Old/New Testament

Things for the Temple

4 Solomon made a bronze altar. It was 30 feet long, 30 feet wide and 15 feet tall. ² Then Solomon used melted bronze to make a large bowl, which was called the Sea. It was round and measured 15 feet across from edge to edge. It was over 7 feet tall, and it measured 45 feet around. ³ There were carvings of bulls under the rim of the bowl. There were 10 bulls in every 1½ feet. They were put in two rows around the bowl when it was made.

⁴ The bowl rested on 12 statues of bulls. Three bulls faced north, 3 faced west, 3 faced south and 3 faced east. The bowl was on top of them. They faced outward from the center of the bowl. ⁵ The bowl was 3 inches thick. Its rim was like the rim of a cup. It looked like a lily blossom. It could hold about 17,500 gallons.

⁶ Solomon made 10 smaller bowls. He put 5 of them on the south side. And he put 5 of them on the north. They were to be used to wash the animals for the burnt offerings. But the large bowl was to be used by the priests for washing.

⁷ Solomon made 10 lampstands of gold, following the plans for them. He put them in the Temple. He put 5 on the south side and 5 on the north.

⁸ Solomon made 10 tables and put them in the Temple. He put 5 on the south side and 5 on the north. And he used gold to make 100 other bowls.

⁹ Solomon also made the priests’ courtyard and the large courtyard. He made the doors that opened to the courtyard and covered them with bronze. ¹⁰ Then he put the large bowl on the south side. He put it in the Temple’s southeast corner.

¹¹ He made the pots, shovels and bowls. So Huram finished his work for King Solomon on the Temple of God. He had made these things:

All the things Huram-Abi made King Solomon for the Temple of the Lord were made of polished bronze. ¹⁷ King Solomon first had these things poured into clay molds. The molds were made in the plain of the Jordan between Succoth and Zarethan. ¹⁸ Solomon had so many things made no one even tried to weigh all the bronze used.

¹⁹ Solomon also made all the things for God’s Temple. He made the gold altar. He made tables to hold the bread that shows we are in God’s presence. ²⁰ He made the lampstands and their lamps of pure gold. They were to burn in front of the Most Holy Place as planned. ²¹ Solomon used pure gold to make the flowers, lamps and tongs. ²² He used pure gold to make the wick trimmers. He used pure gold for the bowls, pans and dishes used to carry coals. He used pure gold to make the doors for the Temple. And he used pure gold for the inside doors for the Most Holy Place and the doors for the main room.

5 Then all the work Solomon had done for the Temple of the Lord was finished. He brought in everything his father David had given for the Temple. He brought in all the silver and gold and all the furniture. And he put everything in the treasuries of God’s Temple.

The Ark of the Covenant Is Carried into the Temple

² Then Solomon called for all the elders of Israel. He asked them to come to him in Jerusalem. He called for all the older leaders, the heads of the tribes and the leaders of the families. He wanted them to bring the Ark of the Covenant with the Lord from the older part of the city. ³ All the men of Israel came together with King Solomon. This was during the festival that was held in the seventh month.

⁴ All the elders of Israel arrived. Then the Levites picked up the Ark of the Covenant. ⁵ The priests and the Levites carried the Ark of the Covenant. They also carried the Meeting Tent and the holy things in it. ⁶ King Solomon and all the Israelites met in front of the Ark of the Covenant. They sacrificed so many sheep and bulls no one could count them.

