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, that is, the second month, that he 2began to build the house of the Lord. 2And the house which King Solomon built for the Lord was 3sixty cubits in its length, and twenty cubits in its width, and its height was thirty cubits. 3The porch in front of the main room of the house was 4twenty cubits in 5length, 6corresponding to the width of the house, and its width 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 main room and the 910inner sanctuary; so he made 11side chambers all around. 6The lowest story was 12five cubits wide, the middle was six cubits wide, and the third was seven cubits wide; for on the outside he 13made offsets in the wall of the house all around so that the beams would not 14be inserted into the walls of the house.

715The house, while it was being built, was built of stone finished at the quarry, and neither hammer, nor axe, nor any iron tool was heard in the house while it was being built.

8The doorway for the 16lowest side chamber was on the right side of the house; and they would go up by a winding staircase to the middle story, and from the middle to the third. 9So 17he built the house and finished it; and he covered the house with beams and 18planks of cedar. 10He also built the stories against the whole house, each 19five cubits high; and they 20were attached to the house with timbers of cedar.

11Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying, 12“As for this house which you are building, 21if you will walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments by walking in them, then I will fulfill My word with you which I spoke to David your father. 13And 22I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and 23will not abandon My people Israel.”

1424So Solomon built the house and finished it. 15He 25built the walls of the house on the inside with boards of cedar; from the floor of the house to the 26ceiling he paneled the walls on the inside with wood, and he paneled the floor of the house with boards of juniper. 1627He also built 28twenty cubits on the rear part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the 29ceiling; he built them for it on the inside as an inner sanctuary, as 30the Most Holy Place. 17The house, that is, the main room in front of the inner sanctuary, was 31forty cubits long. 18There was cedar inside the house, carved in the shape of 32gourds and open flowers; everything was cedar, there was no stone visible. 19Then he prepared an inner sanctuary inside the house in order to place there the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 2033The 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 paneled the altar with cedar. 21So Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold. And he extended chains of gold across the front of the inner sanctuary, and he overlaid it with gold. 22He overlaid the entire house with gold, until all the house was finished. Also 34the entire altar which was by the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold.

2335And in the inner sanctuary he made two 36cherubim of olive wood, each 37ten cubits high. 24The one wing of the first cherub was five cubits, and the other wing of the first cherub was five cubits; from the end of one wing to the end of the other wing were ten cubits. 25The second cherub was ten cubits; both of the cherubim were of the same measurement and the same form. 26The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was that of the other cherub. 27He placed the cherubim in the midst of the inner house, and 38the wings of the cherubim 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. And their wings were touching 39end to 40end in the center of the house. 28He also overlaid the cherubim with gold.

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

31And for 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 overlaid the cherubim and the palm trees with gold.

33So too he made for the entrance of the main room four-sided doorposts of olive wood, 34and 41two doors of juniper wood; the two leaves of the one door turned on pivots, and the two 42leaves of the other door turned on pivots. 35He carved on it cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold plated on the carved work. 36And 43he built the inner courtyard with three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams.

3744In the fourth year the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid, in the month of Ziv. 38And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, that is, the eighth month, the house was finished in all its parts and in accordance with all its plans. So he was seven years in building it.