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1 Kings 6
New English Translation

The Building of the Temple

6 In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites left Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, during the month Ziv[a] (the second month), he began building the Lord’s temple. 2 The temple King Solomon built for the Lord was 90 feet[b] long, 30 feet[c] wide, and 45 feet[d] high. 3 The porch in front of the main hall of the temple was 30 feet[e] long, corresponding to the width of the temple. It was 15 feet[f] wide, extending out from the front of the temple. 4 He made framed windows for the temple. 5 He built an extension all around the walls of the temple’s main hall and Holy Place and constructed side rooms in it.[g] 6 The bottom floor of the extension was 7½ feet[h] wide, the middle floor 9 feet[i] wide, and the third floor 10½ feet[j] wide. He made ledges[k] on the temple’s outer walls so the beams would not have to be inserted into the walls.[l] 7 As the temple was being built, only stones shaped at the quarry[m] were used; the sound of hammers, pickaxes, or any other iron tool was not heard at the temple while it was being built. 8 The entrance to the bottom[n] level of side rooms was on the south side of the temple; stairs went up[o] to the middle floor and then on up to the third[p] floor. 9 He finished building the temple[q] and covered it[r] with rafters[s] and boards made of cedar.[t] 10 He built an extension all around the temple; it was 7½ feet high[u] and it was attached to the temple by cedar beams.

11 [v] The Lord’s message came to Solomon: 12 “As for this temple you are building, if you follow[w] my rules, observe[x] my regulations, and obey all my commandments,[y] I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father David.[z] 13 I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.”

14 So Solomon finished building the temple.[aa] 15 He constructed the walls inside the temple with cedar planks; he paneled the inside with wood from the floor of the temple to the rafters[ab] of the ceiling. He covered the temple floor with boards made from the wood of evergreens. 16 He built a wall 30 feet in from the rear of the temple as a partition for an inner sanctuary that would be the Most Holy Place.[ac] He paneled the wall with cedar planks from the floor to the rafters.[ad] 17 The main hall in front of the inner sanctuary was 60 feet long.[ae] 18 The inside of the temple was all cedar and was adorned with carvings of round ornaments and of flowers in bloom. Everything was cedar; no stones were visible.[af]

19 He prepared the inner sanctuary inside the temple so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord could be placed there. 20 The inner sanctuary was 30 feet[ag] long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. He plated it with gold,[ah] as well as the cedar altar.[ai] 21 Solomon plated the inside of the temple with gold.[aj] He hung golden chains in front of the inner sanctuary and plated the inner sanctuary[ak] with gold. 22 He plated the entire inside of the temple with gold, as well as the altar inside the inner sanctuary.[al]

23 In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood; each stood 15 feet[am] high. 24 Each of the first cherub’s wings was 7½ feet long; its entire wingspan was 15 feet.[an] 25 The second cherub also had a wingspan of 15 feet; it was identical to the first in measurements and shape.[ao] 26 Each cherub stood 15 feet high.[ap] 27 He put the cherubim in the inner sanctuary of the temple.[aq] Their wings were spread out. One of the first cherub’s wings touched one wall and one of the other cherub’s wings touched the opposite wall. The first cherub’s other wing touched the second cherub’s other wing in the middle of the room.[ar] 28 He plated the cherubim with gold.

29 On all the walls around the temple, inside and out,[as] he carved[at] cherubim, palm trees, and flowers in bloom. 30 He plated the floor of the temple with gold, inside and out.[au] 31 He made doors of olive wood at the entrance to the inner sanctuary; the pillar on each doorpost was five-sided.[av] 32 On the two doors made of olive wood he carved[aw] cherubim, palm trees, and flowers in bloom, and he plated them with gold.[ax] He plated the cherubim and the palm trees with hammered gold.[ay] 33 In the same way he made doorposts of olive wood for the entrance to the main hall, only with four-sided pillars.[az] 34 He also made[ba] two doors out of wood from evergreens; each door had two folding leaves.[bb] 35 He carved cherubim, palm trees, and flowers in bloom and plated them with gold, leveled out over the carvings. 36 He built the inner courtyard with three rows of chiseled stones and a row of cedar beams.