⁷ Then the priests put the Ark of the Covenant with the Lord in its place. This was inside the Most Holy Place in the Temple. They put it under the wings of the gold creatures. ⁸ The wings of the creatures were spread out over the place for the Ark of the Covenant. They covered it and its carrying poles. ⁹ The carrying poles were very long. Anyone standing in the Holy Place in front of the Most Holy Place could see the ends of the poles. But no one could see the poles from outside the Holy Place. The poles are still there today. ¹⁰ The only things inside the Ark of the Covenant were two stone tablets.^[a] Moses had put them in the Ark of the Covenant at Mount Sinai. That was where the Lord made an agreement with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

¹¹ Then all the priests left the Holy Place. All the priests from each group made themselves ready to serve the Lord. ¹² All the Levite musicians stood on the east side of the altar. They were Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and all their sons and relatives. They were dressed in white linen and played cymbals, lyres and harps. With them were 120 priests who blew trumpets. ¹³ Those who blew the trumpets and those who sang together sounded like one person. They praised and thanked the Lord. They sang as they played their trumpets, cymbals and other instruments. They praised the Lord with this song:

Then the Temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud. ¹⁴ The priests could not continue their work because of the cloud. This was because the Lord’s glory filled the Temple of God.

6 Then Solomon said, “The Lord said he would live in the dark cloud. ² I have built a great Temple for you, Lord. It is a place for you to live forever.”

Solomon’s Speech

³ King Solomon turned around and blessed all the Israelites gathered in front of him. ⁴ He said, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel. He has done what he promised my father David. The Lord said, ⁵ ‘I brought my people out of Egypt. But I have not yet chosen a city in any tribe of Israel for my temple. This is where I have chosen to be worshiped. I have not chosen a man to lead my people, the Israelites. ⁶ But now I have chosen Jerusalem as the place I am to be worshiped. And I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.’

⁷ “My father David wanted to build a temple as a place to worship the Lord, the God of Israel. ⁸ But the Lord said to my father, ‘David, it was good that you wanted to build a temple as a place to worship me. ⁹ But you are not the one who will build the temple. Your own son will build my temple.’

¹⁰ “Now the Lord has kept his promise. I have taken my father David’s place. Now I am Israel’s king. This is what the Lord promised. And I have built the Temple where the Lord, the God of Israel, will be worshiped. ¹¹ I have put the Ark of the Covenant there. The agreement that the Lord made with the people of Israel is kept in the Ark of the Covenant.”

Solomon’s Prayer

¹² Solomon stood in front of the Lord’s altar. He was standing before all the people gathered there. Then he spread his arms out. ¹³ He had made a bronze platform. It was 7½ feet long, 7½ feet wide and 7½ feet high. And he had placed it in the middle of the outer courtyard. Solomon stood on the platform. Then he kneeled in front of all the people of Israel who were gathered there. Solomon spread his hands out toward the sky. ¹⁴ He said, “Lord, God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven or on earth. You keep your agreement of love with your servants who completely obey you. ¹⁵ You have kept your promise to my father David, your servant. With your words you made a promise. And with the work of your hands, you have made that promise come true today.

¹⁶ “Now, Lord, God of Israel, also keep this promise you made to my father David, your servant. You said, ‘David, you will always have someone from your family rule Israel. But this will happen only if they are careful to obey my teachings in everything they do. They must obey my teachings just as you have.’ ¹⁷ Now, Lord, God of Israel, keep your promise. Let this promise to your servant David come true.

¹⁸ “But, God, can you really live here on the earth with people? Not even the highest of heavens can hold you. And this Temple I built cannot hold you. ¹⁹ But pay attention to my prayer and my cry for mercy. Lord my God, listen to my cry. Listen to the prayer I, your servant, pray to you. ²⁰ I pray that you will watch over this Temple day and night. You said you would make this the place to worship you. I pray that you will hear my prayers when I pray facing this Temple. ²¹ Hear my prayers and the prayers of your people Israel. Hear us when we pray facing this Temple. Hear from your home in heaven. And when you hear our prayers, forgive us.

²² “A person might do something wrong against someone else. The person who did the wrong will have to swear he is innocent. He will come to swear this before your altar in the Temple. ²³ When he does this, listen from heaven and act. Judge your servants. Punish the one who did wrong. Make him suffer the same things he made others suffer. Prove that the person who has done right is innocent.

