Bible in 90 Days

David’s Last Words

23 These are the last words of David.

David’s Army^(A)

⁸ These are the names of David’s warriors:

Josheb-Basshebeth, the Tahkemonite, was ·head of the Three [chief of the captains; ^CDavid’s most prestigious soldiers; 1 Chr. 11:11]. He ·used [wielded; brandished] his spear and killed eight hundred men at one time.

⁹ Next was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. Eleazar was one of the three ·soldiers [warriors; champions; mighty men] who were with David when they ·challenged [defied; taunted] the Philistines. The Philistines were gathered for battle, and the Israelites ·drew back [had fled/disbanded]. ¹⁰ But Eleazar ·stayed where he was [stood his ground] and ·fought [killed; ^Lstruck] the Philistines until ·he was so tired his hand [^Lhis hand was so stiff that it] stuck to his sword. The Lord ·gave [brought about] a great victory for the Israelites that day. The troops came back after Eleazar had won the battle, but only to ·take weapons and armor from the enemy [plunder].

¹¹ Next there was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines came together to fight in a ·vegetable [lentil] field. Israel’s troops ·ran away [fled] from the Philistines, ¹² but Shammah stood in the middle of the field and ·fought for [defended] it and ·killed [^Lstruck] the Philistines. And the Lord ·gave [brought about] a great victory.

¹³ Once, three of the Thirty, David’s chief ·soldiers [warriors], came down to him at the cave of Adullam during harvest. The Philistine army had camped in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁴ At that time David was in the stronghold, and ·some [^La detachment/garrison] of the Philistines were in Bethlehem.

¹⁵ David had a ·strong desire for some water [^Lcraving; longing]. He said, “·Oh, I wish [If only] someone would get me water from the well near the city gate of Bethlehem!” ¹⁶ So the three warriors broke through the Philistine ·army [lines; camp] and ·took [drew] water from the well near the city gate of Bethlehem. Then they brought it to David, but he refused to drink it. He poured it out before [^Cas an offering to] the Lord, ¹⁷ saying, “·May the Lord keep me from drinking this water [^LThe Lord forbid that I should do this]! It would be like drinking the blood of the men who risked their lives!” So David refused to drink it. ·These [Such] were the ·brave things [exploits; deeds] that the three ·warriors [champions] did.

¹⁸ Abishai, brother of Joab son of Zeruiah, was ·captain [leader; chief] of the Three. Abishai fought three hundred soldiers with his spear and killed them. He ·became as famous as [won/earned a name among] the Three ¹⁹ and was ·more honored than the Three [or the most honored of the Thirty; ^Cthe Hebrew text has “Three”; the Syriac text has “Thirty” and fits the context better]. He became their commander even though he was not one of ·them [^Lthe Three].

²⁰ Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a ·brave [valiant] fighter from Kabzeel who ·did mighty things [performed great/heroic exploits]. He killed two ·of the best warriors [or sons of Ariel] from Moab. He also went down into a ·pit [storage well] and killed a lion on a snowy day. ²¹ Benaiah killed a ·large [impressive; or handsome] Egyptian who had a spear in his hand. Benaiah had a club, but he grabbed the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. ²² These were the things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did. He ·was as famous as [^Lhad a name among] the Three. ²³ He ·received more honor than [was honored among] the Thirty, but ·he did not become a member of [was not equal to] the Three. David ·made him leader [put him in charge/command] of his bodyguards.

The Thirty Chief Soldiers

²⁴ The following men were among the Thirty:

There were thirty-seven in all.

David Counts His Army^(B)

24 The ·Lord was angry with [^Langer of the Lord burned against; ^Ccompare 1 Chr. 21:1] Israel again, and he ·caused [incited] David to turn against the Israelites. He said, “Go, ·count [number; take a census of] the people of Israel and Judah.”

² So King David said to Joab, the commander of the army, “Go through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba [^Cthe far north and south of Israel], and ·count [take a census of; register; number] the people. Then I will know how many there are.”

³ But Joab said to the king, “May the Lord your God give you a hundred times more ·people [soldiers], and may my master the king live to see this happen. ·Why do you [^LBut why does my lord the king] want to do this?”

⁴ But the ·king commanded [^Lking’s word overruled/prevailed against] Joab and the commanders of the army, so they left the king to ·count [take a census of; register; number] the Israelites [^Ctaking the census indicates David’s ungodly dependence on the number of his troops].

⁵ After crossing the Jordan River, they camped near Aroer on the south side of the city in the ·ravine [valley]. They went through Gad and on to Jazer. ⁶ Then they went to Gilead and the land of Tahtim Hodshi and to Dan Jaan and around to Sidon. ⁷ They went to the ·strong, walled city [fortress] of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went to ·southern [^Lthe Negev of] Judah, to Beersheba. ⁸ After nine months and twenty days, they had gone through all the land. Then they came back to Jerusalem.

⁹ Joab ·gave the list of the people [reported the number of soldiers] to the king. There were eight hundred thousand men in Israel who could ·use [draw; handle] the sword and five hundred thousand men in Judah.

¹⁰ ·David felt ashamed [^LDavid’s heart/conscience troubled him] after he had ·counted [taken a census of; registered; numbered] the people. He said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly by what I have done. Lord, I beg you to ·forgive me, [^Ltake away the guilt/iniquity of] your servant, because I have been very foolish.”

¹¹ When David got up in the morning, the ·Lord spoke his word [^Lword of the Lord came] to Gad, who was a prophet and David’s seer. ¹² The Lord told Gad, “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I offer you three ·choices [options; things]. Choose one of them and I will ·do it to [inflict it on] you.’”

¹³ So Gad [1 Sam. 22:5] went to David and said to him, “Should ·three [^Cso 1 Chr. 21:12; the Hebrew text has “seven”] years of ·hunger [famine] come to you and your land? Or should ·your enemies chase you [^Lyou flee from your pursuing enemies] for three months? Or should there be three days of ·disease [epidemics; pestilence; plagues] in your land? Think about it. Then decide ·which of these things [what answer] I should ·tell [give] the Lord who sent me.”

¹⁴ David said to Gad, “I am in ·great [deep] ·trouble [distress]. Let ·the Lord punish us [^Lus fall into the hands of the Lord], because ·the Lord is very merciful [^Lhis mercy is great]. Don’t let ·my punishment come from human beings [^Lme fall into human hands]!”

