Solomon Builds the Temple^(A)

6 Solomon began to build the ·Temple [^Lhouse of the Lord] four hundred eighty years after the people of Israel ·had left [^Lcame out of the land of] Egypt. This was during the fourth year of King Solomon’s ·rule [reign] over Israel. It was the second month, the month of Ziv [^Cmidspring]. ² The ·Temple [^Lhouse that Solomon built for the Lord] was ·ninety feet [^Lsixty cubits] long, ·thirty feet [^Ltwenty cubits] wide, and ·forty-five feet [^Lthirty cubits] high. ³ The ·porch [entry room; portico; vestibule] in front of the ·main room [main hall; nave] of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] was ·fifteen feet [^Lten cubits] deep and ·thirty feet [^Ltwenty cubits] wide. This room ·ran along [projected from] the front of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] itself. Its width was equal to that of the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. ⁴ The ·Temple [^Lhouse] also had ·windows that opened and closed [narrow, recessed windows]. ⁵ Solomon also built ·some [a complex of] side ·rooms [chambers] against the walls of the ·main room [main hall; nave] and the inner room of the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. He built rooms all around. ⁶ The rooms on the bottom floor were ·seven and one-half feet [^Lfive cubits] wide. Those on the middle floor were ·nine feet [^Lsix cubits] wide, and the rooms above them were ·ten and one-half feet [^Lseven cubits] wide. The ·Temple [^Lhouse] wall that formed the side of each room ·was thinner than the wall in the room below [had offset ledges]. These rooms were pushed against the ·Temple wall [^Lhouse], but they did not have their ·main [support] beams built into this wall.

⁷ The stones used to build the ·Temple [^Lhouse] were ·prepared [finished; shaped] at the quarry. So there was no noise of hammers, axes, or any other iron tools at the ·Temple [^Lhouse].

⁸ The entrance to the lower rooms beside the ·Temple [^Lhouse] was on the south side. From there, [winding] stairs went up to the second-floor rooms. And from there, stairs went on to the third-floor rooms. ⁹ Solomon put a ·roof [ceiling] made from beams and cedar boards on the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. So he finished building the Temple [^Lhouse] ¹⁰ as well as the bottom floor that was beside the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. This bottom floor was ·seven and one-half feet [^Lfive cubits] high and was attached to the ·Temple [^Lhouse] by cedar beams.

¹¹ The ·Lord said [^Lword of the Lord came] to Solomon: ¹² “If you ·obey [follow; walk in] all my laws and commands, I will ·do for you [fulfill] what I promised your father David. ¹³ I will ·live [dwell; make my home] among the Israelites in this Temple, and I will never ·leave [abandon; forsake] my people Israel.”

¹⁴ So Solomon finished building the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. ¹⁵ The inside walls were ·covered [paneled] from floor to ceiling with cedar boards. The floor was made from ·pine [cypress; juniper] boards. ¹⁶ A room ·thirty feet [^Ltwenty cubits] long was built in the back part of the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. This room, called the ·Most Holy Place [^THoly of Holies], was an inner ·room [^Lsanctuary] ·separated from the rest of the Temple by [or paneled with] cedar boards which reached from floor to ·ceiling [rafters]. ¹⁷ The ·main room [main hall; nave], the one in front of ·the Most Holy Place [^Lit], was ·sixty feet [^Lforty cubits] long. ¹⁸ Everything inside the ·Temple [^Lhouse] was covered with cedar, which was carved with pictures of flowers and ·plants [open flowers]. A person could not see the stones of the wall, only the cedar.

¹⁹ Solomon prepared the inner ·room [sanctuary] ·at the back of [within] the ·Temple [^Lhouse] to keep the Ark of the ·Agreement [Treaty; Covenant; Ex. 25:10] with the Lord. ²⁰ This inner ·room [sanctuary] was ·thirty feet [^Ltwenty cubits] long, ·thirty feet [^Ltwenty cubits] wide, and ·thirty feet [^Ltwenty cubits] high. ²¹ He covered this ·room [sanctuary] with pure gold, and he also covered the altar of cedar. ²² So all the inside of the ·Temple [^Lhouse], as well as the altar of the ·Most Holy Place [^Linner sanctuary], was covered with gold.

²³ Solomon made two ·creatures [cherubim; ^Cparticularly powerful spiritual beings] from olive wood and placed them in the ·Most Holy Place [^Linner sanctuary]. ·Each creature [^LThe cherub] was ·fifteen feet [^Lten cubits] tall ²⁴ and had two wings. Each wing was ·seven and one-half feet [^Lfive cubits] long, so it was ·fifteen feet [^Lten cubits] from the end of one wing to the end of the other. ²⁵ ·The creatures [^LThe other cherub also measured ten cubits; both cherubim] were the same size and shape; ²⁶ each was ·fifteen feet [^Lten cubits] tall. ²⁷ These ·creatures [^Lcherubim; 6:23] were put beside each other in the ·Most Holy Place [^Linner house] with their wings spread out. One creature’s wing touched one wall, and the other creature’s wing touched the other wall with their wings touching each other in the middle of the room. ²⁸ These two creatures were ·covered [overlaid] with gold.

²⁹ All the walls around the ·Temple [^Lhouse] were carved with ·pictures [engravings] of ·creatures with wings [cherubim; 6:23], as well as palm trees and open flowers. ·This was true for both the main room and the inner room [^L…both the inner and the outer (rooms)]. ³⁰ The floors of both rooms were ·covered [overlaid] with gold.

³¹ Doors made from olive wood were placed at the entrance to the ·Most Holy Place [^Linner sanctuary]. These doors had five-sided ·frames [doorposts]. ³² ·Creatures with wings [Cherubim; 6:23], as well as palm trees and open flowers, were also carved on the two olive wood doors that were ·covered [overlaid] with gold. The ·creatures [cherubim; 6:23] and the palm trees on the doors were ·covered [overlaid] with gold as well. ³³ At the entrance to the ·main room [main hall; nave] there ·was a square door frame [were four-sided doorposts] made of olive wood. ³⁴ Two doors were made from ·pine [cypress; juniper]. Each door had two parts so the doors ·folded [turned on pivots]. ³⁵ The doors were ·covered with pictures of creatures with wings [^Lcarved with cherubim; 6:23], as well as palm trees and open flowers. All of the carvings were covered with gold, which was evenly ·spread [hammered; applied] over them.

³⁶ The inner courtyard was enclosed by walls, which were made of three rows of ·cut [finished; dressed] stones ·and one [for each] row of cedar ·boards [beams].

³⁷ ·Work began on [^LThe foundation was laid of] the ·Temple [^Lhouse of the Lord] in Ziv, the second month, during the fourth ·year Solomon was king over Israel [^Lyear]. ³⁸ The ·Temple [^Lhouse] was finished during the eleventh ·year he was king [^Lyear], in the eighth month, the month of Bul. It was ·built exactly as it was planned [^Lfinished according to all its parts and according to all its plans]. Solomon had spent seven years building it.