Bible Reading Plan

Chapter 6

Building the Temple

¹ Solomon began to build the temple for the Lord in the four hundred eightieth year^(a) after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of his reign over Israel, in the second month, in the month of Ziv.^{[a](b) 2} The temple that King Solomon built for the Lord ^(c) was 90 feet^[b] long, 30 feet^[c] wide, and 45 feet^[d] high.^{(d) 3} The portico in front of the temple sanctuary was 30 feet^[e] long extending across the temple's width, and 15 feet deep^[f] in front of the temple.^{(e) 4} He also made windows with beveled frames^[g] for the temple.^(f)

⁵ He then built a chambered structure^[h] along the temple wall, encircling the walls of the temple, that is, the sanctuary and the inner sanctuary.^(g) And he made side chambers^[i] all around.^{(h) 6} The lowest chamber was 7½ feet^[j] wide, the middle was nine feet^[k] wide, and the third was 10½ feet^[l] wide. He also provided offset ledges for the temple all around the outside so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls. ⁷ The temple's construction used finished stones cut at the quarry so that no hammer, chisel, or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.⁽ⁱ⁾

⁸ The door for the lowest^[m] side chamber was on the right side of the temple. They^[n] went up a stairway^[o] to the middle chamber, and from the middle to the third. ⁹ When he finished building the temple,^(j) he paneled it with boards and planks of cedar. ¹⁰ He built the chambers along the entire temple, joined to the temple with cedar beams;^(k) each story was 7½ feet^[p] high.

¹¹ The word of the Lord came to Solomon:^{(l) 12} "As for this temple you are building—if you walk in My statutes, observe My ordinances, and keep all My commands by walking in them,^(m) I will fulfill My promise to you, which I made to your father David.^{(n) 13} I will live among the Israelites and not abandon My people Israel."^(o)

¹⁴ When Solomon finished building the temple,^{[q](p) 15} he paneled the interior temple walls with cedar boards; from the temple floor to the surface of the ceiling he overlaid the interior with wood. He also overlaid the floor with cypress boards.^{(q) 16} Then he lined 30 feet^[r] of the rear of the temple with cedar boards from the floor to the surface of the ceiling,^[s] and he built the interior as an inner sanctuary, the most holy place.^{(r) 17} The temple, that is, the sanctuary in front of the most holy place,^[t] was 60 feet^[u] long. ¹⁸ The cedar paneling inside the temple was carved with ornamental gourds^(s) and flower blossoms. Everything was cedar;^(t) not a stone could be seen.

¹⁹ He prepared the inner sanctuary^(u) inside the temple to put the ark of the Lord 's covenant^(v) there. ²⁰ The interior of the sanctuary was 30 feet^[v] long, 30 feet^[w] wide, and 30 feet^[x] high; he overlaid it with pure gold.^(w) He also overlaid the cedar altar. ²¹ Next, Solomon overlaid the interior of the temple with pure gold, and he hung^[y] gold chains^(x) across the front of the inner sanctuary^(y) and overlaid it with gold. ²² So he added the gold overlay to the entire temple until everything was completely finished, including the entire altar^(z) that belongs to the inner sanctuary.

²³ In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim^(aa) 15 feet^[z] high out of olive wood. ²⁴ One wing of the first cherub was 7½ feet long,^[aa] and the other wing was 7½ feet long. The wingspan was 15 feet^[ab] from tip to tip. ²⁵ The second cherub also was 15 feet;^[ac] both cherubim had the same size and shape. ²⁶ The first cherub's height was 15 feet^[ad] and so was the second cherub's. ²⁷ Then he put the cherubim inside the inner temple. Since their wings were spread out, the first one's wing touched one wall while the second cherub's wing touched the other^[ae] wall, and in the middle of the temple their wings were touching wing to wing.^{(ab) 28} He also overlaid the cherubim with gold.

²⁹ He carved all the surrounding temple walls with carved engravings—cherubim,^(ac) palm trees and flower blossoms—in both the inner and outer sanctuaries. ³⁰ He overlaid the temple floor with gold in both the inner and outer sanctuaries.

