1 Kings 6:7-36

7For the House, while being constructed, was built of stone finished at the quarry; with neither hammer, axe nor any iron tool heard in the House during its construction.

8The doorway to the lowest story of the side chambers was on the right side of the House. They went up by winding stairs to the middle story, and from the middle to the third.

9When he finished building the House, he covered the House with beams and planks of cedar.

10He built the stories of the side-structure against the whole House, each five cubits high, and they were fastened to the House with timbers of cedar.

11Then the word of Adonai came to Solomon saying:

12“As for this House which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes, execute My ordinances and keep all My mitzvot by walking in them, then I will establish My word with you, which I spoke to your father David,

13I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.”

14So Solomon built the House and finished it.

15He paneled the walls of the House on the inside with cedar planks of cedar; from the floor of the House to the ceiling he overlaid on the inside with wood; and he overlaid the floor of the House with planks of cypress.

16Then he partitioned off 20 cubits at the rear part of the House, using cedar boards from the floor to the ceiling, building it as the inner Sanctuary—the Holy of Holies.

17The House, that is, the Sanctuary, was 40 cubits long in front of the inner Sanctuary.

18The cedar of the interior of the House was carved as gourds and open flowers. All was cedar; no stone was visible.

19He prepared an inner Sanctuary within the House, to set there the ark of the covenant of Adonai.

20The inner Sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, twenty cubits in breadth and twenty cubits in height. He overlaid it with pure gold, and overlaid the cedar altar.

21So Solomon overlaid the interior of the House with pure gold; and he drew chains of gold across the front of the inner Sanctuary, and overlaid it with gold.

22So the entire House he overlaid with gold until the entire House was finished; even the entire altar by the inner Sanctuary he overlaid with gold.

23In the inner Sanctuary he made two cheruvim of olive wood, each ten cubits high.

24The length of one wing of the cheruv was five ­cubits and the length of the other wing of the cheruv was five cubits—ten cubits from the end of one wing to the end of the other,

25and the other cheruv was also ten cubits. Both cheruvim were the same in measure and form:

26the height of the one cheruv was ten cubits and so the other cheruv.

27Then he placed the cheruvim inside the inner House. When the wings of the cheruvim extended, the wing of the one touched one wall while the wing of the other cheruv touched the other wall, while their wings in the center of the House touched one another.

28He also overlaid the cheruvim with gold.

29Then he carved all the walls surrounding the House with carved engravings of cheruvim, palm trees and open flowers, in both the inner and outer rooms,

30and he also covered the floor of both the inner and the outer rooms of the House with gold.

31For the entrance of the inner Sanctuary he made doors of olive wood, the frame of the doorposts having five angles.

32As for the double doors of olive wood, he carved on them carvings of cheruvim, palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold. He beat out gold over the cheruvim and over the palm trees.

33He also made for the Temple entrance four-sided doorposts of olive wood

34and double doors of cypress wood. The two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.

35He carved cheruvim, palm trees and open flowers on them and overlaid them with gold evenly applied on the graven work.

36He built the inner court with three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams.