The Building of the Temple

1In 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 (the second month), he began building the Lord’s temple. 2The temple King Solomon built for the Lord was 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high. 3The porch in front of the main hall of the temple was 30 feet long, corresponding to the width of the temple. It was 15 feet wide, extending out from the front of the temple. 4He made framed windows for the temple. 5He built an extension all around the walls of the temple’s main hall and holy place and constructed side rooms in it. 6The bottom floor of the extension was seven and a half feet wide, the middle floor nine feet wide, and the third floor ten and a half feet wide. He made ledges on the temple’s outer walls so the beams would not have to be inserted into the walls. 7As the temple was being built, only stones shaped at the quarry were used; the sound of hammers, pickaxes, or any other iron tool was not heard at the temple while it was being built. 8The entrance to the bottom level of side rooms was on the south side of the temple; stairs went up to the middle floor and then on up to the third floor. 9He finished building the temple and covered it with rafters and boards made of cedar. 10He built an extension all around the temple; it was seven and a half feet high and it was attached to the temple by cedar beams.

11The Lord said to Solomon: 12“As for this temple you are building, if you follow my rules, observe my regulations, and obey all my commandments, I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father David. 13I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.”

14So Solomon finished building the temple. 15He constructed the walls inside the temple with cedar planks; he paneled the inside with wood from the floor of the temple to the rafters of the ceiling. He covered the temple floor with boards made from the wood of evergreens. 16He 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. He paneled the wall with cedar planks from the floor to the rafters. 17The main hall in front of the inner sanctuary was 60 feet long. 18The 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.

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

23In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubs of olive wood; each stood 15 feet high. 24Each of the first cherub’s wings was seven and a half feet long; its entire wingspan was 15 feet. 25The second cherub also had a wingspan of 15 feet; it was identical to the first in measurements and shape. 26Each cherub stood 15 feet high. 27He put the cherubs in the inner sanctuary of the temple. 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. 28He plated the cherubs with gold.

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

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