³¹ For the entrance of the inner sanctuary, he made olive wood doors.^(ad) The pillars of the doorposts were five-sided.^{[af] 32} The two doors were made of olive wood. He carved cherubim, palm trees, and flower blossoms on them and overlaid them with gold, hammering gold over the cherubim and palm trees. ³³ In the same way, he made four-sided^[ag] olive wood doorposts for the sanctuary entrance. ³⁴ The two doors^(ae) were made of cypress wood; the first door had two folding sides, and the second door had two folding panels. ³⁵ He carved cherubim, palm trees, and flower blossoms on them and overlaid them with gold applied evenly over the carving. ³⁶ He built the inner courtyard^(af) with three rows of dressed stone^(ag) and a row of trimmed cedar beams.

³⁷ The foundation of the Lord 's temple was laid in Solomon's fourth year in the month of Ziv. ³⁸ In his eleventh year in the eighth month, in the month of Bul,^[ah] the temple was completed in every detail and according to every specification.^(ah) So he built it in seven years.^(ai)

Chapter 7

Solomon's Palace Complex

¹ Solomon completed his entire palace complex after 13 years of construction.^{(a) 2} He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon.^(b) It was 150 feet^[a] long, 75 feet^[b] wide, and 45 feet^[c] high on four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on top of the pillars. ³ It was paneled above with cedar at the top of the chambers that rested on 45 pillars, 15 per row. ⁴ There were three rows of window frames, facing each other^[d] in three tiers.^{[e](c) 5} All the doors and doorposts had rectangular frames, the openings facing each other^[f] in three tiers.^{[g] 6} He made the hall of pillars 75 feet^[h] long and 45 feet^[i] wide. A portico was in front of the pillars, and a canopy with pillars^[j] was in front of them. ⁷ He made the Hall of the Throne where he would judge^(d)—the Hall of Judgment. It was paneled with cedar from the floor to the rafters.^{[k] 8} Solomon's own palace where he would live, in the other courtyard behind the hall, was of similar construction. And he made a house like this hall for Pharaoh's daughter, his wife.^[l](e)

⁹ All of these buildings were of costly stones, cut to size and sawed with saws on the inner and outer surfaces, from foundation to coping and from the outside to the great courtyard. ¹⁰ The foundation was made of large, costly stones 12 and 15 feet^[m] long. ¹¹ Above were also costly stones, cut to size, as well as cedar wood. ¹² Around the great courtyard, as well as the inner courtyard of the Lord 's temple and the portico of the temple, were three rows of dressed stone and a row of trimmed cedar beams.^(f)

¹³ King Solomon had Hiram^[n](g) brought from Tyre. ¹⁴ He was a widow's son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a bronze craftsman. Hiram had great skill,^(h) understanding, and knowledge to do every kind of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and carried out all his work.⁽ⁱ⁾

The Bronze Pillars

¹⁵ He cast two hollow bronze pillars:^(j) each 27 feet^[o] high and 18 feet^[p] in circumference.^{[q](k) 16} He also made two capitals^(l) of cast bronze to set on top of the pillars; 7½ feet^[r] was the height of the first capital, and 7½ feet^[s] was also the height of the second capital. ¹⁷ The capitals on top of the pillars had gratings of latticework, wreaths^[t] made of chainwork—seven for the first capital and seven for the second.

¹⁸ He made the pillars with two encircling rows of pomegranates on the one grating to cover the capital on top; he did the same for the second capital. ¹⁹ And the capitals on top of the pillars in the portico were shaped like lilies, six feet^[u] high. ²⁰ The capitals on the two pillars were also immediately above the rounded surface next to the grating, and 200 pomegranates^(m) were in rows encircling each^[v] capital. ²¹ He set up the pillars at the portico⁽ⁿ⁾ of the sanctuary: he set up the right pillar and named it Jachin;^[w] then he set up the left pillar and named it Boaz.^{[x](o) 22} The tops of the pillars were shaped like lilies. Then the work of the pillars was completed.^(p)

The Reservoir

²³ He made the cast metal reservoir,^[y](q) 15 feet^[z] from brim to brim, perfectly round. It was 7½ feet^[aa] high and 45 feet^[ab] in circumference. ²⁴ Ornamental gourds^(r) encircled it below the brim, 10 every half yard,^[ac] completely encircling the reservoir.^(s) The gourds were cast in two rows when the reservoir was cast. ²⁵ It stood on 12 oxen,^(t) three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The reservoir was on top of them and all their hindquarters were toward the center. ²⁶ The reservoir was three inches^[ad] thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup or of a lily blossom. It held 11,000 gallons.^[ae]

