Solomon Builds the Temple^(A)

3 Now ^(B)Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at ^(C)Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where ^[a]the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of ^(D)Ornan^[b] the Jebusite. ² And he began to build on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.

³ This is the foundation ^(E)which Solomon laid for building the house of God: The length was sixty cubits (by cubits according to the former measure) and the width twenty cubits. ⁴ And the ^(F)vestibule that was in front of ^[c]the sanctuary was twenty cubits long across the width of the house, and the height was ^[d]one hundred and twenty. He overlaid the inside with pure gold. ^5 (G)The larger ^[e]room he ^(H)paneled with cypress which he overlaid with fine gold, and he carved palm trees and chainwork on it. ⁶ And he decorated the house with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was gold from Parvaim. ⁷ He also overlaid the house—the beams and doorposts, its walls and doors—with gold; and he carved cherubim on the walls.

⁸ And he made the ^(I)Most Holy Place. Its length was according to the width of the house, twenty cubits, and its width twenty cubits. He overlaid it with six hundred talents of fine gold. ⁹ The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold; and he overlaid the upper ^(J)area with gold. ^10 (K)In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim, fashioned by carving, and overlaid them with gold. ¹¹ The wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits in overall length: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub; ¹² one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing also was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub. ¹³ The wings of these cherubim spanned twenty cubits overall. They stood on their feet, and they faced inward. ¹⁴ And he made the ^(L)veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and wove cherubim into it.

¹⁵ Also he made in front of the ^[f]temple ^(M)two pillars ^[g]thirty-five cubits ^[h]high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits. ¹⁶ He made wreaths of chainwork, as in the inner sanctuary, and put them on top of the pillars; and he made ^(N)one hundred pomegranates, and put them on the wreaths of chainwork. ¹⁷ Then he ^(O)set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left; he called the name of the one on the right hand ^[i]Jachin, and the name of the one on the left ^[j]Boaz.

Pray for Us

3 Finally, brethren, ^(A)pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, ² and ^(B)that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; ^(C)for not all have faith.

³ But ^(D)the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and ^(E)guard you from the evil one. ⁴ And ^(F)we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you.

⁵ Now may ^(G)the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.

Warning Against Idleness

⁶ But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^(H)that you withdraw ^(I)from every brother who walks ^(J)disorderly and not according to the tradition which ^[a]he received from us. ⁷ For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; ⁸ nor did we eat anyone’s bread ^[b]free of charge, but worked with ^(K)labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, ⁹ not because we do not have ^(L)authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.

¹⁰ For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. ¹¹ For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are ^(M)busybodies. ¹² Now those who are such we command and ^[c]exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ ^(N)that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.

¹³ But as for you, brethren, ^(O)do not grow weary in doing good. ¹⁴ And if anyone does not obey our word in this ^[d]epistle, note that person and ^(P)do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. ^15 (Q)Yet do not count him as an enemy, ^(R)but ^[e]admonish him as a brother.

Benediction

¹⁶ Now may ^(S)the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.

^17 (T)The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every ^[f]epistle; so I write.

^18 (U)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.