Building the Temple

1Solomon began to build the temple for the LORD in the four hundred eightieth yeara after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of his reign over Israel, in the second month, in the month of Ziv.b, c 2The temple that King Solomon built for the LORDd was 90 feete long, 30 feetf wide, and 45 feetg high.h 3The portico in front of the temple sanctuary was 30 feeti long extending across the temple’s width, and 15 feet deepj in front of the temple.k 4He also made windows with beveled framesl for the temple.m

5He then built a chambered structuren along the temple wall, encircling the walls of the temple, that is, the sanctuary and the inner sanctuary.o And he made side chambersp all around.q 6The lowest chamber was 7 ¹/₂ feetr wide, the middle was nine feets wide, and the third was 10 ¹/₂ feett wide. He also provided offset ledges for the temple all around the outside so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls. 7The temple’s construction used finished stones cut at the quarry so that no hammer, chisel, or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.u

8The door for the lowestv side chamber was on the right side of the temple. Theyw went up a stairwayx to the middle chamber, and from the middle to the third. 9When he finished building the temple,y he paneled it with boards and planks of cedar. 10He built the chambers along the entire temple, joined to the temple with cedar beams;z each story was 7 ¹/₂ feetaa high.

11The word of the LORD came to Solomon:ab 12“As for this temple you are building — if you walk in My statutes, observe My ordinances, and keep all My commands by walking in them,ac I will fulfill My promise to you, which I made to your father David.ad 13I will live among the Israelites and not abandon My people Israel.”ae

14When Solomon finished building the temple,af, ag 15he paneled the interior temple walls with cedar boards; from the temple floor to the surface of the ceiling he overlaid the interior with wood. He also overlaid the floor with cypress boards.ah 16Then he lined 30 feetai of the rear of the temple with cedar boards from the floor to the surface of the ceiling,aj and he built the interior as an inner sanctuary, the most holy place.ak 17The temple, that is, the sanctuary in front of the most holy place,al was 60 feetam long. 18The cedar paneling inside the temple was carved with ornamental gourdsan and flower blossoms. Everything was cedar;ao not a stone could be seen.

19He prepared the inner sanctuaryap inside the temple to put the ark of the LORD’s covenantaq there. 20The interior of the sanctuary was 30 feetar long, 30 feetas wide, and 30 feetat high; he overlaid it with pure gold.au He also overlaid the cedar altar. 21Next, Solomon overlaid the interior of the temple with pure gold, and he hungav gold chainsaw across the front of the inner sanctuaryax and overlaid it with gold. 22So he added the gold overlay to the entire temple until everything was completely finished, including the entire altaray that belongs to the inner sanctuary.

23In the inner sanctuary he made two •cherubimaz 15 feetba high out of olive wood. 24One wing of the first cherub was 7 ¹/₂ feet long,bb and the other wing was 7 ¹/₂ feet long. The wingspan was 15 feetbc from tip to tip. 25The second cherub also was 15 feet;bd both cherubim had the same size and shape. 26The first cherub’s height was 15 feetbe and so was the second cherub’s. 27Then he put the cherubim inside the inner temple. Since their wings were spread out, the first one’s wing touched one wall while the second cherub’s wing touched the otherbf wall, and in the middle of the temple their wings were touching wing to wing.bg 28He also overlaid the cherubim with gold.

29He carved all the surrounding temple walls with carved engravings — cherubim,bh palm trees and flower blossoms — in both the inner and outer sanctuaries. 30He overlaid the temple floor with gold in both the inner and outer sanctuaries.

31For the entrance of the inner sanctuary, he made olive wood doors.bi The pillars of the doorposts were five-sided.bj 32The two doors were made of olive wood. He carved cherubim, palm trees, and flower blossoms on them and overlaid them with gold, hammering gold over the cherubim and palm trees. 33In the same way, he made four-sidedbk olive wood doorposts for the sanctuary entrance. 34The two doorsbl were made of cypress wood; the first door had two folding sides, and the second door had two folding panels. 35He carved cherubim, palm trees, and flower blossoms on them and overlaid them with gold applied evenly over the carving. 36He built the inner courtyardbm with three rows of dressed stonebn and a row of trimmed cedar beams.

37The foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid in Solomon’s fourth year in the month of Ziv. 38In his eleventh year in the eighth month, in the month of Bul,bo the temple was completed in every detail and according to every specification.bp So he built it in seven years.bq