¹⁷ King Ahaz cut off the side panels and removed the basins from the movable stands. He removed the Sea from the bronze bulls that supported it and set it on a stone base.^(A)

²⁰ The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the twelve bronze bulls^(A) under it, and the movable stands, which King Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed.^(B)

¹⁹ We have prepared and consecrated all the articles^(A) that King Ahaz removed in his unfaithfulness while he was king. They are now in front of the Lord’s altar.”

²⁴ Ahaz gathered together the furnishings^(A) from the temple of God^(B) and cut them in pieces. He shut the doors^(C) of the Lord’s temple and set up altars^(D) at every street corner in Jerusalem.

¹³ The Babylonians broke^(A) up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried the bronze to Babylon. ¹⁴ They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes^(B) and all the bronze articles^(C) used in the temple service. ¹⁵ The commander of the imperial guard took away the censers and sprinkling bowls—all that were made of pure gold or silver.^(D)

¹⁶ The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the movable stands, which Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed.

²³ He made the Sea^(A) of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line^(B) of thirty cubits^[a] to measure around it. ²⁴ Below the rim, gourds encircled it—ten to a cubit. The gourds were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea.

²⁵ The Sea stood on twelve bulls,^(C) three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. ²⁶ It was a handbreadth^[b] in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths.^[c]

²⁷ He also made ten movable stands^(D) of bronze; each was four cubits long, four wide and three high.^{[d] 28} This is how the stands were made: They had side panels attached to uprights. ²⁹ On the panels between the uprights were lions, bulls and cherubim—and on the uprights as well. Above and below the lions and bulls were wreaths of hammered work. ³⁰ Each stand^(E) had four bronze wheels with bronze axles, and each had a basin resting on four supports, cast with wreaths on each side. ³¹ On the inside of the stand there was an opening that had a circular frame one cubit^[e] deep. This opening was round, and with its basework it measured a cubit and a half.^[f] Around its opening there was engraving. The panels of the stands were square, not round. ³² The four wheels were under the panels, and the axles of the wheels were attached to the stand. The diameter of each wheel was a cubit and a half. ³³ The wheels were made like chariot wheels; the axles, rims, spokes and hubs were all of cast metal.

³⁴ Each stand had four handles, one on each corner, projecting from the stand. ³⁵ At the top of the stand there was a circular band half a cubit^[g] deep. The supports and panels were attached to the top of the stand. ³⁶ He engraved cherubim, lions and palm trees on the surfaces of the supports and on the panels, in every available space, with wreaths all around. ³⁷ This is the way he made the ten stands. They were all cast in the same molds and were identical in size and shape.

³⁸ He then made ten bronze basins,^(F) each holding forty baths^[h] and measuring four cubits across, one basin to go on each of the ten stands. ³⁹ He placed five of the stands on the south side of the temple and five on the north. He placed the Sea on the south side, at the southeast corner of the temple.