¹⁵ So the Lord sent a ·terrible disease [epidemic; pestilence; plague] on Israel. It began in the morning and continued until the ·chosen time to stop [appointed time]. From Dan to Beersheba [^Cfrom the far north and the far south of Israel] seventy thousand people died. ¹⁶ When the angel raised his ·arm [^Lhand] toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord ·felt very sorry about the terrible things that had happened [relented about the calamity/disaster]. He said to the angel who was ·destroying [afflicting] the people, “That is enough! ·Put down [Stay; Withdraw] your ·arm [^Lhand]!” The angel of the Lord was ·then [at that moment] by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

¹⁷ When David saw the angel that ·killed [^Lwas striking down/ravaging] the people, he said to the Lord, “I am the one who sinned and did wrong. ·These people only followed me like sheep. They did nothing wrong [^LWhat have these sheep done?]. Please ·punish me and my family [^Llet your hand fall on me and my father’s house].”

¹⁸ That day Gad came to David and said, “Go and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” ¹⁹ So David did what Gad told him to do, just as the Lord commanded.

²⁰ Araunah looked and saw the king and his servants coming to him. So he went out and ·bowed facedown [prostrated himself] on the ground before the king. ²¹ He said, “Why has my ·master [lord] the king come to ·me [^Lhis servant]?”

David answered, “To buy the threshing floor from you so I can build an altar to the Lord. Then the ·terrible disease [epidemic; pestilence; plague] will ·stop [be averted/lifted/withheld from the people].”

²² Araunah said to David, “My ·master [lord] and king, you may take anything you want for a ·sacrifice [offering]. Here are some oxen for the whole burnt offering and the threshing ·boards [sledges] and the yokes for the wood. ²³ My king, I give ·everything [all this] to you.” Araunah also said to the king, “May the Lord your God ·be pleased with [respond favorably to; accept] you.”

²⁴ But the king answered Araunah, “No, I ·will pay you for [insist on buying] the land. I won’t ·offer [sacrifice] to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”

So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for ·one and one-fourth pounds [^Lfifty shekels] of silver. ²⁵ He built an altar to the Lord there and ·offered [sacrificed] whole burnt offerings and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being; Lev. 3:1] offerings [^Cthis site is the later location of the temple; 1 Chr. 22:1]. Then the Lord ·answered his [was moved by/felt pity from this] prayer for the country, and the ·disease [epidemic; pestilence; plague] in Israel ·stopped [was averted/lifted/withheld].

Adonijah Tries to Become King

1 At this time King David was ·very old [^Lold and advanced in years], and although his servants covered him with ·blankets [bedclothes], he could not keep warm. ² They said to him, “·We will look for [Let us find] a young woman to ·care for you [^Lserve/wait on my lord the king]. She will lie ·close to you [^Lin your bosom] and keep you warm.” ³ After searching everywhere in Israel for a beautiful young woman, they found a girl named Abishag from Shunam and brought her to the king. ⁴ The girl was very beautiful, and she cared for the king and served him. But the king did not have sexual relations with her.

⁵ Adonijah was the son of King David and Haggith, and he ·was very proud [began boasting; ^Lexalted himself]. “I will be the king,” he said. So he got chariots and ·horses [or horsemen; charioteers] for himself and fifty men ·for his personal bodyguard [^Lto run ahead of him]. ⁶ Now David had never ·interfered with [disciplined; crossed; rebuked] Adonijah by ·questioning what he did [^Lasking, “Why are you doing that?”]. Born next after Absalom, Adonijah was a very handsome man.

⁷ Adonijah ·spoke [conferred] with Joab son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest, and they agreed to ·help [support] him. ⁸ But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and King David’s ·special guard [^Lmighty men] did not join Adonijah.

⁹ Then Adonijah killed some sheep, ·cows [oxen], and fat calves for sacrifices at the Stone of Zoheleth near the spring of Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the other sons of King David, to come, as well as all the men of Judah. ¹⁰ But Adonijah did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, ·his father’s special guard [^Lthe mighty men], or his brother Solomon.

¹¹ When Nathan heard about this, he went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. “Have you heard that Adonijah, Haggith’s son, has ·made himself [become] king?” Nathan asked. “Our ·real king, [lord] David, does not know it. ¹² Now I will give you advice on how to save yourself and your son Solomon. ¹³ Go to King David and tell him, ‘My master and king, ·you promised [^Ldidn’t you promise/vow/swear…?] that my son Solomon would be king and would rule on your throne after you. Why then has Adonijah become king?’ ¹⁴ While you are still talking to the king, I will come in and ·tell him that what you have said about Adonijah is true [confirm your words].”

¹⁵ So Bathsheba went in to see the aged king in his bedroom, where Abishag, the girl from Shunam, was caring for him. ¹⁶ Bathsheba bowed and knelt before the king. He asked, “What do you ·want [wish]?”

¹⁷ She answered, “My master, you ·made a promise [vowed; swore] to me in the name of the Lord your God. You said, ‘Your son Solomon will surely become king after me, and he will ·rule [sit] on my throne.’ ¹⁸ But now, unknown to you, Adonijah ·has become [is] king. ¹⁹ He has killed many ·cows [oxen], fat calves, and sheep for sacrifices. And he has invited all your sons, as well as Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he did not invite Solomon, who serves you. ²⁰ My master and king, ·all the Israelites are watching you [^Lthe eyes of Israel are on you], waiting for you to decide who will ·be [^Lsit on the throne of my lord the] king after you. ²¹ Otherwise, as soon as ·you die [^Lmy lord the king sleeps with his fathers/ancestors], Solomon and I will be treated as ·criminals [offenders].”

²² While Bathsheba was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. ²³ The servants told the king, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So Nathan went to the king and ·bowed facedown [prostrated himself] on the ground before him.

²⁴ Nathan said, “My ·master and [lord the] king, have you ·said [decreed] that Adonijah will be the king after you and that he will ·rule [sit] on your throne? ²⁵ Today he has sacrificed many ·cows [oxen], fat calves, and sheep, and he has invited all ·your other [the king’s] sons, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him. They are saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ ²⁶ But he did not invite me, your own servant, or Zadok the priest, or Benaiah son of Jehoiada, or your ·son [^Lservant] Solomon. ²⁷ Did ·you [the lord my king] do this? Since we are your servants, why didn’t you tell us who should ·be [^Lsit on the throne of the lord my] king after you?”

David Makes Solomon King

²⁸ Then the king said, “Tell Bathsheba to come in!” So she came in and stood before the king.

²⁹ Then the king ·made this promise [vowed; swore this oath], “The Lord has ·saved [rescued; delivered] me from all ·trouble [adversity; danger; distress]. As surely as he lives, ³⁰ I will do today what I have ·promised [vowed/sworn to] you ·in the name of [by] the Lord, the God of Israel. I ·promised [vowed/swore to] that your son Solomon would be king after me and ·rule [sit] on my throne in my place.”

³¹ Then Bathsheba ·bowed facedown [prostrated herself] on the ground and knelt before the king and said, “·Long live [Live forever] my ·master [lord] King David!”

³² Then King David said, “Tell Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada to come in.” When they came before the king, ³³ he said to them, “Take my servants with you and put my son Solomon on my own mule. Take him down to ·the spring called Gihon [Gihon]. ³⁴ There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet should ·pour olive oil on [^Lanoint] him and make him king over Israel. Blow the ·trumpet [ram’s horn] and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ ³⁵ Then come back up here with him. He will sit on my throne and ·rule [be king] in my place, because he is the one I have ·chosen [appointed] to be the ruler over Israel and Judah.”

³⁶ Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “·Amen [So be it]! This is what the Lord, the God of my ·master [lord], has ·declared [decreed; ordained]! ³⁷ The Lord has always ·helped [been with] you, our king. May he also ·help [be with] Solomon and make King Solomon’s throne an even greater throne than ·yours [^Lthe throne of my lord King David].”

³⁸ So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada left with the Kerethites and Pelethites [^Cking’s bodyguard]. They put Solomon on King David’s mule and took him to the spring called Gihon. ³⁹ Zadok the priest took the ·container [flask; horn] of olive oil from the ·Holy Tent [sacred tent; ^Ltent] and ·poured the oil on Solomon’s head to show he was the king [^Lanointed Solomon]. Then they blew the ·trumpet [ram’s horn], and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” ⁴⁰ All the people followed Solomon into the city. Playing flutes and ·shouting for joy [^Lrejoicing with great joy], they made so much noise the ·ground [earth] shook.

⁴¹ At this time Adonijah and all the guests with him ·were [heard it while] finishing their meal. When he heard the sound from the ·trumpet [ram’s horn], Joab asked, “·What does all that noise from the city mean [Why is the city in such an uproar]?”

⁴² While Joab was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in! You are an ·important [worthy; honest; valiant] man, so you must be bringing good news.”

⁴³ But Jonathan answered, “No! Our master King David has made Solomon the new king. ⁴⁴ King David sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and all the Kerethites and Pelethites [^Cking’s bodyguard] with him, and they have put Solomon on the king’s own mule. ⁴⁵ Then Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet ·poured olive oil on [^Lanointed] Solomon at Gihon to make him king. After that they went into the city, shouting with joy. Now the whole city is ·excited [celebrating; in an uproar], and that is the noise you hear. ⁴⁶ Solomon has now ·become the king [^Ltaken his seat on the royal throne]. ⁴⁷ All the ·king’s officers [royal officials/servants] have come to ·tell King David that he has done a good thing [congratulate/bless our lord King David]. They are saying, ‘May your God make ·Solomon [^LSolomon’s name] even more famous than ·you [^Lyour name] and ·an even greater king than you [^Lhis throne/reign greater than your throne/reign].’” Jonathan continued, “And King David bowed down on his ·bed to worship God [bed], ⁴⁸ saying, ‘Bless the Lord, the God of Israel. Today he has ·made one of my sons the king [^Lgranted one to sit on my throne] and allowed me to see it.’”

⁴⁹ Then all of Adonijah’s guests were ·afraid [terrified; panicked], and they left quickly and scattered. ⁵⁰ Adonijah was also afraid of Solomon, so he went and took hold of the ·corners [^Lhorns; Ex. 27:2] of the altar [^Cin hopes that he would not be killed in a sacred place]. ⁵¹ Then someone told Solomon, “Adonijah is afraid of you, so he is at the altar, holding on to its ·corners [^Lhorns]. He says, ‘Tell King Solomon to promise me today that he will not ·kill me [^Lput his servant to death with the sword].’”

⁵² So Solomon answered, “·Adonijah must show that he is a man of honor. If he does that, I promise [If he is loyal/honorable/worthy,] he will not lose even a single hair from his head. But if ·he does anything wrong [he makes trouble; ^Levil is found in him], he will die.” ⁵³ Then King Solomon sent some men to get Adonijah. When he was brought from the altar, he came before King Solomon and ·bowed down [prostrated himself]. Solomon told him, “Go home.”

The Death of David^(C)

2 ·Since it was almost time [As the time approached] for David to die, he gave ·his son Solomon his last commands [this charge to Solomon]. ² David said, “·My time to die is near [^LI am going the way of all the earth]. Be ·a good and strong leader [^Lstrong and show yourself a man]. ³ ·Obey [Observe the injunctions/requirements of] the Lord your God. ·Follow him [Walk in his ways] by obeying his demands, his ·commands [statutes; ordinances; requirements], his laws, and his ·rules [regulations] that are written in the ·teachings [Law; ^LTorah] of Moses. If you do these things, you will ·be successful [prosper] in all you do and wherever you ·go [turn]. ⁴ And if you obey the Lord, he will ·keep the promise he made to [fulfill the word he spoke concerning] me. He said: ‘If your descendants ·live as I tell them [^Lare careful of their way] and ·have complete faith in me [^Lwalk in truth/faith before me], ·a man from your family will always be king over the people [^Lthey will never fail to have a man on the throne] of Israel.’

⁵ “Also, you remember what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me. He killed the two commanders of Israel’s armies: Abner son of Ner [2 Sam. 3:22–39] and Amasa son of Jether [2 Sam. 20:8–10]. ·He did this as if he and they were at war, although it was a time of peace [or…retaliating in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war]. He ·put their blood on [stained with their blood] the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. ⁶ ·Punish him in [^LAct] the way you think is wisest, but do not let him ·die peacefully of old age [go to Sheol/the grave in peace; ^Cthe place of the dead].

⁷ “·Be kind [Show love] to the children of Barzillai of Gilead, and allow them to eat at your table. They ·welcomed [cared for; stood by] me when I ·ran away [fled] from your brother Absalom.

⁸ “And remember, Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite, is here with you. He cursed ·me [^Lme violently/with a terrible curse] the day I went to Mahanaim [2 Sam. 16:5–19]. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, I ·promised [vowed/swore to] him before the Lord, ‘Shimei, I will not ·kill you [^Lput you to death by the sword; 2 Sam 19:16–23].’ ⁹ But you should not ·leave him unpunished [consider him innocent/guiltless]. You are a wise man, and you will know what to do to him, ·but you must be sure he is killed [^Land will bring his bloody gray head to Sheol/the grave; 2:6].”

¹⁰ Then David ·died [^Llay down/^Tslept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David [^CJerusalem]. ¹¹ He had ·ruled [reigned] over Israel forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

¹² Solomon ·became king after [^Lsat on the throne of] David, his father, and ·he was in firm control of [firmly established] his ·kingdom [rule].

Solomon’s Reign Begins

¹³ At this time Adonijah son of Haggith went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. “Do you come in peace?” Bathsheba asked.

“Yes, ·this is a peaceful visit [^Lin peace],” Adonijah answered. ¹⁴ “I have something to say to you.”

