1 Kings 6 — NETB

6Verse 1In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites left Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, during the month Ziv (the second month), he began building the Lord’s temple.^{Verse 2}The temple King Solomon built for the Lord was 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high.^{Verse 3}The porch in front of the main hall of the temple was 30 feet long, corresponding to the width of the temple. It was 15 feet wide, extending out from the front of the temple.^{Verse 4}He made framed windows for the temple.^{Verse 5}He built an extension all around the walls of the temple’s main hall and holy place and constructed side rooms in it.^{Verse 6}The bottom floor of the extension was seven and a half feet wide, the middle floor nine feet wide, and the third floor ten and a half feet wide. He made ledges on the temple’s outer walls so the beams would not have to be inserted into the walls.^{Verse 7}As the temple was being built, only stones shaped at the quarry were used; the sound of hammers, pickaxes, or any other iron tool was not heard at the temple while it was being built.^{Verse 8}The entrance to the bottom level of side rooms was on the south side of the temple; stairs went up to the middle floor and then on up to the third floor.^{Verse 9}He finished building the temple and covered it with rafters and boards made of cedar.^{Verse 10}He built an extension all around the temple; it was seven and a half feet high and it was attached to the temple by cedar beams.^{Verse 11}The Lord said to Solomon:^{Verse 12}“As for this temple you are building, if you follow my rules, observe my regulations, and obey all my commandments, I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father David.^{Verse 13}I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.”^{Verse 14}So Solomon finished building the temple.^{Verse 15}He constructed the walls inside the temple with cedar planks; he paneled the inside with wood from the floor of the temple to the rafters of the ceiling. He covered the temple floor with boards made from the wood of evergreens.^{Verse 16}He built a wall 30 feet in from the rear of the temple as a partition for an inner sanctuary that would be the most holy place. He paneled the wall with cedar planks from the floor to the rafters.^{Verse 17}The main hall in front of the inner sanctuary was 60 feet long.^{Verse 18}The inside of the temple was all cedar and was adorned with carvings of round ornaments and of flowers in bloom. Everything was cedar; no stones were visible.^{Verse 19}He prepared the inner sanctuary inside the temple so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord could be placed there.^{Verse 20}The inner sanctuary was 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. He plated it with gold, as well as the cedar altar.^{Verse 21}Solomon plated the inside of the temple with gold. He hung golden chains in front of the inner sanctuary and plated the inner sanctuary with gold.^{Verse 22}He plated the entire inside of the temple with gold, as well as the altar inside the inner sanctuary.^{Verse 23}In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubs of olive wood; each stood 15 feet high.^{Verse 24}Each of the first cherub’s wings was seven and a half feet long; its entire wingspan was 15 feet.^{Verse 25}The second cherub also had a wingspan of 15 feet; it was identical to the first in measurements and shape.^{Verse 26}Each cherub stood 15 feet high.^{Verse 27}He put the cherubs in the inner sanctuary of the temple. Their wings were spread out. One of the first cherub’s wings touched one wall and one of the other cherub’s wings touched the opposite wall. The first cherub’s other wing touched the second cherub’s other wing in the middle of the room.^{Verse 28}He plated the cherubs with gold.^{Verse 29}On all the walls around the temple, inside and out, he carved cherubs, palm trees, and flowers in bloom.^{Verse 30}He plated the floor of the temple with gold, inside and out.^{Verse 31}He made doors of olive wood at the entrance to the inner sanctuary; the pillar on each doorpost was five-sided.^{Verse 32}On the two doors made of olive wood he carved cherubs, palm trees, and flowers in bloom, and he plated them with gold. He plated the cherubs and the palm trees with hammered gold.^{Verse 33}In the same way he made doorposts of olive wood for the entrance to the main hall, only with four-sided pillars.^{Verse 34}He also made two doors out of wood from evergreens; each door had two folding leaves.^{Verse 35}He carved cherubs, palm trees, and flowers in bloom and plated them with gold, leveled out over the carvings.^{Verse 36}He built the inner courtyard with three rows of chiseled stones and a row of cedar beams.^{Verse 37}In the month Ziv of the fourth year of Solomon’s reign the foundation was laid for the Lord’s temple.^{Verse 38}In the eleventh year, in the month Bul (the eighth month) the temple was completed in accordance with all its specifications and blueprints. It took seven years to build.