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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”

Solomon Builds the Temple

(A)Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem (B)on Mount Moriah, where the Lord[a] had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, (C)on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. He began to build in the second month of the fourth year of his reign. These are Solomon's (D)measurements[b] for building the house of God: (E)the length, in cubits[c] of the old standard, was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house,[d] and its height was 120 cubits. He overlaid it on the inside with pure gold. (F)The nave he lined with cypress and covered it with fine gold (G)and made palms and chains on it. He adorned the house with settings of precious stones. The gold was gold of Parvaim. So he lined the house with gold—its beams, its thresholds, its walls, and its doors—(H)and he carved cherubim on the walls.

(I)And he made the Most Holy Place. Its length, corresponding to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and its breadth was twenty cubits. He overlaid it with 600 talents[e] of fine gold. The weight of gold for the nails was fifty shekels.[f] And he overlaid (J)the upper chambers with gold.

10 (K)In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim of wood[g] and overlaid[h] them with gold. 11 The wings of the cherubim together extended twenty cubits: one wing of the one, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and its other wing, of five cubits, touched the wing of the other cherub; 12 and of this cherub, one wing, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and the other wing, also of five cubits, was joined to the wing of the first cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits. The cherubim[i] stood on their feet, (L)facing the nave. 14 (M)And he made the veil of blue and purple and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and he worked cherubim on it.

15 (N)In front of the house he made two pillars thirty-five cubits high, with a capital of five cubits on the top of each. 16 He made chains like a necklace[j] and put them on the tops of the pillars, and he made a hundred pomegranates and put them on the chains. 17 (O)He set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the south, the other on the north; that on the south he called Jachin, and that on the north Boaz.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 3:1 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks the Lord
  2. 2 Chronicles 3:3 Syriac; Hebrew foundations
  3. 2 Chronicles 3:3 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  4. 2 Chronicles 3:4 Compare 1 Kings 6:3; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  5. 2 Chronicles 3:8 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
  6. 2 Chronicles 3:9 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
  7. 2 Chronicles 3:10 Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  8. 2 Chronicles 3:10 Hebrew they overlaid
  9. 2 Chronicles 3:13 Hebrew they
  10. 2 Chronicles 3:16 Hebrew chains in the inner sanctuary