37 In the month of Ziv[bc] in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign[bd] the foundation was laid for the Lord’s temple. 38 In the eleventh year, in the month of Bul[be] (the eighth month) the temple was completed in accordance with all its specifications and blueprints. It took seven years to build.[bf]

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 6:1 sn During the month Ziv. This would be April-May, 966 b.c. by modern reckoning.
  2. 1 Kings 6:2 tn Heb “60 cubits.” A cubit was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 cm. Measurements in vv. 2-10 have been converted to feet in the translation for clarity.
  3. 1 Kings 6:2 tn Heb “20 [cubits].”
  4. 1 Kings 6:2 tn Heb “30 cubits.”
  5. 1 Kings 6:3 tn Heb “20 cubits.”
  6. 1 Kings 6:3 tn Heb “10 cubits.”
  7. 1 Kings 6:5 tn Heb “and he built on the wall of the temple an extension all around, the walls of the temple all around, for the main hall and for the holy place, and he made side rooms all around.”
  8. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “five cubits.”
  9. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “six cubits.”
  10. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “7 cubits.”
  11. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Or “offsets” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “offset ledges.”
  12. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “so that [the beams] would not have a hold in the walls of the temple.”
  13. 1 Kings 6:7 tn Heb “finished stone of the quarry,” i.e., stones chiseled and shaped at the time they were taken out of the quarry.
  14. 1 Kings 6:8 tc The Hebrew text has “middle,” but the remainder of the verse suggests this is an error.
  15. 1 Kings 6:8 tn Heb “by stairs they went up.” The word translated “stairs” occurs only here. Other options are “trapdoors” or “ladders.”
  16. 1 Kings 6:8 tc The translation reads with a few medieval Hebrew mss, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate הַשְּׁלִשִׁית (hashelishit, “the third”) rather than MT הַשְּׁלִשִׁים (hashelishim, “the thirty”).
  17. 1 Kings 6:9 tn Heb “ built the house and completed it.”
  18. 1 Kings 6:9 tn Heb “the house.”
  19. 1 Kings 6:9 tn The word occurs only here; the precise meaning is uncertain.
  20. 1 Kings 6:9 tn Heb “and rows with cedar wood.”
  21. 1 Kings 6:10 tn Heb “5 cubits.” This must refer to the height of each floor or room.
  22. 1 Kings 6:11 tc The LXX lacks vv. 11-14.
  23. 1 Kings 6:12 tn Heb “walk in.”
  24. 1 Kings 6:12 tn Heb “do.”
  25. 1 Kings 6:12 tn Heb “and keep all my commandments by walking in them.”
  26. 1 Kings 6:12 tn Heb “I will establish my word with you which I spoke to David your father.”
  27. 1 Kings 6:14 tn Heb “ built the house and completed it.”
  28. 1 Kings 6:15 tc The MT reads קִירוֹת (qirot, “walls”), but this should be emended to קוֹרוֹת (qorot, “rafters”). See BDB 900 s.v. קוֹרָה.
  29. 1 Kings 6:16 tn Heb “He built 20 cubits from the rear areas of the temple with cedar planks from the floor to the walls, and he built it on the inside for an inner sanctuary, for a holy place of holy places.”
  30. 1 Kings 6:16 tc The MT reads קִירוֹת (qirot, “walls”), but this should be emended to קוֹרוֹת (qorot, “rafters”). See BDB 900 s.v. קוֹרָה.
  31. 1 Kings 6:17 tn Heb “and the house was 40 cubits, that is, the main hall before it.”
  32. 1 Kings 6:18 tn Heb “Cedar was inside the temple, carvings of gourds (i.e., gourd-shaped ornaments) and opened flowers; the whole was cedar, no stone was seen.”
  33. 1 Kings 6:20 tn Heb “20 cubits” (this measurement occurs three times in this verse).
  34. 1 Kings 6:20 tn Heb “with plated gold” (or perhaps, “with pure gold”).
  35. 1 Kings 6:20 tn Heb “he plated [the] altar of cedar.”
  36. 1 Kings 6:21 tn Heb “with plated gold” (or perhaps, “with pure gold”).
  37. 1 Kings 6:21 tn Heb “it.”
  38. 1 Kings 6:22 tn Heb “all the temple he plated with gold until all the temple was finished; and the whole altar which was in the inner sanctuary he plated with gold.”
  39. 1 Kings 6:23 tn Heb “10 cubits” (a cubit was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 cm).
  40. 1 Kings 6:24 tn Heb “The first wing of the [one] cherub was 5 cubits, and the second wing of the cherub was 5 cubits, 10 cubits from the tips of his wings to the tips of his wings.”
  41. 1 Kings 6:25 tn Heb “and the second cherub was 10 cubits, the two cherubim had one measurement and one shape.”
  42. 1 Kings 6:26 tn Heb “the height of the first cherub was 10 cubits; and so was the second cherub.”
  43. 1 Kings 6:27 tn Heb “in the midst of the inner house,” i.e., in the inner sanctuary.
  44. 1 Kings 6:27 tn Heb “and their wings were in the middle of the room, touching wing to wing.”
  45. 1 Kings 6:29 sn Inside and out probably refers to the inner and outer rooms within the building.
  46. 1 Kings 6:29 tn Heb “carved engravings of carvings.”
  47. 1 Kings 6:30 sn Inside and out probably refers to the inner and outer rooms within the building.
  48. 1 Kings 6:31 tn Heb “the pillar, doorposts, a fifth part” (the precise meaning of this description is uncertain).
  49. 1 Kings 6:32 tn Heb “carved carvings of.”
  50. 1 Kings 6:32 tn Heb “he plated [with] gold” (the precise object is not stated).
  51. 1 Kings 6:32 tn Heb “and he hammered out the gold on the cherubim and the palm trees.”
  52. 1 Kings 6:33 tn Heb “and so he did at the entrance of the main hall, doorposts of olive wood, from a fourth.”
  53. 1 Kings 6:34 tn The words “he also made” are added for stylistic reasons.
  54. 1 Kings 6:34 tc Heb “two of the leaves of the first door were folding, and two of the leaves of the second door were folding.” In the second half of the description, the MT has קְלָעִים (qelaʿim, “curtains”), but this probably should be emended to צְלָעִים (tselaʿim, “leaves”), which appears in the first half of the statement. One Hebrew ms, the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate support צְלָעִים (tselaʿim, “leaves”).
  55. 1 Kings 6:37 sn In the month of Ziv. This would be April-May, 966 b.c. by modern reckoning.
  56. 1 Kings 6:37 tn The words “of Solomon’s reign” are added for clarification. See v. 1.
  57. 1 Kings 6:38 sn In the month Bul. This would be October-November 959 b.c. in modern reckoning.
  58. 1 Kings 6:38 tn Heb “he built it in seven years.”
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1 Kings 6
New International Version

