1 Kings 7
7
Solomon Builds His Palace
1But it took Solomon 13 years to finish constructing his palace and the other buildings related to it. 2He built the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. It was 150 feet long. It was 75 feet wide. And it was 45 feet high. It had four rows of cedar columns. They held up beautiful cedar beams. 3Above the beams was a roof made out of cedar boards. It rested on the columns. There were three rows of beams with 15 in each row. The total number of beams was 45. 4The windows of the palace were placed high up in the walls. They were in groups of three. And they faced each other. 5All the doorways had frames shaped like rectangles. They were in front. They were in groups of three. And they faced each other.
6Solomon made a covered area. It was 75 feet long. And it was 45 feet wide. Its roof was held up by columns. In front of it was a porch. In front of that were pillars and a roof that went out beyond them.
7Solomon built the throne hall. It was called the Hall of Justice. That’s where he would serve as judge. He covered the hall with cedar boards from floor to ceiling. 8The palace where he would live was set farther back. Its plan was something like the plan for the hall. Solomon had married Pharaoh’s daughter. He made a palace for her. It was like the hall.
9All those buildings were made out of blocks of good quality stone. They were cut to the right size. They were made smooth on their back and front sides. Those stones were used for the outside of each building and for the large courtyard. They were also used from the foundations up to the roofs. 10Large blocks of good quality stone were used for the foundations. Some were 15 feet long. Others were 12 feet long. 11The walls above them were made out of good quality stones. The stones were cut to the right size. On top of them was a layer of cedar beams. 12The large courtyard had a wall around it. The first three layers of the wall were made out of blocks of stone. The top layer was made out of beautiful cedar wood. The same thing was done with the inside courtyard of the Lord’s temple and its porch.
More Facts About the Temple
13King Solomon sent messengers to Tyre. He wanted them to bring Huram back with them. 14Huram’s mother was a widow. She was from the tribe of Naphtali. Huram’s father was from Tyre. He was skilled in working with bronze. Huram also had great skill, knowledge and understanding in working with bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all the work he was asked to do.
15Huram made two bronze pillars. Each of them was 27 feet high. And each was 18 feet around. 16Each pillar had a decorated top made out of bronze. Each top was seven and a half feet high. 17Chains that were linked together hung down from the tops of the pillars. There were seven chains for each top. 18Huram made two rows of pomegranates. They circled the chains. The pomegranates decorated the tops of the pillars. Huram did the same thing for each pillar. 19The tops on the pillars of the porch were shaped like lilies. The lilies were 6 feet high. 20On the tops of both pillars were 200 pomegranates. They were in rows all around the tops. They were above the part that was shaped like a bowl. And they were next to the chains. 21Huram set the pillars up at the temple porch. The pillar on the south he named Jakin. The one on the north he named Boaz. 22The tops of the pillars were shaped like lilies. So the work on the pillars was finished.
23Huram made a huge metal bowl for washing. Its shape was round. It measured 15 feet from rim to rim. It was seven and a half feet high. And it was 45 feet around. 24Below the rim there was a circle of gourds around the bowl. In every 18 inches around the bowl there were ten gourds. The gourds were arranged in two rows. They were made as part of the bowl itself.
25The huge bowl stood on 12 bulls. Three of them faced north. Three faced west. Three faced south. And three faced east. The bowl rested on top of the bulls. Their rear ends were toward the center. 26The bowl was three inches thick. Its rim was like the rim of a cup. The rim was shaped like the bloom of a lily. The bowl held 12,000 gallons of water.
27Huram also made ten stands out of bronze. They could be moved around. Each stand was six feet long. It was six feet wide. And it was four and a half feet high. 28Here is how the stands were made. They had sides that were joined to posts. 29On the sides between the posts were lions, bulls and cherubim. They were also on all of the posts. Above and below the lions and bulls were wreaths made out of hammered metal. 30Each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles. Each stand had a bowl that rested on four supports. The stand had wreaths on each side. 31There was a round opening on the inside of each stand. The opening had a frame 18 inches deep. The sides were 27 inches high from the top of the opening to the bottom of the base. There was carving around the opening. The sides of the stands were square, not round. 32The four wheels were under the sides. The axles of the wheels were connected to the stand. Each wheel was 27 inches across. 33The wheels were made like chariot wheels. All the axles, rims, spokes and hubs were made out of metal.
34Each stand had four handles on it. There was one on each corner. They came out from the stand. 35At the top of the stand there was a round band. It was nine inches deep. The sides and supports were connected to the top of the stand. 36Huram carved cherubim, lions and palm trees on the sides of the stands. He also carved them on the surfaces of the supports. His carving covered every open space. He had also carved wreaths all around. 37That’s how he made the ten stands. All of them were made in the same molds. And they had the same size and shape.
38Then Huram made ten bronze bowls. Each one held 240 gallons. The bowls measured six feet across. There was one bowl for each of the ten stands. 39He placed five of the stands on the south side of the temple. He placed the other five on the north side. He put the huge bowl on the south side. It was at the southeast corner of the temple. 40He also made the pots, shovels and sprinkling bowls.
