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Building the Temple

¹ Then Solomon began^(a) to build the Lord's temple in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah^(b) where the Lord^[a] had appeared to his father David, at the site David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan^[b] the Jebusite. ² He began to build on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign. ³ These are Solomon's foundations^[c] for building God's temple: the length^[d] was 90 feet,^[e] and the width 30 feet.^{[f] 4} The portico, which was across the front extending across the width of the temple, was 30 feet^[g] wide; its height was 30 feet;^[h][i] he overlaid its inner surface with pure gold. ⁵ The larger room^[j] he paneled with cypress wood, overlaid with fine gold, and decorated with palm trees and chains. ⁶ He adorned the temple with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was the gold of Parvaim. ⁷ He overlaid the temple—the beams, the thresholds, its walls and doors—with gold,^(c) and he carved cherubim on the walls.^(d)

The Most Holy Place

⁸ Then he made the most holy place; its length corresponded to the width of the temple, 30 feet,^[k] and its width was 30 feet.^[l](e) He overlaid it with 45,000 pounds^[m] of fine gold. ⁹ The weight of the nails was 20 ounces^[n] of gold, and he overlaid the ceiling with gold.

¹⁰ He made^(f) two cherubim of sculptured work, for the most holy place, and he overlaid them with gold. ¹¹ The overall length of the wings of the cherubim was 30 feet:^[o] the wing of one was 7½ feet,^[p] touching the wall of the room; its other wing was 7½ feet,^[q] touching the wing of the other cherub. ¹² The wing of the other^[r] cherub was 7½ feet,^[s] touching the wall of the room; its other wing was 7½ feet,^[t] reaching the wing of the other cherub. ¹³ The wingspan of these cherubim was 30 feet.^[u] They stood on their feet and faced the larger room.^[v]

¹⁴ He made the veil of blue, purple, and crimson yarn and fine linen, and he wove cherubim into it.^(g)

The Bronze Pillars

¹⁵ In front of the temple^(h) he made two pillars, each 27 feet^[w][x] high. The capital on top of each was 7½ feet^[y] high. ¹⁶ He had made chainwork in the inner sanctuary and also put it on top of the pillars.⁽ⁱ⁾ He made 100 pomegranates and fastened them into the chainwork. ¹⁷ Then he set up the pillars in front of the sanctuary, one on the right and one on the left. He named the one on the right Jachin^[z] and the one on the left Boaz.^[aa]