Solomon Builds the Temple(A)

6 In the four hundred and eightieth[a] year after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month,(B) he began to build the temple of the Lord.(C)

2 The temple(D) that King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits long, twenty wide and thirty high.[b] 3 The portico(E) at the front of the main hall of the temple extended the width of the temple, that is twenty cubits,[c] and projected ten cubits[d] from the front of the temple. 4 He made narrow windows(F) high up in the temple walls. 5 Against the walls of the main hall and inner sanctuary he built a structure around the building, in which there were side rooms.(G) 6 The lowest floor was five cubits[e] wide, the middle floor six cubits[f] and the third floor seven.[g] He made offset ledges around the outside of the temple so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls.

7 In building the temple, only blocks dressed(H) at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool(I) was heard at the temple site while it was being built.

8 The entrance to the lowest[h] floor was on the south side of the temple; a stairway led up to the middle level and from there to the third. 9 So he built the temple and completed it, roofing it with beams and cedar(J) planks. 10 And he built the side rooms all along the temple. The height of each was five cubits, and they were attached to the temple by beams of cedar.

11 The word of the Lord came(K) to Solomon: 12 “As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands(L) and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise(M) I gave to David your father. 13 And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon(N) my people Israel.”

14 So Solomon(O) built the temple and completed(P) it. 15 He lined its interior walls with cedar boards, paneling them from the floor of the temple to the ceiling,(Q) and covered the floor of the temple with planks of juniper.(R) 16 He partitioned off twenty cubits at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place.(S) 17 The main hall in front of this room was forty cubits[i] long. 18 The inside of the temple was cedar,(T) carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; no stone was to be seen.

