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Then Solomon began to build Yahweh’s house at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where Yahweh appeared to David his father, which he prepared in the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. He began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign. Now these are the foundations which Solomon laid for the building of God’s house. The length by cubits[a] after the first measure was sixty cubits, and the width twenty cubits. The porch that was in front, its length, according to the width of the house, was twenty cubits, and the height one hundred twenty; and he overlaid it within with pure gold. He made the larger room with a ceiling of cypress wood, which he overlaid with fine gold, and ornamented it with palm trees and chains. He decorated the house with precious stones for beauty. The gold was gold from Parvaim. He also overlaid the house, the beams, the thresholds, its walls, and its doors with gold; and engraved cherubim on the walls.

He made the most holy place. Its length, according to the width of the house, was twenty cubits, and its width twenty cubits; and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.[b] The weight of the nails was fifty shekels[c] of gold. He overlaid the upper rooms with gold.

10 In the most holy place he made two cherubim by carving; and they overlaid them with gold. 11 The wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits long: the wing of the one was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub. 12 The wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was five cubits, joining to the wing of the other cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim spread themselves out twenty cubits. They stood on their feet, and their faces were toward the house. 14 He made the veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and ornamented it with cherubim.

15 Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty-five cubits height, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits. 16 He made chains in the inner sanctuary, and put them on the tops of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains. 17 He set 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.

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Footnotes

  1. 3:3 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.
  2. 3:8 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces, so 600 talents is about 18 metric tons
  3. 3:9 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.32 Troy ounces, so 50 shekels was about 0.5 kilograms or about 16 Troy ounces.

Solomon Builds the Temple

Then Solomon began to build the house of Yahweh in Jerusalem, on Mount Moriah, where Yahweh had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had established, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. And he began to build in the second month of the fourth year of his reign.

Now these were the measurements of Solomon for building the house of God: the length in cubits by the former measurement was sixty cubits, and the width was twenty cubits. The length of the portico that was in front was the same as the front of the width of the house:[a] twenty cubits. And its height was one hundred and twenty cubits. And he overlaid it on the inside with pure gold. And the great house itself he covered with cypress wood, then he overlaid it with pure gold. And he put on it palm tree images and ornate chains. Then he overlaid the house with precious stone as decoration. (Now the gold was the gold of Parvaim.) And he overlaid the house with gold—the beams, the thresholds, the walls, and the doors. And he carved cherubim upon the walls. Then he made the most holy place.[b] Its length was equal to[c] the width of the house: twenty cubits. And its breadth was twenty cubits. And he overlaid it with six hundred talents of fine gold. And the weight for the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid its upper rooms with gold. 10 And he made two sculpted wood cherubim in the most holy place,[d] and he overlaid them with gold. 11 The length of the outstretched wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits; one wing of five cubits touched the wall of the house, and the other wing of five cubits was touching the outstretched wing of the other cherub. 12 And the wing of five cubits of the other cherub was touching the wall of the house, and its other wing five cubits long touching the wing of the first[e] cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits, and they were standing on their feet, their faces toward the house. 14 And he made the curtain of blue and purple and crimson and fine linen, and put cherubim on it. 15 And at the front of the house he made two columns, thirty-five cubits high, and the capital on their top was five cubits. 16 And he made decorative chains in the inner sanctuary and put them on top of the columns. And he made one hundred pomegranate ornaments, and put them on the chains. 17 And he erected the columns in front of the temple, one on the south and one on the north. He called the name of the southern one Jakin, and the name of the northern one Boaz.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 3:4 Literally “The length at the front of the portico the front of the width of the house”
  2. 2 Chronicles 3:8 Literally “the house of the holy of the holies”
  3. 2 Chronicles 3:8 Literally “at the front of”
  4. 2 Chronicles 3:10 Literally “the house of the holy of the holies”
  5. 2 Chronicles 3:12 Or “other”