6
1 In
the four hundred
and eightieth year
after the children
of Israel had
come out of
the land of Egypt,
in the fourth
year of Solomon’s
reign over Israel,
in the month
Ziv, which is
the second month,
he began to
build the LORD’s
house.
2 The
house which King
Solomon built for
the LORD had
a length of
sixty cubits,
and its width
twenty, and its
height thirty cubits.
3 The porch
in front of
the temple of
the house had a
length of
twenty cubits, which
was along the
width of the
house. Ten cubits
was its width
in front of
the house.
4 He
made windows
of fixed lattice work
for the house.
5 Against
the wall of
the house, he
built floors all
around, against
the walls of
the house all
around, both of
the temple and
of the inner
sanctuary; and he
made side rooms
all around.
6 The
lowest floor was
five cubits wide,
and the middle
was six cubits
wide, and the
third was seven
cubits wide; for
on the outside
he made offsets
in the wall
of the house
all around, that
the beams should
not be inserted
into the walls
of the house.
7 The
house, when it
was under
construction, was
built of stone
prepared at the
quarry; and no
hammer or ax or
any tool of
iron was heard
in the house
while it was
under construction.
8 The
door for the
middle side rooms
was in the
right side of
the house. They
went up by
winding stairs
into the middle
floor, and out
of the middle
into the third.
9 So he
built the house
and finished it;
and he covered
the house with
beams and planks
of cedar.
10 He
built the floors
all along the
house, each five
cubits high; and
they rested on the
house with timbers
of cedar.
11 The
LORD’s word came
to Solomon, saying,
12 “Concerning
this house which
you are building,
if you will walk
in my statutes,
and execute my
ordinances, and
keep all my
commandments to
walk in them,
then I will
establish my word
with you, which
I spoke to
David your father.
13 I
will dwell among
the children of
Israel, and will
not forsake my
people Israel.”
14 So Solomon
built the house
and finished it.
15 He
built the walls
of the house
within with boards
of cedar; from the
floor of the
house to the
walls of the
ceiling, he
covered them on
the inside with
wood. He covered
the floor of
the house with
cypress boards.
16 He
built twenty cubits
of the back
part of the
house with boards
of cedar from the
floor to the
ceiling. He built
this within, for
an inner sanctuary,
even for the
most holy place.
17 In front
of the temple
sanctuary was forty cubits long.
18 There
was cedar on the
house within,
carved with buds
and open flowers.
All was cedar.
No stone was
visible.
19 He
prepared an inner
sanctuary in the
middle of the
house within, to
set the ark of
the LORD’s
covenant there.
20 Within
the inner
sanctuary was
twenty cubits in
length, and
twenty cubits in
width, and
twenty cubits in
its height. He
overlaid it with
pure gold. He
covered the altar
with cedar.
21 So
Solomon overlaid
the house within
with pure gold.
He drew chains
of gold across
before the inner
sanctuary, and he
overlaid it with
gold.
22 He
overlaid the whole
house with gold,
until all the
house was finished.
He also overlaid
the whole altar
that belonged to
the inner
sanctuary with
gold.
23 In
the inner
sanctuary he made
two cherubim
of olive wood,
each ten cubits
high.
24 Five
cubits was
the length of one
wing of the
cherub, and five
cubits was
the length of the
other wing of
the cherub. From
the tip of one
wing to the tip
of the other
was ten cubits.
25 The
other cherub was
ten cubits. Both
the cherubim were
of one measure
and one form.
26 One
cherub was
ten cubits high,
and so was
the other cherub.
27 He
set the cherubim
within the inner
house. The wings
of the cherubim
were stretched out,
so that the
wing of the
one touched the
one wall and
the wing of
the other cherub
touched the other
wall; and their
wings touched one
another in the
middle of the
house.
28 He overlaid
the cherubim with
gold.
29 He
carved all the
walls of the
house around with
carved figures of
cherubim, palm
trees, and open
flowers, inside
and outside.
30 He
overlaid the floor
of the house
with gold, inside
and outside.
31 For
the entrance of
the inner
sanctuary, he made
doors of olive
wood. The lintel
and door posts were
a fifth part
of the wall.
32 So
he made two
doors of olive
wood; and he
carved on them
carvings of
cherubim, palm
trees, and open
flowers, and
overlaid them with
gold. He spread
the gold on
the cherubim and
on the palm
trees.
33 He
also made the
entrance of the
temple door posts
of olive wood,
out of a
fourth part of
the wall,
34 and
two doors of
cypress wood. The
two leaves of
the one door
were folding, and
the two leaves
of the other
door were folding.
35 He
carved cherubim,
palm trees,
and open flowers;
and he overlaid
them with gold
fitted on the
engraved work.
36 He
built the inner
court with
three courses of
cut stone and
a course of cedar
beams.
37 The
foundation of the
LORD’s house was
laid in the
fourth year, in
the month Ziv.
38 In
the eleventh year,
in the month Bul,
which is the
eighth month, the
house was finished
throughout all its
parts and
according to all
its specifications. So
he spent seven
years building it.