19 He prepared the inner sanctuary(U) within the temple to set the ark of the covenant(V) of the Lord there. 20 The inner sanctuary(W) was twenty cubits long, twenty wide and twenty high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar.(X) 21 Solomon covered the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold. 22 So he overlaid the whole interior with gold. He also overlaid with gold the altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary.

23 For the inner sanctuary he made a pair of cherubim(Y) out of olive wood, each ten cubits high. 24 One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long, and the other wing five cubits—ten cubits from wing tip to wing tip. 25 The second cherub also measured ten cubits, for the two cherubim were identical in size and shape. 26 The height of each cherub was ten cubits. 27 He placed the cherubim(Z) inside the innermost room of the temple, with their wings spread out. The wing of one cherub touched one wall, while the wing of the other touched the other wall, and their wings touched each other in the middle of the room. 28 He overlaid the cherubim with gold.

29 On the walls(AA) all around the temple, in both the inner and outer rooms, he carved cherubim,(AB) palm trees and open flowers. 30 He also covered the floors of both the inner and outer rooms of the temple with gold.

31 For the entrance to the inner sanctuary he made doors out of olive wood that were one fifth of the width of the sanctuary. 32 And on the two olive-wood doors(AC) he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid the cherubim and palm trees with hammered gold. 33 In the same way, for the entrance to the main hall he made doorframes out of olive wood that were one fourth of the width of the hall. 34 He also made two doors out of juniper wood, each having two leaves that turned in sockets. 35 He carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers on them and overlaid them with gold hammered evenly over the carvings.

36 And he built the inner courtyard(AD) of three courses(AE) of dressed stone and one course of trimmed cedar beams.

37 The foundation of the temple of the Lord was laid in the fourth year, in the month of Ziv. 38 In the eleventh year in the month of Bul, the eighth month, the temple was finished in all its details(AF) according to its specifications.(AG) He had spent seven years building it.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 6:1 Hebrew; Septuagint four hundred and fortieth
  2. 1 Kings 6:2 That is, about 90 feet long, 30 feet wide and 45 feet high or about 27 meters long, 9 meters wide and 14 meters high
  3. 1 Kings 6:3 That is, about 30 feet or about 9 meters; also in verses 16 and 20
  4. 1 Kings 6:3 That is, about 15 feet or about 4.5 meters; also in verses 23-26
  5. 1 Kings 6:6 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters; also in verses 10 and 24
  6. 1 Kings 6:6 That is, about 9 feet or about 2.7 meters
  7. 1 Kings 6:6 That is, about 11 feet or about 3.2 meters
  8. 1 Kings 6:8 Septuagint; Hebrew middle
  9. 1 Kings 6:17 That is, about 60 feet or about 18 meters
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1 Kings 6
King James Version

6 And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.

2 And the house which king Solomon built for the Lord, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.

3 And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house.

4 And for the house he made windows of narrow lights.

5 And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle: and he made chambers round about:

6 The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad: for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house.

7 And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.

8 The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third.

9 So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.

10 And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.

11 And the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying,

12 Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father:

13 And 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 And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and the walls of the ceiling: and he covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.

16 And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built them for it within, even for the oracle, even for the most holy place.

17 And the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits long.

18 And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.

19 And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

20 And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.

21 So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold.

22 And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.

23 And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high.

24 And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.

25 And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubims were of one measure and one size.

26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.

27 And he set the cherubims within the inner house: and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims, 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 midst of the house.

28 And he overlaid the cherubims with gold.

29 And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without.

30 And the floors of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without.

31 And for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive tree: the lintel and side posts were a fifth part of the wall.

32 The two doors also were of olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubims, and upon the palm trees.

33 So also made he for the door of the temple posts of olive tree, a fourth part of the wall.

34 And the two doors were of fir tree: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.

35 And he carved thereon cherubims and palm trees and open flowers: and covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work.

36 And he built the inner court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams.

37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the Lord laid, in the month Zif:

38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.

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