The Bronze Water Carts

²⁷ Then he made 10 bronze water carts.^[af](u) Each water cart was six feet^[ag] long, six feet^[ah] wide, and 4½ feet^[ai] high. ²⁸ This was the design of the carts: They had frames; the frames were between the cross-pieces, ²⁹ and on the frames between the cross-pieces were lions, oxen, and cherubim.^(v) On the cross-pieces there was a pedestal above, and below the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging^[aj] work. ³⁰ Each cart^(w) had four bronze wheels with bronze axles. Underneath the four corners of the basin were cast supports, each next to a wreath. ³¹ And the water cart's opening inside the crown on top was 18 inches^[ak] wide. The opening was round, made as a pedestal 27 inches^[al] wide. On it were carvings, but their frames were square, not round. ³² There were four wheels under the frames, and the wheel axles were part of the water cart; each wheel was 27 inches^[am] tall. ³³ The wheels' design was similar to that of chariot wheels: their axles, rims, spokes, and hubs were all of cast metal. ³⁴ Four supports were at the four corners of each water cart; each support was one piece with the water cart. ³⁵ At the top of the cart was a band nine inches^[an] high encircling it; also, at the top of the cart, its braces and its frames were one piece with it. ³⁶ He engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees^(x) on the plates of its braces and on its frames, wherever each had space, with encircling wreaths. ³⁷ In this way he made the 10 water carts using the same casting, dimensions, and shape for all of them.

Bronze Basins and Other Utensils

³⁸ Then he made 10 bronze basins^(y)—each basin holding 220 gallons^[ao] and each was six feet^[ap] wide—one basin for each of the 10 water carts. ³⁹ He set five water carts on the right side of the temple and five on the left side. He put the reservoir near the right side of the temple toward the southeast.^{(z) 40} Then Hiram made^(aa) the basins, the shovels, and the sprinkling basins.

Completion of the Bronze Works

So Hiram finished all the work that he was doing for King Solomon on the Lord 's temple: ⁴¹ two pillars;^(ab) bowls for the capitals that were on top of the two pillars; the two gratings for covering both bowls of the capitals that were on top of the pillars;^{(ac) 42} the 400 pomegranates for the two gratings (two rows of pomegranates for each grating covering both capitals' bowls on top of the pillars^(ad)); ⁴³ the 10 water carts;^(ae) the 10 basins on the water carts;^{(af) 44} the reservoir;^(ag) the 12 oxen underneath the reservoir;^{(ah) 45} and the pots, shovels, and sprinkling basins.^(ai) All the utensils that Hiram made for King Solomon at the Lord 's temple were made of burnished bronze. ⁴⁶ The king had them cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth^(aj) and Zarethan.^{(ak) 47} Solomon left all the utensils unweighed because there were so many; the weight of the bronze was not determined.^(al)

Completion of the Gold Furnishings

⁴⁸ Solomon also made all the equipment in the Lord 's temple: the gold altar; the gold table that the bread of the Presence was placed on;^{(am) 49} the pure gold lampstands in front of the inner sanctuary, five on the right and five on the left;^(an) the gold flowers, lamps, and tongs; ⁵⁰ the pure gold ceremonial bowls, wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, ladles,^[aq] and firepans;^(ao) and the gold hinges for the doors of the inner temple (that is, the most holy place) and for the doors of the temple sanctuary.

⁵¹ So all the work King Solomon did in the Lord 's temple was completed.^(ap) Then Solomon brought in the consecrated things of his father David^(aq)—the silver, the gold, and the utensils—and put them in the treasuries of the Lord 's temple.^(ar)

Chapter 8

Solomon's Dedication of the Temple

¹ At that time Solomon assembled the elders^(a) of Israel,^(b) all the tribal heads^(c) and the ancestral leaders of the Israelites before him at Jerusalem in order to bring the ark of the Lord 's covenant from the city of David,^(d) that is Zion.^{(e) 2} So all the men of Israel were assembled in the presence of King Solomon in the seventh month, the month of Ethanim,^[a] at the festival.^(f)

