1 I n the 480th year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s rule over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, he began to build the house of the Lord.

And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.

2 T he house which King Solomon built for the Lord was as long as thirty long steps, as wide as ten long steps, and eight times taller than a man.

And the house which king Solomon built for the Lord, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.

3 A ll along the front of the House of God was a porch ten long steps long and five long steps wide. It was as long as the house was wide.

And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house.

4 H e made windows for the house with beautiful cross-pieces.

And for the house he made windows of narrow lights.

5 H e made a building of rooms against the outer walls of three sides of the house. These rooms were three floors high.

And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle: and he made chambers round about:

6 T he bottom floor was as wide as three steps. The second floor was as wide as three long steps. And the third floor was as wide as four steps. For around the outside of the house he made places for the large wood cross-pieces to rest on. That way they would not need to be put into holes in the walls of the house.

The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad: for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house.

7 T he house was built of stone that was cut at the place where it was taken from the ground. There was no noise of a hammer or an ax or any iron object heard in the house while it was being built.

And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.

8 T he door for the first floor room was on the right side of the house. They would go up steps to the second floor, and from the second to the third.

The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third.

9 S o he built the house and finished it. And he made the roof of the house of large pieces of cedar wood.

So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.

10 H e built the three floors against the outside wall of the house. Each one was as high as a man could raise his hand. They were joined to the house with big pieces of cedar wood.

And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.

11 N ow the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying,

12 “ If you obey My Laws and keep My Word, then I will keep My promise with you, which I spoke to your father David about this house you are building.

Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father:

13 I will live among the sons of Israel. And I will not leave My people Israel alone.”

And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.

14 S o Solomon built the house and finished it.

So Solomon built the house, and finished it.

15 H e built the walls of the house on the inside with pieces of cedar wood. He put wood over the inside walls from the floor of the house to the roof. And he put pieces of cypress wood over the floor of the house.

And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and the walls of the ceiling: and he covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.

16 A n inside room called the most holy place was built in the back part of the house with pieces of cedar wood, from the floor to the roof and as wide as ten long steps.

And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built them for it within, even for the oracle, even for the most holy place.

17 T he rest of the house, the center room in front of the most holy place, was as long as twenty long steps.

And the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits long.

18 T here was cedar on the house within, cut to look like gourds and open flowers. It was all cedar. No stone was seen.

And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.

19 T hen he built the most holy place inside the house, in which to put the special box of the agreement.

And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

20 T he most holy place was as long as ten long steps, as wide as ten long steps, and more than five times taller than a man. He covered it with pure gold. And he covered the altar with cedar.

And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.

21 S olomon covered the inside of the house with pure gold. He crossed the front of the most holy place with chains of gold, and he covered it with gold.

So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold.

22 H e covered the whole house with gold, until all the house was finished. And he covered the whole altar by the most holy place with gold.

And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.

23 I n the most holy place he made two cherubim of olive wood. Each one was almost three times taller than a man.

And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high.

24 O ne wing of the cherub was as long as three steps. And the other wing of the cherub was as long as three steps. It was as far as five long steps from the end of one wing to the end of the other wing.

And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.

25 I t was as much as five long steps between the ends of the wings of the other cherub also. Both the cherubim were the same height, length and width, and they looked alike.

And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubims were of one measure and one size.

26 E ach of the cherubim was almost three times taller than a man.

The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.

27 H e put the cherubim in the most holy place of the house. The wings of the cherubim were spread out. The wing of the one cherub was touching the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub was touching the other wall. So their wings were touching each other in the center of the house.

And he set the cherubims within the inner house: and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.

28 H e covered the cherubim with gold.

And he overlaid the cherubims with gold.

29 T hen he cut pictures in all the walls around the house to look like cherubim, palm trees and open flowers, in the center room and the most holy place.

And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without.

30 H e covered the floor of the house with gold, in the center room and the most holy place.

And the floors of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without.

31 H e made doors of olive wood for the most holy place. The top and sides of the door had five sides.

And for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive tree: the lintel and side posts were a fifth part of the wall.

32 H e cut pictures in the two doors of olive wood, to look like cherubim, palm trees and open flowers, and covered them with gold. He spread the gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees.

The two doors also were of olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubims, and upon the palm trees.

33 F or the doorway of the center room he made four-sided side pieces of olive wood

So also made he for the door of the temple posts of olive tree, a fourth part of the wall.

34 a nd two doors of cypress wood. Each door had two moving parts.

And 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 O n them he cut pictures of cherubim, palm trees and open flowers. And he covered the pictures with an even covering of gold.

And he carved thereon cherubims and palm trees and open flowers: and covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work.

36 H e built the inside place with three rows of cut stone and one row of large pieces of cedar wood.

And he built the inner court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams.

37 I n the fourth year the base of the house was laid in the month of Ziv.

In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the Lord laid, in the month Zif:

38 I n the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, the eighth month, all the parts of the house were finished just as all the plans had been made. Solomon took seven years to build it.

And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.