1 Kings 6

The Building of the Temple

11Now it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv which is the second month, that he 2began to build the house of the Lord. 2As for the house which King Solomon built for the Lord, its length was sixty 3cubits and its width twenty cubits and its height thirty cubits. 3The porch in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits 4in length, 5corresponding to the width of the house, and its 6depth along the front of the house was ten cubits. 4Also for the house 7he made windows with artistic frames. 58Against the wall of the house he built stories encompassing the walls of the house around both the nave and the 9inner sanctuary; thus he made 10side chambers all around. 6The lowest story was five cubits wide, and the middle was six cubits wide, and the third was seven cubits wide; for on the outside he 11made offsets in the wall of the house all around in order that the beams would not 12be inserted in the walls of the house.

713The house, while it was being built, was built of stone 14prepared at the quarry, and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any iron tool heard in the house while it was being built.

8The doorway for the 15lowest side chamber was on the right side of the house; and they would go up by winding stairs to the middle story, and from the middle to the third. 9So 16he built the house and finished it; and he covered the house with beams and 17planks of cedar. 10He also built the stories against the whole house, each five 18cubits high; and they 19were fastened to the house with timbers of cedar.

11Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon saying, 12“Concerning this house which you are building, 20if you will walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments by walking in them, then I will carry out My word with you which I spoke to David your father. 1321I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and 22will not forsake My people Israel.”

1423So Solomon built the house and finished it. 15Then he 24built the walls of the house on the inside with boards of cedar; from the floor of the house to the 25ceiling he overlaid the walls on the inside with wood, and he overlaid the floor of the house with boards of cypress. 1626He built twenty cubits on the rear part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the 27ceiling; he built them for it on the inside as an inner sanctuary, even as 28the most holy place. 17The house, that is, the nave in front of the inner sanctuary, was forty 29cubits long. 18There was cedar on the house within, carved in the shape of 30gourds and open flowers; all was cedar, there was no stone seen. 19Then he prepared an inner sanctuary within the house in order to place there the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 2031The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in height, and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid the altar with cedar. 21So Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold. And he drew chains of gold across the front of the inner sanctuary, and he overlaid it with gold. 22He overlaid the whole house with gold, until all the house was finished. Also 32the whole altar which was by the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold.

2333Also in the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. 24Five cubits was the one wing of the cherub and five cubits the other wing of the cherub; from the end of one wing to the end of the other wing were ten cubits. 25The other cherub was ten cubits; both the cherubim were of the same measure and the same form. 26The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was the other cherub. 27He placed the cherubim in the midst of the inner house, and 34the wings of the cherubim were spread out, so that the wing of the one was touching the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub was touching the other wall. So their wings were touching each other in the center of the house. 28He also overlaid the cherubim with gold.

29Then he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, inner and outer sanctuaries. 30He overlaid the floor of the house with gold, inner and outer sanctuaries.

31For the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood, the lintel and five-sided doorposts. 32So he made two doors of olive wood, and he carved on them carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread the gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees.

33So also he made for the entrance of the nave four-sided doorposts of olive wood 34and 35two doors of cypress wood; the two leaves of the one door turned on pivots, and the two 36leaves of the other door turned on pivots. 35He carved on it cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold evenly applied on the engraved work. 3637He built the inner court with three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams.

3738In the fourth year the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid, in the month of Ziv. 38In the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished throughout all its parts and according to all its plans. So he was seven years in building it.