²⁴ “An enemy might defeat your people Israel because they have sinned against you. Then the people of Israel will return to you and say you are God. They will pray and beg you for help in this Temple. ²⁵ When this happens, listen from heaven. Forgive the sin of your people, the Israelites. Bring them back into the land you gave to them and their ancestors.

²⁶ “The sky might not let it rain because your people have sinned against you. Then they will pray, facing this Temple. They will say you are God. They will stop doing their sin because you are punishing them. ²⁷ When that happens, then listen from heaven. Forgive the sins of your servants, the Israelites. Then teach them the right way to live. And send rain on your land. This is the land you gave your people as their own.

²⁸ “There might be a time without food in the land. Or there might be terrible sicknesses, disease in the crops, mildew, locusts or grasshoppers. Or enemies might attack Israel’s cities. There might be a disaster in Israel. ²⁹ Then one of your people, an Israelite, will pray or cry for help. Each person knows his own trouble and pain. He will spread his arms out, facing this Temple. ³⁰ When that happens, then listen from heaven, your home. Forgive and treat each person as he should be treated. You know what is in his heart. (Only you know what is in a person’s heart.) ³¹ Then the people will fear and obey you as long as they live in this land. This is the land you gave our ancestors.

³² “A foreigner might come here from a country far away. He is not one of your people, the people of Israel. But he will come because he has heard about your greatness and power. He knows about the things you have done. When he comes and prays, facing this Temple, ³³ then listen. Listen from heaven, your home. And do what he asks you to do. Then all the peoples of the earth will know you and respect you, just as your people Israel do. And they will know that this Temple I built is for worshiping you.

³⁴ “You might send your people to fight their enemies. They will pray to you, facing this city you chose and the Temple I built for worshiping you. ³⁵ If they do, then listen from heaven to their prayer. Listen to their cry and help them.

³⁶ “People will sin against you. There is not a person who does not sin. And you will become angry with them. You will let an enemy defeat them. The enemy will capture them and take them away. It may be to a land far away or near. ³⁷ But then they will be sorry for what they have done. As captives in that land, they will cry out to you. They will say, ‘We have sinned. We have done wrong and acted wickedly.’ ³⁸ In the land where they are captives, they will come back to you. They will want to obey you completely. They will pray, facing their land, the land you gave their ancestors. They will pray, facing the city you chose and the Temple I built for you. ³⁹ When this happens, listen from your home in heaven. Listen to their cries and help them. Forgive your people who have sinned against you.

⁴⁰ “Now, my God, look at us. Listen to the prayers we will pray in this place.

²⁴ The Jews gathered around him and said, “How long will you make us wonder about you? If you are the Christ, then tell us plainly.”

Jesus Is the Son of God

²⁵ Jesus answered, “I told you already, but you did not believe. I do miracles in my Father’s name. Those miracles show who I am. ²⁶ But you don’t believe because you are not my sheep. ²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never die. And no person can steal them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father gave my sheep to me. He is greater than all, and no person can steal my sheep out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰ The Father and I are one.”

³¹ Again the Jews picked up stones to kill Jesus. ³² But Jesus said to them, “I have done many good works from the Father. Which of these good works are you killing me for?”

³³ The Jews answered, “We are not killing you for any good work you did. But you say things that are against God. You are only a man, but you say you are the same as God!”

³⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written in your law that God said, ‘I have said you are gods!’^{[a] 35} This Scripture called those people gods, the people who received God’s message. And Scripture is always true. ³⁶ So why do you say that I speak against God because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? I am the one God chose and sent into the world. ³⁷ If I don’t do what my Father does, then don’t believe me. ³⁸ But if I do what my Father does, even though you don’t believe in me, believe what I do. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

³⁹ They tried to take Jesus again, but he escaped from them.

⁴⁰ Then Jesus went back across the Jordan River to the place where John had first baptized. Jesus stayed there, ⁴¹ and many people came to him. They said, “John never did a miracle. But everything John said about this man is true.” ⁴² And in that place many believed in Jesus.