“You may speak,” she said.

¹⁵ “You ·remember [know] that at one time the kingdom was mine,” Adonijah said. “All the people of Israel ·recognized [wanted; looked to; expected] me as their king, but ·things have changed [^Lthe kingdom has turned]. Now my brother is the king, because ·the Lord chose him [^Lit was his from the Lord]. ¹⁶ Now I have one ·thing [request; favor] to ask you; please do not refuse me.”

Bathsheba answered, “What do you want?”

¹⁷ “I know King Solomon will ·do anything you ask him [not refuse you],” Adonijah continued. “Please ask him to give me Abishag the Shunammite [1 Kin. 1:3–4] to be my wife.”

¹⁸ “Very well,” she answered. “I will speak to the king for you.”

¹⁹ So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. When Solomon saw her, he stood up to meet her, then bowed down, and sat on the throne. He told some servants to bring another throne for his mother. Then she sat down at his right ·side [hand].

²⁰ Bathsheba said, “I have one small thing to ask you. Please do not ·refuse me [turn me down].”

“Ask, mother,” the king answered. “I will not ·refuse you [turn you down].”

²¹ So she said, “Allow Abishag the Shunammite to ·marry [be given to] your brother Adonijah.”

²² King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you ask me to give him Abishag? ·Why don’t you also [You may as well] ask for him to become the king since he is my older brother? Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah ·would support him [are on his side]!”

²³ Then King Solomon ·swore [vowed; promised] by the name of the Lord, saying, “May God ·punish me terribly [deal severely with me, and worse; ^Ldo to me, and even more] if ·this doesn’t cost Adonijah [Adonijah doesn’t pay for this request/word with] his life! ²⁴ By the Lord who has ·given me [established/confirmed me on] the throne that belonged to my father David and who has kept his promise and ·given the kingdom to me and my people [established my dynasty; ^Lmade me a house; 2 Sam. 7], Adonijah will die today!” ²⁵ Then King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went and ·killed [struck down] Adonijah.

²⁶ King Solomon said to Abiathar the priest, “·I should kill you too [You deserve to die], but ·I will allow you to go back [go] to your fields in Anathoth. I will not kill you at this time, because you helped carry the Ark of the Lord God ·while marching with [for; before] my father David. And I know you shared in all the hard times with him.” ²⁷ Then Solomon ·removed [dismissed; banished] Abiathar from being the Lord’s priest. ·This happened as the Lord had said it would […in order to fulfill the word of the Lord], when he was speaking in Shiloh about the priest Eli and his ·descendants [^Lhouse; 1 Sam. 2:34–36].

²⁸ When Joab heard about what had happened, he was afraid. He had supported Adonijah but not Absalom. So Joab ·ran [fled] to the Tent of the Lord [^Cin which the Ark was kept] and took hold of the ·corners [horns; 1:50] of the altar. ²⁹ Someone told King Solomon that Joab had run to the Tent of the Lord and was beside the altar. Then Solomon ordered Benaiah to go and kill him.

³⁰ Benaiah went into the Tent of the Lord and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’”

But Joab answered, “No, I will die here.”

So Benaiah went back to the king and told him what Joab had said. ³¹ Then the king ordered Benaiah, “Do as he says! Kill him there and bury him. Then my ·family [^Lfather’s house] and I will ·be free of the guilt of Joab, who has killed innocent people [^Lhave taken away the blood Joab shed without cause]. ³² Without my father knowing it, he killed two men who were ·much [more righteous and] better than he was—Abner son of Ner, the commander of Israel’s army [2 Sam. 3:22–39], and Amasa son of Jether, the commander of Judah’s army [2 Sam. 20:8–10]. So the Lord will ·pay him back [^Lbring his blood on his own head] for those deaths. ³³ Joab and his ·family [descendants] will ·be forever guilty for their deaths [^Lhave their blood on their heads forever], but there will be peace from the Lord for David, his descendants, his ·family [^Lhouse], and his throne forever.”

³⁴ So Benaiah son of Jehoiada killed Joab, and he was buried near his home in the ·desert [wilderness]. ³⁵ The king then ·made [appointed] Benaiah son of Jehoiada commander of the army in Joab’s place. He also ·made [appointed] Zadok the new high priest in Abiathar’s place.

³⁶ Next the king sent for Shimei. Solomon said to him, “Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and live there. Don’t leave the city. ³⁷ The very day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley [^Cbordering Jerusalem], ·someone will kill you [^Lyou will surely die], and ·it will be your own fault [^Lyour blood will be on your own head].”

³⁸ So Shimei answered the king, “·I agree with what you say [Your sentence/demand/word is fair]. I will do what you say, my master and king.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem ·for a long time [^Lmany days].

³⁹ But three years later two of Shimei’s ·slaves [servants] ran away to Achish king of Gath, who was the son of Maacah. Shimei heard that his ·slaves [servants] were in Gath, ⁴⁰ so he put his saddle on his donkey and went to Achish at Gath to find them. Then he brought them back from Gath.

⁴¹ Someone told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned. ⁴² So Solomon sent for Shimei and said, “I made you ·promise [vow; swear] in the name of the Lord not to leave Jerusalem. I warned you ·if you went out anywhere you would [^Lthat on the day you left you would surely] die, and you ·agreed to what I said [said, “The sentence/demand/word is fair”]. ⁴³ Why did you break your ·promise [vow; oath] to the Lord and disobey my command?” ⁴⁴ The king also said, “You know the ·many wrong [evil; wicked] things you did to my father David, so now the Lord will ·punish you for those wrongs [^Lreturn your evil on your own head]. ⁴⁵ But the Lord will bless ·me [^LKing Solomon] and ·make the rule of David safe [establish/secure the throne of David] before the Lord forever.”

⁴⁶ Then the king ordered Benaiah to kill Shimei, and he did. Now ·Solomon was in full control of his kingdom [^Lthe kingdom was established/secured in Solomon’s hands].

Solomon Asks for Wisdom^(D)

3 Solomon made an ·agreement [alliance] with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, by marrying his daughter and bringing her to the City of David [^CJerusalem]. At this time Solomon was still building his ·palace [^Lhouse] and the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord, as well as a wall around Jerusalem. ² The ·Temple [^Lhouse] for the ·worship [^Lname] of the Lord had not yet been finished, so people were still sacrificing at ·altars in many places of worship [^Lthe high places; ^Cworship sites that became associated with pagan worship or inappropriate worship of God]. ³ Solomon showed he loved the Lord by following the commands his father David had given him, except ·many other places of worship were still used to offer sacrifices and to burn incense [^Lhe sacrificed and burned incense at the high places; 3:2].

