 4
Contemporary English Version
2 Chronicles 4
Contemporary English Version
The Furnishings for the Temple
(1 Kings 7.23-51)
4 (A) Solomon had a bronze altar made that was nine meters square and four and a half meters high. 2 He also gave orders to make a large metal bowl called the Sea. It was 4.5 meters across, just over two meters deep, and 13.5 meters around. 3 Its outer edge was decorated with two rows of carvings of bulls, ten bulls to about every 45 centimeters, all made from the same piece of metal as the bowl. 4 The bowl itself sat on top of twelve bronze bulls, with three bulls facing outward in each of four directions. 5 The sides of the bowl were 75 millimeters thick, and its rim was in the shape of a cup that curved outward like flower petals. The bowl held about 60,000 liters.
6 (B) He also made ten small bowls and put five on each side of the large bowl. The small bowls were used to wash the animals that were burned on the altar as sacrifices, and the priests used the water in the large bowl to wash their hands.
7 (C) Ten gold lampstands were also made according to the plans. Solomon placed these lampstands inside the temple, five on each side of the main room. 8 (D) He also made ten tables and placed them in the main room, five on each side. And he made 100 small gold sprinkling bowls.
9 Solomon gave orders to build two courtyards: a smaller one that only priests could use and a larger one. The doors to these courtyards were covered with bronze. 10 The large bowl called the Sea was placed near the southeast corner of the temple.
11 Huram made shovels, sprinkling bowls, and pans for hot ashes. Here is a list of the other furnishings he made for God's temple: 12 two columns, two bowl-shaped caps for the tops of these columns, two chain designs on the caps, 13 400 pomegranates[a] in two rows for the chain designs, 14 the stands and the small bowls, 15 the large bowl and the twelve bulls that held it up, 16 pans for hot ashes, as well as shovels and meat forks.
Huram made all these things out of polished bronze 17 by pouring melted bronze into the clay molds he had set up near the Jordan River, between Succoth and Zeredah.
18 There were so many bronze furnishings that no one ever knew how much bronze it took to make them.
19 Solomon also gave orders to make the following temple furnishings out of gold: the altar, the tables that held the sacred loaves of bread,[b] 20 the lampstands and the lamps that burned in front of the most holy place, 21 flower designs, lamps and tongs, 22 lamp snuffers, small sprinkling bowls, ladles, fire pans, and the doors to the most holy place and the main room of the temple.
2 Chronicles 4
New King James Version
2 Chronicles 4
New King James Version
Furnishings of the Temple(A)
4 Moreover he made (B)a bronze altar: twenty cubits was its length, twenty cubits its width, and ten cubits its height.
2 (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. 3 (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. 4 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. 5 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.
6 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. 7 (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. 8 (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.
9 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
- 2 Chronicles 4:2 Great laver or basin
- 2 Chronicles 4:5 About 8,000 gallons; two thousand, 1 Kin. 7:26
- 2 Chronicles 4:6 Great basin
- 2 Chronicles 4:16 Lit. father
- 2 Chronicles 4:17 Zaretan, 1 Kin. 7:46
- 2 Chronicles 4:22 Lit. house
2 Chronicles 4
New International Version
2 Chronicles 4
New International Version
The Temple’s Furnishings(A)
4 He made a bronze altar(B) twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high.[a] 2 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. 3 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.
4 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. 5 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]
6 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.
7 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.
8 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)
9 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
- 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 Chronicles 4:2 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters
- 2 Chronicles 4:2 That is, about 45 feet or about 14 meters
- 2 Chronicles 4:3 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters
- 2 Chronicles 4:5 That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters
- 2 Chronicles 4:5 That is, about 18,000 gallons or about 66,000 liters
- 2 Chronicles 4:17 Hebrew Zeredatha, a variant of Zarethan
2 Chronicles 4
English Standard Version
2 Chronicles 4
English Standard Version
The Temple's Furnishings
4 He made (A)an altar of bronze, twenty cubits[a] long and twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high. 2 (B)Then he made the sea of cast metal. It was round, ten cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference. 3 Under it were figures of gourds,[b] for ten cubits, compassing the sea all around. The gourds were in two rows, cast with it when it was cast. 4 It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The sea was set on them, and all their rear parts were inward. 5 Its thickness was a handbreadth.[c] And its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. (C)It held 3,000 baths.[d] 6 (D)He also made ten basins in which to wash, and set five on the south side, and five on the north side. In these they were to rinse off what was used for the burnt offering, and the sea was for the priests to wash in.
7 And he made ten golden lampstands (E)as prescribed, and set them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. 8 (F)He also made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. And he made a hundred basins of gold. 9 He made (G)the court of the priests (H)and the great court and doors for the court and overlaid their doors with bronze. 10 (I)And he set the sea at the southeast corner of the house.
11 (J)(K)Hiram also made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. (L)So Hiram finished the work that he did for King Solomon on the house of God: 12 the two pillars, (M)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; 13 (N)and the 400 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. 14 (O)He made the stands also, and the basins on the stands, 15 and the one sea, and the twelve oxen underneath it. 16 The pots, the shovels, (P)the forks, and all the equipment for these (Q)(R)Huram-abi 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.[e] 18 (S)Solomon made all these things in great quantities, for the weight of the bronze was not sought.
19 So Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of God: the golden altar, (T)the tables for the bread of the Presence, 20 the lampstands and their lamps of pure gold (U)to burn before the inner sanctuary, as prescribed; 21 the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of purest gold; 22 the snuffers, basins, dishes for incense, and fire pans, of pure gold, and the sockets[f] of the temple, for the inner doors to the Most Holy Place and for the doors of the nave of the temple were of gold.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 4:1 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
- 2 Chronicles 4:3 Hebrew oxen; twice in this verse; compare 1 Kings 7:24
- 2 Chronicles 4:5 A handbreadth was about 3 inches or 7.5 centimeters
- 2 Chronicles 4:5 A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters
- 2 Chronicles 4:17 Spelled Zarethan in 1 Kings 7:46
- 2 Chronicles 4:22 Compare 1 Kings 7:50; Hebrew the entrance of the house
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
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New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.