Chronological Plan

¹Now Solomon built his own house (palace) in thirteen years, and he finished all of his house [in that time].

²He also built the House of the Forest of Lebanon; its length was a hundred cubits (150 ft.), its width fifty cubits (75 ft.), and its height thirty cubits (45 ft.), upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.

³And it was covered with cedar [as a roof] on the supporting beams that were upon the forty-five pillars, fifteen in each row.

⁴There were artistic window frames in three rows, and window was opposite window in three tiers.

⁵All the doorways and doorposts [and windows] had squared [artistic] frames, and window was opposite window in three tiers.

⁶He also made the Hall of Pillars; its length was fifty cubits (75 ft.) and its width thirty cubits (45 ft.). There was a porch in front, and pillars and a threshold in front of them.

⁷He made the hall for the throne where he was to judge, the Hall of Judgment; it was paneled with cedar from [one] floor to [another] floor.

⁸His house where he was to live, the other courtyard behind the hall, was of similar workmanship. Solomon also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had married.

⁹All these were of expensive stones, of stone cut according to measure, sawed with saws, inside and outside; even from the foundation to the coping, and from the outside to the great courtyard.

¹⁰The foundation was of expensive stones, large stones, stones of ten cubits and stones of eight cubits.

¹¹And above [the foundation] were expensive stones, stones cut according to measure, and cedar.

¹²So the great courtyard all around had three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams like the inner courtyard of the house of the LORD, and the porch of the house.

¹³Now King Solomon sent word and brought Hiram [a skilled craftsman] from Tyre.

¹⁴He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a craftsman in bronze. Hiram was filled with wisdom, understanding, and skill for doing any [kind of] work in bronze. So he came to King Solomon and did all his [bronze] work.

¹⁵He cast the two pillars of bronze; the one pillar was eighteen cubits high, and a [measuring] line of twelve cubits measured the circumference of both.

¹⁶He also made two capitals (crowns) of cast bronze to put on the tops of the pillars; the height of one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits.

¹⁷There were nets of network (lattice-work) and twisted threads (wreaths) of chainwork for the capitals which were on the tops of the pillars, seven for one capital and seven for the other.

¹⁸So Hiram made the pillars [in this manner], and two rows around on the one network to cover the capitals which were on the top of the pomegranates; and he did the same for the other capital.

¹⁹The capitals which were upon the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily work (design), four cubits.

²⁰The capitals were on the two pillars and also above and close to the rounded projection which was beside the network. There were two hundred pomegranates in rows around both capitals.

²¹Hiram set up the pillars at the porch of the temple; he set up the right pillar and named it Jachin (may he establish), and he set up the left pillar and named it Boaz (in it is strength).

²²On the tops of the pillars was lily work (design). So the work of the pillars was finished.

²³Now he made the Sea (basin) of cast metal, ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in form, five cubits high and thirty cubits in circumference.

²⁴Under its brim were gourds encircling it ten to a cubit, completely surrounding the Sea; the gourds were in two rows, cast in one piece with it.

²⁵It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three west, three south, and three east; the Sea was set on top of them, and all their rear parts pointed inward.

²⁶It was a hand width thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths.

²⁷Then Hiram made ten bronze stands [for smaller basins]; the length of each stand was four cubits, its width was four cubits and its height was three cubits.

²⁸This was the design of the stands: they had borders between the frames.

²⁹On the borders between the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and on the frames there was a pedestal above. Beneath the lions and oxen were borders of hanging work.

³⁰Now each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles, and its four feet had supports [for a basin]. Beneath the basin were cast supports with borders at each side.

³¹Its opening inside the crown at the top measured a cubit, and its opening was round like the design of a pedestal, a cubit and a half. Also on its opening were carvings, and their borders were square, not round.

³²Underneath the borders were four wheels, and the axles of the wheels were on the stand. And the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half.

³³The wheels were made like a chariot wheel: their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all cast.

³⁴Now there were four supports at the four corners of each stand; the supports were part of the stand itself.

³⁵On the top of the stand there was a circular piece half a cubit high, and on the top of the stand its supports and borders were part of it.