⁴ King Solomon went to Gibeon to offer a sacrifice, because it was the most important ·place of worship [high place; 3:2]. He offered a thousand burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] on that altar. ⁵ While he was at Gibeon, the Lord appeared to him in a dream during the night. God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

⁶ Solomon answered, “You ·were very kind [showed faithful love/great lovingkindness] to your servant, my father David. He ·obeyed you, and he was honest and lived right [walked before you in truth/faithfulness and righteousness and integrity of heart]. You showed ·great kindness [faithful love; lovingkindness] to him when you allowed his son to ·be king [^Lsit on his throne] after him. ⁷ Lord my God, now you have made me, your servant, king in place of my father David. But I am like a little child; I don’t know how to ·do what must be done [^Lgo out or come in]. ⁸ I, your servant, am here among your chosen people, and there are too many of them to count. ⁹ I ask that you give me a heart that ·understands [discerns; ^Llistens], so I can ·rule [govern] the people in the right way and will ·know the difference between right and wrong [discern between good and evil]. ·Otherwise, it is impossible to rule this great people of yours [^LFor who is capable of governing this great people?].”

¹⁰ The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked this. ¹¹ So God said to him, “You did not ask for a long life, or riches for yourself, or the ·death [^Llife] of your enemies. Since you asked for ·wisdom to make the right decisions [understanding to discern what is right/just], ¹² I will do what you asked. I will give you ·wisdom and understanding [a wise and discerning/^Llistening heart] that ·is greater than anyone has had in the past or will have in [will make you unlike anyone in the past or in] the future. ¹³ I will also give you what you did not ask for: riches and ·honor [fame]. During your life no other king will be as great as you. ¹⁴ If you ·follow me [^Lwalk in my ways] and obey my ·laws [statutes; ordinances; requirements] and commands, as your father David did, I will also give you a long life.”

¹⁵ After Solomon woke up ·from the [and realized it had been a] dream, he went to Jerusalem. He stood before the Ark of the ·Agreement [Treaty; Covenant; Ex. 25:10] with the Lord, where he made burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1]. After that, he gave a ·feast [banquet] for all his ·leaders and officers [^Lservants].

Solomon Makes a Wise Decision

¹⁶ One day two women who were ·prostitutes [^Tharlots] came to Solomon. As they stood before him, ¹⁷ one of the women said, “My master, this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was there with me. ¹⁸ Three days later this woman also gave birth to a baby. No one else was in the house with us; it was just the two of us. ¹⁹ One night this woman ·rolled over [lay] on her baby, and he died. ²⁰ So she took my son from my bed during the night while ·I [^Lyour servant] was asleep, and she ·carried him to her bed [^Llaid him at her breast]. Then she ·put the dead baby in my bed [^Llaid her dead son at my breast]. ²¹ The next morning when I got up to ·feed my baby [nurse my son], I saw that he was dead! When I looked at him more ·closely [carefully in the morning light], I realized he was not my son.”

²² “No!” the other woman cried. “The living baby is my son, and the dead baby is yours!”

But the first woman said, “No! The dead baby is yours, and the living ·one [son] is mine!” So the two women argued before the king.

²³ Then King Solomon said, “One of you says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead.’ Then the other one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and my son is alive.’”

²⁴ The king sent his servants to get a sword. When they brought it to him, ²⁵ he said, “·Cut [Divide] the living baby into two pieces, and give each woman half.”

²⁶ The real mother of the living child was ·full of love [filled with compassion; deeply moved] for her son. So she said to the king, “Please, my ·master [lord], don’t kill him! Give the baby to her!”

But the other woman said, “Neither of us will have him. ·Cut him into two pieces [Divide him]!”

²⁷ Then King Solomon said, “Don’t kill him. Give the baby to the first woman, because she is the real mother.”

²⁸ When the people of Israel heard about King Solomon’s ·decision [judgment; verdict], they ·respected him very much [^Lwere in awe of/feared the king]. They saw he had wisdom from God to ·make the right decisions [render/administer justice].

Solomon’s Officers

4 King Solomon ·ruled [was king] over all Israel. ² These are the names of his ·leading officers [chief officials]:

Azariah son of Zadok was the priest;

³ Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha, ·recorded what happened in the courts [were court secretaries];

Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud ·recorded the history of the people [was recorder/royal historian];

⁴ Benaiah son of Jehoiada was commander of the army;

Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

⁵ Azariah son of Nathan was in charge of the district governors;

Zabud son of Nathan was a priest and ·adviser [^Lfriend] to the king;

⁶ Ahishar was ·responsible for everything in the palace [manager of the household];

Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of ·the labor force [or forced labor].

⁷ Solomon placed twelve ·governors [deputies; administrators] over the districts of Israel, who gathered ·food from their districts [provisions] for the king and his ·family [household]. Each ·governor [deputy; administrator] was responsible for bringing food to the king one month of each year. ⁸ These are the names of the twelve ·governors [deputies; administrators]:

Ben-Hur was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of the ·mountain [hill] country of Ephraim.

⁹ Ben-Deker was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Bethhanan.

¹⁰ Ben-Hesed was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Arubboth, Socoh, and all the land of Hepher.

¹¹ Ben-Abinadab was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Naphoth Dor. (He was married to Taphath, Solomon’s daughter.)

¹² Baana son of Ahilud was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Taanach, Megiddo, and all of Beth Shan next to ·Zarethan. This was below Jezreel [Zarethan below Jezreel, and] from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah ·across from [and over to] Jokmeam.

¹³ Ben-Geber was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Ramoth in Gilead. (He was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of all the towns of Jair in Gilead. Jair was the son of Manasseh. Ben-Geber was also over the district of Argob in Bashan, which had sixty large, walled cities with bronze bars on their gates.)

¹⁴ Ahinadab son of Iddo was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Mahanaim.

¹⁵ Ahimaaz was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Naphtali. (He was married to Basemath, Solomon’s daughter.)

¹⁶ Baana son of Hushai was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Asher and Aloth.

¹⁷ Jehoshaphat son of Paruah was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Issachar.

¹⁸ Shimei son of Ela was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Benjamin.

¹⁹ Geber son of Uri was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Gilead. Gilead had been the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan. ·But Geber was the only governor over this district [In addition, there was one governor/deputy/adminstrator over the land of Judah].

Solomon’s Kingdom^(E)

²⁰ There were as many people in Judah and Israel as grains of sand on the seashore [Gen. 22:17; 32:12]. The people ate, drank, and were ·happy [content; rejoicing]. ²¹ Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought Solomon ·the payments he demanded [tribute], and they ·were under his control [served him] all his life.