So Huram finished all the work he had started for King Solomon. Here’s what he made for the Lord’s temple.
41He made the two pillars.
He made the two tops for the pillars. The tops were shaped like bowls.
He made the two sets of chains that were linked together. They decorated the two bowl-shaped tops of the pillars.
42He made the 400 pomegranates for the two sets of chains. There were two rows of pomegranates for each chain. They decorated the bowl-shaped tops of the pillars.
43He made the ten stands with their ten bowls.
44He made the huge bowl. He made the 12 bulls that were under it.
45He made the pots, shovels and sprinkling bowls.
Huram made all those objects for King Solomon for the Lord’s temple. He made them out of bronze. Then he shined them up. 46The king had made them in clay molds. It was done on the plain of the Jordan River between Sukkoth and Zarethan. 47Solomon didn’t weigh any of those things. There were too many of them to weigh. No one even tried to weigh the bronze they were made out of.
48Solomon also made everything in the Lord’s temple.
He made the golden altar.
He made the golden table for the holy bread.
49He made the pure gold lampstands. There were five on the right and five on the left. They were in front of the Most Holy Room.
He made the gold flowers. He made the gold lamps and tongs.
50He made the bowls, wick cutters, sprinkling bowls, dishes, and shallow cups for burning incense. All of them were made out of pure gold.
He made the gold bases for the doors of the inside room. That’s the Most Holy Room. He also made gold bases for the doors of the main hall of the temple.
51King Solomon finished all the work for the Lord’s temple. Then he brought in the things his father David had set apart for the Lord. They included the silver and gold and all the other things for the Lord’s temple. Solomon placed them with the other treasures that were there.
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1 Kings 7: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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1 Kings 7
7
Solomon’s Palace Complex
1Solomon completed his entire palace complex after 13 years of construction. # 1Kg 9:10; 2Ch 8:1 2He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon. # 1Kg 10:21; 2Ch 9:16 It was 150 feet # Lit 100 cubits long, 75 feet # Lit 50 cubits wide, and 45 feet # Lit 30 cubits high on four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on top of the pillars. 3It was paneled above with cedar at the top of the chambers that rested on 45 pillars, 15 per row. 4There were three rows of window frames, facing each other # Lit frames, window to window in three tiers. # Lit three times; = at 3 different places # 1Kg 10:16-17 5All the doors and doorposts had rectangular frames, the openings facing each other # Lit frames, opposing window to window in three tiers. # Lit three times; = at 3 different places 6He made the hall of pillars 75 feet # Lit 50 cubits long and 45 feet # Lit 30 cubits wide. A portico was in front of the pillars, and a canopy with pillars # Hb obscure was in front of them. 7He made the Hall of the Throne where he would judge # 1Kg 3:16-28 — the Hall of Judgment. It was paneled with cedar from the floor to the rafters. # Syr, Vg; MT reads floor 8Solomon’s own palace where he would live, in the other courtyard behind the hall, was of similar construction. And he made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, his wife. # Lit daughter he had taken # 1Kg 3:1; 9:24; 2Ch 8:11
9All of these buildings were of costly stones, cut to size and sawed with saws on the inner and outer surfaces, from foundation to coping and from the outside to the great courtyard. 10The foundation was made of large, costly stones 12 and 15 feet # Lit ten cubits and eight cubits long. 11Above were also costly stones, cut to size, as well as cedar wood. 12Around the great courtyard, as well as the inner courtyard of the Lord’s temple and the portico of the temple, were three rows of dressed stone and a row of trimmed cedar beams. # 1Kg 6:36
13King Solomon had Hiram # = Huram in 2Ch 4:11 # 1Kg 5:1-11; 2Ch 2:13-14 brought from Tyre. 14He was a widow’s son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a bronze craftsman. Hiram had great skill, # Ex 31:2-5 understanding, and knowledge to do every kind of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and carried out all his work. # 2Ch 4:11
The Bronze Pillars
15He cast two hollow bronze pillars: # 2Kg 25:16-17; 2Ch 3:15 each 27 feet # Lit 18 cubits high and 18 feet # Lit 12 cubits in circumference. # LXX adds and the thickness of the pillar was four fingers hollowed and similarly the second pillar # 1Kg 7:41 16He also made two capitals # 1Kg 7:42; 2Kg 25:17 of cast bronze to set on top of the pillars; 7 1/2 feet # Lit five cubits was the height of the first capital, and 7 1/2 feet # Lit five cubits was also the height of the second capital. 17The capitals on top of the pillars had gratings of latticework, wreaths # Lit tassels made of chainwork — seven for the first capital and seven for the second.
