1 N ow Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

Then Solomon began to build the Lord’s house in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah. It was there that the Lord had shown Himself to his father David. It was the place that David had chosen, on the grain-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

2 A nd he began to build on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.

Solomon began to build on the second day in the second month of the fourth year of his rule.

3 T his is the foundation which Solomon laid for building the house of God: The length was sixty cubits (by cubits according to the former measure) and the width twenty cubits.

He laid the base for building the house of God. It was thirty long steps, using the old way to find the length. And it was ten long steps wide.

4 A nd the vestibule that was in front of the sanctuary was twenty cubits long across the width of the house, and the height was one hundred and twenty. He overlaid the inside with pure gold.

The porch in front of the house was as long as the house was wide, ten long steps. It was thirty-three times taller than a man. And he covered the inside with pure gold.

5 T he larger room he paneled with cypress which he overlaid with fine gold, and he carved palm trees and chainwork on it.

He covered the large room with cypress wood, and covered that with fine gold. Then he made palm trees and chains on it.

6 A nd he decorated the house with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was gold from Parvaim.

He put stones of much worth on the house for beauty. And the gold was from Parvaim.

7 H e also overlaid the house—the beams and doorposts, its walls and doors—with gold; and he carved cherubim on the walls.

He covered the house with gold. He covered its cross-pieces, its door-ways, its walls, and its doors. And he cut pictures of cherubim on the walls.

8 A nd he made the Most Holy Place. Its length was according to the width of the house, twenty cubits, and its width twenty cubits. He overlaid it with six hundred talents of fine gold.

He made the most holy place. It was as long as the house was wide, ten long steps. And it was as wide as ten long steps. He covered it with fine gold weighing as much as 600 men.

9 T he weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold; and he overlaid the upper area with gold.

The nails weighed as much as fifty pieces of gold. He covered the rooms on the second floor with gold also.

10 I n the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim, fashioned by carving, and overlaid them with gold.

Then he made two cherubim of wood in the most holy place, and covered them with gold.

11 T he wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits in overall length: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub;

The wings of the cherubim spread as far as ten long steps. The wing of one was as long as three steps, and touched the wall of the house. Its other wing was as long as three steps, and touched the wing of the other cherub.

12 o ne wing of the other cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing also was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub.

The wing of the other cherub was as long as three steps, and touched the wall of the house. Its other wing was as long as three steps, and was joined to the wing of the first cherub.

13 T he wings of these cherubim spanned twenty cubits overall. They stood on their feet, and they faced inward.

The wings of these cherubim spread as far as ten long steps. And they stood on their feet with their faces toward the holy place.

14 A nd he made the veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and wove cherubim into it.

He made the curtain of blue, purple and red cloth and fine linen. And he worked cherubim on it.

15 A lso he made in front of the temple two pillars thirty-five cubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.

He made two pillars in front of the house that were ten times taller than a man. The top piece of each one was as tall as a man can raise his hand.

16 H e made wreaths of chainwork, as in the inner sanctuary, and put them on top of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates, and put them on the wreaths of chainwork.

For the inside holy place he made chains, and put them on the tops of the pillars. Then he made 100 pomegranates and put them on the chains.

17 T hen he set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left; he called the name of the one on the right hand Jachin, and the name of the one on the left Boaz.

He put up the pillars in front of the house of God. One was on the right and the other was on the left. He named the one on the right Jachin, and the one on the left Boaz.