²² ·Solomon needed much food each day to feed himself and all the people who ate at his table: Solomon’s daily provisions were one hundred ninety-five bushels [^Lthirty cors] of fine flour, three hundred ninety bushels [^Lsixty cors] of ·grain [meal], ²³ ten ·cows that were fed on good grain [fat oxen], twenty ·cows [oxen] that were raised in the fields, one hundred sheep, deer, gazelles, and roe deer, and ·fattened birds [choice poultry].

²⁴ Solomon ·controlled [ruled; had dominion over] all the countries west of the ·Euphrates River [^LRiver]—the land from Tiphsah to Gaza. And he had peace on all ·sides of his kingdom [his borders/frontiers]. ²⁵ During Solomon’s life Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba [^Cthe extreme north to the extreme south], also lived in ·peace [safety]; all of his people were able to sit under their own fig trees and grapevines.

²⁶ Solomon had four^[a] thousand stalls for his chariot horses and twelve thousand ·horses [or horsemen; cavalry]. ²⁷ Each month one of the ·district governors [deputies; administrators] ·gave King Solomon all the food he needed [provided for King Solomon]—enough for every person who ate at the king’s table. The ·governors [deputies; administrators] made sure ·he had everything he needed [that nothing was lacking]. ²⁸ They also brought enough barley and straw for Solomon’s ·chariot [^Lswift steeds] and work horses; each person ·brought this grain to the right place [according to his duty/charge].

Solomon’s Wisdom

²⁹ God gave Solomon great wisdom ·so he could understand many things [^Land great discernment/understanding]. His [^Lbreadth/width of] ·wisdom [mind; heart] was ·as hard to measure as [or as vast as; ^Llike] the grains of sand on the seashore. ³⁰ His wisdom was greater than any wisdom of the East, or any wisdom in Egypt. ³¹ He was wiser than ·anyone on earth [^Lall mankind]. He was even wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite [^Csee Ps. 89 title], as well as Heman [^Csee Ps. 88 title], Calcol, and Darda—the three sons of Mahol. King Solomon became famous in all the surrounding ·countries [nations]. ³² During his life he spoke three thousand ·wise sayings [proverbs] and also wrote one thousand five songs. ³³ He taught about many kinds of plants—everything from the great cedar trees of Lebanon to the ·weeds [hyssop] that grow out of the walls. He also taught about animals, birds, ·crawling things [reptiles], and fish. ³⁴ People from all nations came to listen to King Solomon’s wisdom. The kings of all nations sent them to him, ·because they had heard of [or to listen to] Solomon’s wisdom.

Preparing to Build the Temple^(F)

5 Hiram, the king of Tyre, had always been David’s friend. When Hiram heard that Solomon had been ·made [^Lanointed] king in ·David’s [^Lhis father’s] place, he sent his ·messengers [ambassadors; servants] to Solomon. ² Solomon sent this message back to King Hiram: ³ “You ·remember [^Lknow] my father David had to fight many wars with ·the countries around [enemies surrounding] him, so he was never able to build a ·temple for worshiping [^Lhouse for the name of] the Lord his God. David was waiting until the Lord ·allowed him to defeat all his enemies [^Lput them under the soles of his feet]. ⁴ But now the Lord my God has given me ·peace [rest] on all sides of my country. I have no enemies now, and no ·danger threatens my people [adversity; calamity; misfortune].

⁵ “The Lord ·promised [^Ltold] my father David, ‘I will ·make your son king after you [^Lput your son on the throne in your place], and he will build ·a temple for worshiping me [^Lthe house/temple for my name].’ Now, I plan to build ·that temple for worshiping [^La house for the name of] the Lord my God. ⁶ So ·send your men [command them] to cut down cedar trees for me from Lebanon. My servants will work with yours, and I will pay them whatever wages you decide. We don’t have anyone who can cut down ·trees [timber] as well as the people of Sidon.”

⁷ When Hiram heard what Solomon asked, he ·was very happy [rejoiced greatly]. He said, “·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord today! He has given David a wise son to rule over this great ·nation [people]!” ⁸ Then Hiram sent back this message to Solomon: “I ·received [heard] the message you sent, and I will ·give you [supply] all the cedar and ·pine trees [cypress; juniper] you ·want [need]. ⁹ My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea. There I will ·tie them together [^Lmake them into rafts] and ·float them along the shore [go by sea] to the place you choose. Then I will separate the logs there, and you can take them away. ·In return it is my wish that you give [And you shall meet my needs/desire by providing] food to ·all those who live with me [^Lmy household].” ¹⁰ So Hiram gave Solomon as much cedar and ·pine [cypress; juniper] as he wanted. ¹¹ And Solomon gave Hiram about ·one hundred twenty-five thousand bushels [^Ltwenty thousand cors] of wheat each year ·to feed the people who lived with him [^Lfor his household]. Solomon also gave him ·about one hundred fifteen thousand gallons [^Ltwenty cors] of pure olive oil every year.

¹² The Lord gave Solomon wisdom as he had promised. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; these two kings made a ·treaty between themselves [covenant; alliance].

¹³ King Solomon ·forced [conscripted] thirty thousand men of Israel to help in this work. ¹⁴ He sent ·a group [shifts; relays] of ten thousand men each month to Lebanon. Each group worked in Lebanon one month, then went home for two months. A man named Adoniram was in ·charge [charge of the forced labor/or this labor force]. ¹⁵ Solomon ·forced [had] eighty thousand men to work in the hill country, cutting stone, and he had seventy thousand ·men to carry the stones [common laborers]. ¹⁶ There were also thirty-three hundred ·men who directed the workers [foremen; overseers]. ¹⁷ King Solomon commanded them to cut large blocks of ·fine [costly; high-quality] stone to ·be used for the foundation of the Temple [lay the foundation of the house with dressed/cut stone]. ¹⁸ Solomon’s and Hiram’s builders and the ·men from Byblos [^LGebalites; ^CGebal was a Phoenician city the Greeks called Byblos] carved the stones and prepared the stones and the ·logs [timber] for building the ·Temple [^Lhouse].

Solomon Builds the Temple^(G)

6 Solomon began to build the ·Temple [^Lhouse of the Lord] four hundred eighty years after the people of Israel ·had left [^Lcame out of the land of] Egypt. This was during the fourth year of King Solomon’s ·rule [reign] over Israel. It was the second month, the month of Ziv [^Cmidspring]. ² The ·Temple [^Lhouse that Solomon built for the Lord] was ·ninety feet [^Lsixty cubits] long, ·thirty feet [^Ltwenty cubits] wide, and ·forty-five feet [^Lthirty cubits] high. ³ The ·porch [entry room; portico; vestibule] in front of the ·main room [main hall; nave] of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] was ·fifteen feet [^Lten cubits] deep and ·thirty feet [^Ltwenty cubits] wide. This room ·ran along [projected from] the front of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] itself. Its width was equal to that of the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. ⁴ The ·Temple [^Lhouse] also had ·windows that opened and closed [narrow, recessed windows]. ⁵ Solomon also built ·some [a complex of] side ·rooms [chambers] against the walls of the ·main room [main hall; nave] and the inner room of the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. He built rooms all around. ⁶ The rooms on the bottom floor were ·seven and one-half feet [^Lfive cubits] wide. Those on the middle floor were ·nine feet [^Lsix cubits] wide, and the rooms above them were ·ten and one-half feet [^Lseven cubits] wide. The ·Temple [^Lhouse] wall that formed the side of each room ·was thinner than the wall in the room below [had offset ledges]. These rooms were pushed against the ·Temple wall [^Lhouse], but they did not have their ·main [support] beams built into this wall.

