1But it took Solomon thirteen years to build, and finish his palace. 2He also built the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon; its length was a hundred cubits (150 feet), and its width was fifty cubits (75 feet), and its height thirty cubits (45 feet), built upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars. 3Its roof was cedar resting upon forty-five beams that lay on pillars, fifteen per row. 4And there were windows in three rows, each facing one opposite it, in three tiers. 5And all the doorways and posts were rectangular (not arched), and like the three tiers of windows, they faced each other. 6And he made a porch of pillars; the length of it was fifty cubits (75 feet), and its width was thirty cubits (45 feet); and the porch was in front of it; and in front of that were other pillars with an overhanging roof. 7Then he made a throne or judgement hall, where he was to judge; was covered with cedar from the floor to the ceiling. 8And his living quarters surrounded a courtyard behind this hall. Solomon also made similar living quarters for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had taken as his wife. 9All these structures were of costly stones, shaped and smoothed with saws, inside and out, from the foundation to the eaves. 10And the foundation was laid with large stones, some ten cubits long, and some eight cubits long. 11And above were costly stones, cut to measure of hewn stones, and cedar beams. 12And the great courtyard was surrounded by three rows of hewn stones, and a row of cedar beams, as was the inner courtyard of the Temple of the LORD, with its portico. 13And King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre. 14Hiram was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze; skilled with wisdom, and knowledge for working in bronze. And he came to King Solomon, where he did all his skillful work. 15Hiram cast two pillars of bronze, each eighteen cubits (27 feet) high; and a line of twelve cubits (18 foot circumference) would encompass either of them. 16And he made two capitals of cast bronze, to set upon the tops of the pillars; the height of each capital was five cubits; 17And nets of checker work, and wreaths of chain work, for the capitals upon the top of the pillars; seven for the one capital, and seven for the other capital. 18And he made the pillars, and two rows around upon the one network, to cover both capitals on the top, with pomegranates. 19And the capitals that were on top of the pillars were of lily-work in the porch, four cubits. 20And the capitals upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above, opposite the rounded projection which was by the network; and with two hundred pomegranates in rows around upon each capital. 21And he set up the pillars in the porch of the Temple: he set up the right pillar, and named it “Jachin”; and he set up the left pillar, and named it “Boaz.” (2 Chron.3:17) 22And upon the top of the pillars was lily-work; and so was the work of the pillars finished. 23And he made a circular ‘sea’ of cast metal, ten cubits across, brim to brim; and its height was five cubits; with a circumference of thirty cubits. 24And below the brim of it there were buds all around, ten buds to a cubit, encircling the sea; the buds were cast in two rows. 25The sea rested upon the twelve bulls - three facing north, three facing west, three south, and three facing the east; and with their hind quarters toward the center. 26And the sea was a handbreadth thick, and its brim was fashioned like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies. It had the capacity of two thousand baths (about 11,000 gallons). 27And Hiram made ten bases of bronze; each four cubits long, and four cubits wide, and three cubits high. 28And these bases were built in this manner: they had panels, with the panels set between the frames; 29And on the panels between the frames were lions, bulls, and cherubim; and on the upright pedestals above; and beneath the lions and bulls were certain wreath decorations made of thin work. 30And each base had four bronze wheels, and axels; and the four corners of it had supports; under the laver were cast supports, at the side of every addition. 31And the opening of it within the capital and above was a cubit; but the opening of it was round after the work of the pedestal, one and a half cubits. And upon its opening were carvings with their borders, foursquare, not round. 32And under the panels were four wheels; and the axles of the wheels were joined to the base; and the height of a wheel was one and a half cubits. 33And the design of the wheels was like the design of a chariot wheel; their axles, hubs, rims, and spokes, were all cast. 34And there were four supports for the four corners of one base; and the supports were of the very base itself. 35And in the top of the base there was a round compass of half a cubit high; and on the top of the base the frames of it and the panels of it were of the same. 36For on the plates of the frames of it, and on the panels of it, he carved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, according to the proportion of every one, and additions around. 37After this manner he made the ten bases: each of them was of one casting, one measure, and one size. 38Then he made ten lavers of bronze: one laver contained forty baths, and every laver was four cubits; and upon every one of the ten bases one laver. 39And he put five bases on the south side of the Temple, and five on the north side of the Temple; and positioned the sea on the south side at the house southeast corner of the Temple. 40And Hiram made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. And so, Hiram finished doing all the work that he did on the Temple of the LORD for King Solomon: 41The two pillars, and the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on the top of the two pillars; and the two decorative networks, to cover the two bowl-shaped capitals which were on top of the pillars; 42And four hundred pomegranates for the two networks - two rows of pomegranates for one network, to cover the two bowl-shaped capitals that were atop the pillars; 43And the ten stands, and ten basins; 44And one sea, and twelve bulls under the sea; 45And the pots, and the shovels, and the basins. And all these vessels, which Hiram made to King Solomon for the Temple of the LORD, were of bright bronze. 46And the king had them cast in the plain of the Jordan, in the clay between Succoth and Zarethan. 47And Solomon left all these vessels un-weighed, because there were so many; nor was their weight in bronze determined. 48And Solomon made all the furnishings for the Temple of the LORD: the altar of gold; the table of gold, which held the showbread; 49The lampstands of pure gold, five on the right side, five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary, with the floral work; the lamps; the tongs of gold; 50The bowls; the snuffers; the basins; the spoons; the censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house which is the Temple. 51So King Solomon finished all the work for the Temple of the LORD. And Solomon brought in the things which David, his father, had dedicated: the silver, gold, and the vessels, these he put among the treasures of the Temple of the LORD. Reader-Friendly Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2024 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |