 1 In the 480th year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif that is the second month, he began to build the house of the Lord. 2 The house that King Solomon built for the Lord, its length was 60 cubits and its width 20 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. 3 The porch before the temple of the house was 20 cubits in length, according to the width of the house. Ten cubits was its width on the front of the house. 4 For the house he made windows of narrow frames. 5 Against the wall of the house he built floors all around, against the walls of the house all around, of the temple and of the sanctuary. And he made rooms all around. 6 The lowest story was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad. For around the outside of the house he made narrowed ledges for the house all around, so as not to lay hold of the walls of the house. 7 When it was being built, the house was built of stone made ready beforehand. And there was not heard in the house a hammer or an axe, or any iron tool, while it was being built. 8 The door for the middle story was on the right side of the house and they went up with winding stairs into the middle story and out of the middle into the third. 9 He built the house, finished it, and covered the house with beams and rows of cedar. 10 He built the side stories on all the house, five cubits high, and they rested on the house with timbers of cedar. 11 The Word of the Lord came to Solomon saying, 12 As to this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and do my judgments and keep all my commandments, to walk in them, then I will perform my work with you that I spoke to David your father. 13 I will live among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel. 14 Solomon built the house and finished it. 15 He built the walls of the house inside with boards of cedar, from the floor of the house and the walls of the ceiling. He covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir. 16 He built 20 cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar. He even built them for it inside, for the sanctuary, for the Holy of Holies. 17 The house, that is, the temple before it, was 40 cubits. 18 The cedar of the house inside was carved with gourds and open flowers. All was cedar. There was no stone seen. 19 He prepared the Holy of Holies in the house inside, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 20 The Holy of Holies in the front part was 20 cubits in length and 20 cubits in width, and 20 cubits in height. And he overlaid it with pure gold, and covered the altar of cedar. 21 Solomon overlaid the house inside with pure gold. And he drew chains of gold across before the Holy of Holies. He overlaid it with gold. 22 He overlaid the whole house with gold, until he had finished all the house. Also all of the altar that belonged to the Holy of Holies, he overlaid with gold: 23 Inside the Holy of Holies he made two cherubim of olive wood, ten cubits high. 24 One wing of the cherub was five cubits, and the other wing of the cherub was five cubits. Ten cubits from the ends of its wings even to the ends of its wings. 25 The other cherub was ten cubits. Both the cherubim were of one measure and one size. 26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was the other cherub. 27 He set the cherubim inside the inner house and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubim so that the wing of the one touched the one wall and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall. Their wings touched one another in the midst of the house. 28 He overlaid the cherubim with gold. 29 He carved all the walls of the house all around with carved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, inside and out. 30 The floor of the house was overlaid with gold inside and out. 31 As to the entrance of the holy place he made doors of olive wood. The lintel and side posts were a fifth part, 32 and the two doors were of olive wood. And he carved on them carvings of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold and spread gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees. 33 So also he made side posts for the entrance of the temple from the olive tree, a fourth part. 34 The two doors were of fir tree. The two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. 35 He carved on them cherubim and palm trees and open bowers. And he covered them with gold fitted on the carved work. 36 He built the inner court with three rows of cut stone, and a row of cedar beams. 37 In the fourth year, in the month Zif, the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. 38 In the eleventh year, in the month Bul that is the eighth month, the house was finished as to all its parts, and as to all its plans. So he was seven years in building it.
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