⁷ The stones used to build the ·Temple [^Lhouse] were ·prepared [finished; shaped] at the quarry. So there was no noise of hammers, axes, or any other iron tools at the ·Temple [^Lhouse].

⁸ The entrance to the lower rooms beside the ·Temple [^Lhouse] was on the south side. From there, [winding] stairs went up to the second-floor rooms. And from there, stairs went on to the third-floor rooms. ⁹ Solomon put a ·roof [ceiling] made from beams and cedar boards on the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. So he finished building the Temple [^Lhouse] ¹⁰ as well as the bottom floor that was beside the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. This bottom floor was ·seven and one-half feet [^Lfive cubits] high and was attached to the ·Temple [^Lhouse] by cedar beams.

¹¹ The ·Lord said [^Lword of the Lord came] to Solomon: ¹² “If you ·obey [follow; walk in] all my laws and commands, I will ·do for you [fulfill] what I promised your father David. ¹³ I will ·live [dwell; make my home] among the Israelites in this Temple, and I will never ·leave [abandon; forsake] my people Israel.”

¹⁴ So Solomon finished building the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. ¹⁵ The inside walls were ·covered [paneled] from floor to ceiling with cedar boards. The floor was made from ·pine [cypress; juniper] boards. ¹⁶ A room ·thirty feet [^Ltwenty cubits] long was built in the back part of the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. This room, called the ·Most Holy Place [^THoly of Holies], was an inner ·room [^Lsanctuary] ·separated from the rest of the Temple by [or paneled with] cedar boards which reached from floor to ·ceiling [rafters]. ¹⁷ The ·main room [main hall; nave], the one in front of ·the Most Holy Place [^Lit], was ·sixty feet [^Lforty cubits] long. ¹⁸ Everything inside the ·Temple [^Lhouse] was covered with cedar, which was carved with pictures of flowers and ·plants [open flowers]. A person could not see the stones of the wall, only the cedar.

¹⁹ Solomon prepared the inner ·room [sanctuary] ·at the back of [within] the ·Temple [^Lhouse] to keep the Ark of the ·Agreement [Treaty; Covenant; Ex. 25:10] with the Lord. ²⁰ This inner ·room [sanctuary] was ·thirty feet [^Ltwenty cubits] long, ·thirty feet [^Ltwenty cubits] wide, and ·thirty feet [^Ltwenty cubits] high. ²¹ He covered this ·room [sanctuary] with pure gold, and he also covered the altar of cedar. ²² So all the inside of the ·Temple [^Lhouse], as well as the altar of the ·Most Holy Place [^Linner sanctuary], was covered with gold.

²³ Solomon made two ·creatures [cherubim; ^Cparticularly powerful spiritual beings] from olive wood and placed them in the ·Most Holy Place [^Linner sanctuary]. ·Each creature [^LThe cherub] was ·fifteen feet [^Lten cubits] tall ²⁴ and had two wings. Each wing was ·seven and one-half feet [^Lfive cubits] long, so it was ·fifteen feet [^Lten cubits] from the end of one wing to the end of the other. ²⁵ ·The creatures [^LThe other cherub also measured ten cubits; both cherubim] were the same size and shape; ²⁶ each was ·fifteen feet [^Lten cubits] tall. ²⁷ These ·creatures [^Lcherubim; 6:23] were put beside each other in the ·Most Holy Place [^Linner house] with their wings spread out. One creature’s wing touched one wall, and the other creature’s wing touched the other wall with their wings touching each other in the middle of the room. ²⁸ These two creatures were ·covered [overlaid] with gold.

²⁹ All the walls around the ·Temple [^Lhouse] were carved with ·pictures [engravings] of ·creatures with wings [cherubim; 6:23], as well as palm trees and open flowers. ·This was true for both the main room and the inner room [^L…both the inner and the outer (rooms)]. ³⁰ The floors of both rooms were ·covered [overlaid] with gold.

³¹ Doors made from olive wood were placed at the entrance to the ·Most Holy Place [^Linner sanctuary]. These doors had five-sided ·frames [doorposts]. ³² ·Creatures with wings [Cherubim; 6:23], as well as palm trees and open flowers, were also carved on the two olive wood doors that were ·covered [overlaid] with gold. The ·creatures [cherubim; 6:23] and the palm trees on the doors were ·covered [overlaid] with gold as well. ³³ At the entrance to the ·main room [main hall; nave] there ·was a square door frame [were four-sided doorposts] made of olive wood. ³⁴ Two doors were made from ·pine [cypress; juniper]. Each door had two parts so the doors ·folded [turned on pivots]. ³⁵ The doors were ·covered with pictures of creatures with wings [^Lcarved with cherubim; 6:23], as well as palm trees and open flowers. All of the carvings were covered with gold, which was evenly ·spread [hammered; applied] over them.

³⁶ The inner courtyard was enclosed by walls, which were made of three rows of ·cut [finished; dressed] stones ·and one [for each] row of cedar ·boards [beams].

³⁷ ·Work began on [^LThe foundation was laid of] the ·Temple [^Lhouse of the Lord] in Ziv, the second month, during the fourth ·year Solomon was king over Israel [^Lyear]. ³⁸ The ·Temple [^Lhouse] was finished during the eleventh ·year he was king [^Lyear], in the eighth month, the month of Bul. It was ·built exactly as it was planned [^Lfinished according to all its parts and according to all its plans]. Solomon had spent seven years building it.

Solomon’s Palace

7 King Solomon also built a ·palace [^Lhouse] for himself; it took him thirteen years to finish it. ² ·Built of cedars from [He built the House/Palace of] the Forest of Lebanon, it was ·one hundred fifty feet [^Lone hundred cubits] long, ·seventy-five feet [^Lfifty cubits] wide, and ·forty-five feet [^Lthirty cubits] high. It had four rows of cedar columns which supported the cedar beams. ³ There were forty-five beams on the roof, with fifteen beams in each row, and the ceiling was ·covered [paneled] with cedar above the beams. ⁴ Windows were placed in three rows facing each other. ⁵ All the doors ·were square [had rectangular frames], and the three ·doors [or windows] at each end faced each other.