³⁶And on the surface of its supports and its borders Hiram engraved cherubim, lions, and palm-shaped decorations, according to the [available] space for each, with borders all around.

³⁷He made the ten stands like this: they all had one casting, one measure, and one form.

³⁸Then he made ten basins of bronze; each basin held forty baths and was four cubits, and there was one basin on each of the ten stands.

³⁹Then he placed the bases, five on the right [or south] side of the house and five on the left [or north] side; and he set the Sea [of cast metal] on the right side of the house toward the southeast.

⁴⁰Now Hiram made the basins and the shovels and the bowls. So Hiram finished all the work which he did for King Solomon on the house of the LORD:

⁴¹the two pillars and the [two] bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the two pillars, and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on top of the pillars;

⁴²and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars;

⁴³the ten stands and the ten basins on the stands;

⁴⁴one Sea (basin), and the twelve oxen under the Sea;

⁴⁵the pails, the shovels, and the bowls; all these utensils which Hiram made for King Solomon in the house of the LORD were of polished bronze.

⁴⁶In the plain of the Jordan [River] the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan.

⁴⁷Solomon left all the utensils unweighed, because there were so many; the weight of the bronze could not be determined.

⁴⁸Solomon made all the [other] furniture which was in the house of the LORD: the [incense] altar of gold; the table of gold on which was the bread of the Presence;

⁴⁹the lampstands of pure gold, five on the right side and five on the left, in front of the Holy of Holies (inner sanctuary); with the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of gold;

⁵⁰the cups, snuffers, bowls, spoons, firepans—of pure gold; and the hinges of gold [both] for the doors of the inner house, the Holy of Holies, and for the doors of the house, the main room [the Holy Place].

⁵¹So all the work that King Solomon did on the house of the LORD was completed. Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and the utensils—and he put them in the treasuries of the Lord's house.

¹Then Solomon made an altar of bronze, twenty cubits in length, twenty cubits in width, and ten cubits in height.

²He also made the Sea [that is, the large basin used for ceremonial washing] of cast metal, ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in form, and five cubits in height, and its circumference was thirty cubits.

³Under it and entirely encircling it were figures of oxen, ten to a cubit. The oxen were in two rows, cast in one piece.

⁴It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, three facing east; and the Sea was set on top of them and all their hindquarters turned inward.

⁵It was a handbreadth (the width of the four fingers) thick; its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It could hold3,000 baths (measures).

⁶He also made ten [portable] basins in which to wash, and he put five on the right (south) side and five on the left (north). They would rinse things for the burnt offering in them, but the Sea was for the priests to wash in.

⁷And he made ten golden lampstands just as directed and set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left.

⁸He made also ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left side, and he made a hundred [ceremonial] basins of gold.

⁹Moreover, he made the courtyard of the priests, and the great courtyard [for the people] and doors for the courtyard, and he overlaid their doors with bronze.

¹⁰He set the Sea on the right side at the southeast corner [of the house].

¹¹And Huram also made the pails [for ashes], the shovels, and the basins. So Huram finished the work that he did for King Solomon in the house of God:

¹²the two pillars, the bowls, the capitals on top of the two pillars, and the two lattice works to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on top of the pillars,

¹³and the four hundred pomegranates for the two lattice works, two rows of pomegranates for each lattice to cover the two bowls of the capitals on the pillars.

¹⁴He also made the stands and he made the basins on the stands;

¹⁵and the one Sea with the twelve oxen under it.

¹⁶The pails, the shovels, and the meat-forks, and all the utensils Huram-abi made of polished bronze for King Solomon for the house of the LORD.

¹⁷The king cast them on the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah.

¹⁸Solomon made all these utensils in such great quantity that the weight of the bronze could not be determined.

¹⁹Solomon also made all the articles that were in the house of God: the golden altar, and the tables for the bread of the Presence (showbread),

²⁰and the lampstands with their lamps of pure gold, to burn in front of the inner sanctuary (the Holy of Holies) as directed;

²¹the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of gold, of purest gold;

²²and the snuffers, the basins, the dishes [for incense], and the firepans, of pure gold; and for the entrance of the house (temple), the inner doors for the Holy of Holies and the doors of the Holy Place (main room), were of gold.