1 Kings 7

₁Solomon also built a palace for himself, and it took him thirteen years. _2-3The Hall of the Forest of Lebanon was 44 metres long, 22 metres wide, and 13.5 metres high. It had three rows of cedar pillars, fifteen in each row, with cedar beams resting on them. The ceiling was of cedar, extending over storerooms, which were supported by the pillars. ₄In each of the two side walls there were three rows of windows. ₅The doorways and the windows had rectangular frames, and the three rows of windows in each wall faced the opposite rows.

₆The Hall of Columns was 22 metres long and 13.5 metres wide. It had a covered porch, supported by columns.

₇The Throne Room, also called the Hall of Judgement, where Solomon decided cases, had cedar panels from the floor to the rafters.

₈Solomon's own quarters, in another court behind the Hall of Judgement, were made like the other buildings. He also built the same kind of house for his wife, the daughter of the king of Egypt.

₉All these buildings and the great court were made of fine stones from the foundations to the eaves. The stones were prepared at the quarry and cut to measure, with their inner and outer sides trimmed with saws. ₁₀The foundations were made of large stones prepared at the quarry, some of them 3.5 metres long and others four metres long. ₁₁On top of them were other stones, cut to measure, and cedar beams. ₁₂The palace court, the inner court of the Temple, and the entrance room of the Temple had walls with one layer of cedar beams for every three layers of cut stones.

₁₃King Solomon sent for a man named Huram, a craftsman living in the city of Tyre, who was skilled in bronze work. ₁₄His father, who was no longer living, was from Tyre, and had also been a skilled bronze craftsman; his mother was from the tribe of Naphtali. Huram was an intelligent and experienced craftsman. He accepted King Solomon's invitation to be in charge of all the bronze work.

₁₅Huram cast two bronze columns, each one eight metres tall and 5.3 metres in circumference, and placed them at the entrance of the Temple. ₁₆He also made two bronze capitals, each one 2.2 metres tall, to be placed on top of the columns. ₁₇The top of each column was decorated with a design of interwoven chains, ₁₈and two rows of bronze pomegranates.

₁₉The capitals were shaped like lilies, 1.8 metres tall, ₂₀and were placed on a rounded section which was above the chain design. There were 200 pomegranates in two rows round each capital.

₂₁Huram placed these two bronze columns in front of the entrance of the Temple: the one on the south side was named Jachin, and the one on the north was named Boaz. ₂₂The lily-shaped bronze capitals were on top of the columns.

And so the work on the columns was completed.

₂₃Huram made a round tank of bronze, 2.2 metres deep, 4.4 metres in diameter, and 13.2 metres in circumference. ₂₄All round the outer edge of the rim of the tank were two rows of bronze gourds, which had been cast all in one piece with the rest of the tank. ₂₅The tank rested on the backs of twelve bronze bulls that faced outwards, three facing in each direction. ₂₆The sides of the tank were 75 millimetres thick. Its rim was like the rim of a cup, curving outwards like the petals of a lily. The tank held about 40,000 litres.

₂₇Huram also made ten bronze carts; each was 1.8 metres long, 1.8 metres wide, and 1.3 metres high. ₂₈They were made of square panels which were set in frames, ₂₉with the figures of lions, bulls, and winged creatures on the panels; and on the frames, above and underneath the lions and bulls, there were spiral figures in relief. ₃₀Each cart had four bronze wheels with bronze axles. At the four corners were bronze supports for a basin; the supports were decorated with spiral figures in relief. ₃₁There was a circular frame on top for the basin. It projected upwards 45 centimetres from the top of the cart and eighteen centimetres down into it. It had carvings round it. ₃₂The wheels were 66 centimetres high; they were under the panels, and the axles were of one piece with the carts. ₃₃The wheels were like chariot wheels; their axles, rims, spokes, and hubs were all of bronze. ₃₄There were four supports at the bottom corners of each cart, which were of one piece with the cart. ₃₅There was a 22 centimetre band round the top of each cart; its supports and the panels were of one piece with the cart. ₃₆The supports and panels were decorated with figures of winged creatures, lions, and palm trees, wherever there was space for them, with spiral figures all round. ₃₇This, then, is how the carts were made; they were all alike, having the same size and shape.

₃₈Huram also made ten basins, one for each cart. Each basin was 1.8 metres in diameter, and held about 800 litres. ₃₉He placed five of the carts on the south side of the Temple, and the other five on the north side; the tank he placed at the south-east corner.

_40-45Huram also made pots, shovels, and bowls. He completed all his work for King Solomon for the LORD's Temple. This is what he made:

All this equipment for the Temple, which Huram made for King Solomon, was of polished bronze. ₄₆The king had it all made in the foundry between Sukkoth and Zarethan, in the Jordan Valley. ₄₇Solomon did not have these bronze objects weighed, because there were too many of them, and so their weight was never determined.

₄₈Solomon also had gold furnishings made for the Temple: the altar, the table for the bread offered to God, ₄₉the ten lampstands that stood in front of the Most Holy Place, five on the south side and five on the north; the flowers, lamps, and tongs; ₅₀the cups, lamp snuffers, bowls, dishes for incense, and the pans used for carrying live coals; and the hinges for the doors of the Most Holy Place and of the outer doors of the Temple. All these furnishings were made of gold.

₅₁When King Solomon finished all the work on the Temple, he placed in the temple storerooms all the things that his father David had dedicated to the LORD — the silver, gold, and other articles.