⁶ Solomon also built the ·porch that had pillars [Hall of Pillars; Colonnade]. This porch was ·seventy-five feet [^Lfifty cubits] long and ·forty-five feet [^Lthirty cubits] wide. Along the front of the porch was a ·roof [cornice; canopy] supported by pillars.

⁷ Solomon also built a throne room where he ·judged people [dispensed justice/judgment; decided legal matters], called the Hall of ·Justice [or Judgment]. This room was ·covered [paneled] with cedar from floor to ·ceiling [beams; rafters; or floor]. ⁸ The ·palace [^Lhouse] where Solomon lived was built like the Hall of Justice, and it was behind this hall. Solomon also built the same kind of ·palace [^Lhouse] for his wife, who was the daughter of ·the king of Egypt [^LPharaoh].

⁹ All these buildings were made with blocks of ·fine [costly, high-grade] stone. First they were ·carefully cut [cut to measure/size]. Then they were trimmed with a saw in the front and back. These fine stones went from the foundations of the buildings to the ·top of the walls [eaves; coping]. ·Even the courtyard was made with blocks of stone […and all the way to the courtyard]. ¹⁰ The foundations were made with large blocks of ·fine [costly; high-grade] stone, some as long as ·fifteen feet [^Lten cubits]. Others were ·twelve feet [^Leight cubits] long. ¹¹ On top of these foundation stones were other blocks of ·fine [costly; high-grade] stone and cedar beams [cut to measure/size]. ¹² The ·palace courtyard [great court], the courtyard inside the ·Temple [^Lhouse], and the porch of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] were surrounded by walls. All of these walls had three ·rows [layers] of stone blocks ·and one row [for each layer] of cedar beams.

The Temple Is Completed Inside^(H)

¹³ King Solomon sent to Tyre and had ·Huram [^LHiram; ^Ca variant spelling of Huram (2 Chr. 2:13; 4:11); this craftsman is to be distinguished from the king of the same name (5:1)] brought to him. ¹⁴ ·Huram’s mother was [^LHe was the son of] a widow from the tribe of Naphtali. His father was from Tyre and had been ·skilled in making things from [a craftsman/artisan in] bronze. ·Huram [^LHe] was also very skilled and ·experienced [knowledgeable; wise] in bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and did all ·the bronze [his] work.

¹⁵ He made two bronze pillars, each one ·twenty-seven feet [^Leighteen cubits] tall and ·eighteen feet [^Ltwelve cubits] ·around [in circumference]. ¹⁶ He also made two bronze capitals that were ·seven and one-half feet [^Lfive cubits] tall, and he put them on top of the pillars. ¹⁷ Then he made a net of seven ·chains [sets of filigree/latticework] for each capital, which covered the capitals on top of the two pillars. ¹⁸ He made two rows of bronze pomegranates to go ·on [around] the nets. These covered the capitals at the top of the pillars. ¹⁹ The capitals on top of the pillars in the porch were shaped like lilies, and they were ·six feet [^Lfour cubits] tall. ²⁰ The capitals were on top of both pillars, above the ·bowl-shaped [round] section and next to the nets. At that place there were two hundred pomegranates in rows all around the capitals. ²¹ ·Huram [^LHe] put these two bronze pillars at the ·porch [portico; entrance] of the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. He named the ·south [right-hand] pillar ·He Establishes [^LJachin] and the ·north [left-hand] pillar ·In Him Is Strength [^LBoaz]. ²² The capitals on top of the pillars were shaped like lilies. So the work on the pillars was finished [^Cpillars represent establishment].

²³ Then ·Huram [^Lhe] made from bronze a large round bowl, which was called the Sea [^Csymbol of chaos subdued]. It was ·forty-five feet [^Lthirty cubits] around, ·fifteen feet [^Lten cubits] across, and ·seven and one-half feet [^Lfive cubits] deep. ²⁴ Around the outer edge of the bowl was a rim. Under this rim were two rows of ·bronze plants [gourds] which surrounded the ·bowl [Sea]. There were ten ·plants [gourds] every ·eighteen inches [^Lcubit], and these ·plants [gourds] were made in one piece with the bowl. ²⁵ The ·bowl [Sea] rested on the backs of twelve ·bronze bulls [oxen] that faced outward from the center of the bowl. Three bulls faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east. ²⁶ The sides of the bowl were ·four inches [^La hand’s breadth] thick, and it held ·about eleven thousand gallons [^Ltwo thousand baths]. The rim of the bowl was like the rim of a cup or like a lily blossom.

²⁷ Then ·Huram [^Lhe] made ten bronze ·stands [water carts], each one ·six feet [^Lfour cubits] long, ·six feet [^Lfour cubits] wide, and ·four and one-half feet [^Lthree cubits] high. ²⁸ The ·stands [water carts] were made from ·square sides, which were put on frames [or side panels braced with crossbars/uprights]. ²⁹ On the sides were bronze lions, ·bulls [oxen], and ·creatures with wings [^Lcherubim]. On the ·frames [panels] above and below the lions and ·bulls [oxen] were ·designs of flowers [wreaths] hammered into the bronze. ³⁰ Each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles. At the corners there were bronze supports for a ·large bowl [basin], and the supports had ·designs of flowers [wreaths]. ³¹ There was a frame on top of the bowls, ·eighteen inches [^Lone cubit] high above the bowls. The opening of the bowl was round, ·twenty-seven inches [^Lone and one-half cubits] deep. ·Designs [Engravings] were carved into the bronze on the frame, which was square, not round. ³² The four wheels, placed under the frame, were ·twenty-seven inches [^Lone and one-half cubits] high. The axles between the wheels were ·made as one piece with [within; attached to] the stand. ³³ The wheels were like a chariot’s wheels. Everything on the wheels—the axles, rims, spokes, and hubs—were ·made [cast] of bronze.

³⁴ The four supports were on the four corners of each stand. They were made as one piece with the stand. ³⁵ A ·strip of bronze [rim; band] around the top of each stand was ·nine inches [^Lone-half cubit] deep. ·It was [The corner supports were] also made as one piece with the stand. ³⁶ ·Wherever there was room [^LAccording to the space of each], the sides of the stand and the frames were ·covered with carvings of [engraved with] ·creatures with wings [cherubim; 6:23], as well as lions, palm trees, and ·flowers [wreaths]. ³⁷ This is the way ·Huram [^Lhe; v. 13] made the ten ·stands [water carts]. ·The bronze for each stand [^LEach] was melted and poured into a mold, ·so all the stands were [^Lall] the same size and shape.