18He made the pillars with two encircling rows of pomegranates on the one grating to cover the capital on top; he did the same for the second capital. 19And the capitals on top of the pillars in the portico were shaped like lilies, six feet # Lit four cubits high. 20The capitals on the two pillars were also immediately above the rounded surface next to the grating, and 200 pomegranates # 2Ch 3:16; 4:13 were in rows encircling each # Lit encircling the second capital. 21He set up the pillars at the portico # 1Kg 6:3 of the sanctuary: he set up the right pillar and named it Jachin; # = He Will Establish then he set up the left pillar and named it Boaz. # = In Him Is Strength # 2Ch 3:17 22The tops of the pillars were shaped like lilies. Then the work of the pillars was completed. # 2Kg 25:17
The Reservoir
23He made the cast metal reservoir, # Lit sea # 2Kg 25:13; 1Ch 18:8; 2Ch 4:6 15 feet # Lit 10 cubits from brim to brim, perfectly round. It was 7 1/2 feet # Lit five cubits high and 45 feet # Lit 30 cubits in circumference. 24Ornamental gourds # 1Kg 6:18 encircled it below the brim, 10 every half yard, # Lit 10 per cubit completely encircling the reservoir. # 2Ch 4:3 The gourds were cast in two rows when the reservoir was cast. 25It stood on 12 oxen, # 2Kg 16:17; 2Ch 4:4-5; Jr 52:20 three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The reservoir was on top of them and all their hindquarters were toward the center. 26The reservoir was three inches # Lit a handbreadth thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup or of a lily blossom. It held 11,000 gallons. # Lit 2,000 baths
The Bronze Water Carts
27Then he made 10 bronze water carts. # Lit bronze stands # 2Kg 25:13; 2Ch 4:14 Each water cart was six feet # Lit four cubits long, six feet # Lit four cubits wide, and 4 1/2 feet # Lit three cubits high. 28This was the design of the carts: They had frames; the frames were between the cross-pieces, 29and on the frames between the cross-pieces were lions, oxen, and cherubim. # 1Kg 6:29,32 On the cross-pieces there was a pedestal above, and below the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging # Or hammered-down work. 30Each cart # 2Kg 16:17 had four bronze wheels with bronze axles. Underneath the four corners of the basin were cast supports, each next to a wreath. 31And the water cart’s opening inside the crown on top was 18 inches # Lit a cubit wide. The opening was round, made as a pedestal 27 inches # Lit one and a half cubits wide. On it were carvings, but their frames were square, not round. 32There were four wheels under the frames, and the wheel axles were part of the water cart; each wheel was 27 inches # Lit was one and a half cubits tall. 33The wheels’ design was similar to that of chariot wheels: their axles, rims, spokes, and hubs were all of cast metal. 34Four supports were at the four corners of each water cart; each support was one piece with the water cart. 35At the top of the cart was a band nine inches # Lit half a cubit high encircling it; also, at the top of the cart, its braces and its frames were one piece with it. 36He engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees # 1Kg 6:29 on the plates of its braces and on its frames, wherever each had space, with encircling wreaths. 37In this way he made the 10 water carts using the same casting, dimensions, and shape for all of them.
Bronze Basins and Other Utensils
38Then he made 10 bronze basins # Ex 30:18; 2Ch 4:6 — each basin holding 220 gallons # Lit 40 baths and each was six feet # Lit four cubits wide — one basin for each of the 10 water carts. 39He set five water carts on the right side of the temple and five on the left side. He put the reservoir near the right side of the temple toward the southeast. # 2Ch 4:10 40Then Hiram made # 2Ch 4:11–5:1 the basins, the shovels, and the sprinkling basins.
Completion of the Bronze Works
So Hiram finished all the work that he was doing for King Solomon on the Lord’s temple: 41two pillars; # 1Kg 7:15 bowls for the capitals that were on top of the two pillars; the two gratings for covering both bowls of the capitals that were on top of the pillars; # 1Kg 7:17 42the 400 pomegranates for the two gratings (two rows of pomegranates for each grating covering both capitals’ bowls on top of the pillars # 1Kg 7:20); 43the 10 water carts; # 1Kg 7:27 the 10 basins on the water carts; # 1Kg 7:38 44the reservoir; # 1Kg 7:23 the 12 oxen underneath the reservoir; # 1Kg 7:25 45and the pots, shovels, and sprinkling basins. # Ex 27:3 All the utensils that Hiram made for King Solomon at the Lord’s temple were made of burnished bronze. 46The king had them cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth # Gn 33:17 and Zarethan. # Jos 3:16; 1Kg 4:12 47Solomon left all the utensils unweighed because there were so many; the weight of the bronze was not determined. # 1Ch 22:3,14
Completion of the Gold Furnishings
48Solomon also made all the equipment in the Lord’s temple: the gold altar; the gold table that the bread of the Presence was placed on; # Ex 25:30; 30:1-3; 2Ch 29:18 49the pure gold lampstands in front of the inner sanctuary, five on the right and five on the left; # Ex 25:31-36 the gold flowers, lamps, and tongs; 50the pure gold ceremonial bowls, wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, ladles, # Or dishes, or spoons ; lit palms and firepans; # 2Kg 25:15 and the gold hinges for the doors of the inner temple (that is, the most holy place) and for the doors of the temple sanctuary.
51So all the work King Solomon did in the Lord’s temple was completed. # 1Kg 6:37-38 Then Solomon brought in the consecrated things of his father David # 2Sm 8:9-12; 2Ch 5:1 — the silver, the gold, and the utensils — and put them in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple. # 2Ch 36:18
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