³ All the elders^(g) of Israel came, and the priests^(h) picked up the ark.^{(i) 4} The priests and the Levites brought the ark of the Lord , the tent of meeting,^(j) and the holy utensils that were in the tent.^{(k) 5} King Solomon and the entire congregation of Israel, who had gathered around him and were with him in front of the ark, were sacrificing sheep and cattle that could not be counted or numbered, because there were so many.^{(l) 6} The priests brought the ark of the Lord 's covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the most holy place^(m) beneath the wings of the cherubim. ⁷ For the cherubim were spreading their wings over^[b] the place of the ark, so that the cherubim covered the ark and its poles from above.^{(n) 8} The poles were so long that their ends were seen from the holy place in front of the inner sanctuary, but they were not seen from outside the sanctuary; they are there to this day.^{(o) 9} Nothing was in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had put there at Horeb,^[c](p) where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites when they came out of the land of Egypt.^(q)

¹⁰ When the priests came out of the holy place, the cloud filled the Lord 's temple,^{(r) 11} and because of the cloud, the priests were not able to continue ministering, for the glory^(s) of the Lord filled the temple.

¹² Then Solomon said:

¹⁴ The king turned around and blessed^(w) the entire congregation of Israel while they were standing. ¹⁵ He said:

Solomon's Prayer

²² Then Solomon stood^(ah) before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire congregation of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.^{(ai) 23} He said:

Solomon's Blessing

⁵⁴ When Solomon finished praying this entire prayer and petition to the Lord , he got up from kneeling before the altar of the Lord , with his hands spread out toward heaven,^{(by) 55} and he stood and blessed the whole congregation of Israel^(bz) with a loud voice: ⁵⁶ "May the Lord be praised! He has given rest^(ca) to His people Israel according to all He has said. Not one of all the good promises He made through His servant Moses has failed.^{(cb) 57} May the Lord our God be with us as He was with our ancestors. May He not abandon us or leave us^{(cc) 58} so that He causes us to be devoted^[l] to Him,^(cd) to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commands, statutes, and ordinances, which He commanded our ancestors. ⁵⁹ May my words I have made my petition with before the Lord be near the Lord our God day and night, so that He may uphold His servant's cause and the cause of His people Israel, as each day requires,^{(ce) 60} and so that all the peoples of the earth may know that Yahweh is God. There is no other!^{(cf) 61} Let your heart be completely devoted to the Lord our God^(cg) to walk in His statutes and to keep His commands, as it is today."

⁶² The king and all Israel with him were offering sacrifices in the Lord 's presence. ⁶³ Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the Lord : 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep.^(ch) In this manner the king and all the Israelites dedicated^(ci) the Lord 's temple.^(cj)

⁶⁴ On the same day, the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the Lord 's temple because that was where he offered the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the fellowship offerings^(ck) since the bronze altar before the Lord was too small to accommodate the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of the fellowship offerings.^(cl)

⁶⁵ Solomon and all Israel with him—a great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath^[m](cm) to the Brook of Egypt^(cn)—observed the festival at that time^(co) in the presence of the Lord our God, seven days, and seven more days—14 days.^{[n](cp) 66} On the fifteenth day^[o] he sent the people away. So they blessed the king and went home to their tents rejoicing and with joyful hearts for all the goodness that the Lord had done for His servant David and for His people Israel.^(cq)

Chapter 9

The Lord's Response

¹ When Solomon finished building the temple of the Lord ,^(a) the royal palace, and all that Solomon desired to do,^{(b) 2} the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time just as He had appeared to him at Gibeon.^{(c) 3} The Lord said to him:

King Hiram's 20 Towns

¹⁰ At the end of 20 years during which Solomon had built the two houses, the Lord 's temple and the royal palace⁽ⁿ⁾— ¹¹ Hiram king of Tyre^(o) having supplied him with cedar and cypress logs and gold^(p) for his every wish^(q)—King Solomon gave Hiram 20 towns in the land of Galilee. ¹² So Hiram went out from Tyre to look over the towns that Solomon had given him, but he was not pleased with them. ¹³ So he said, "What are these towns you've given me, my brother?" So he called them the Land of Cabul,^[d] as they are still called today.^{(r) 14} Now Hiram had sent the king 9,000 pounds^[e] of gold.^(s)

Solomon's Forced Labor

¹⁵ This is the account of the forced labor^(t) that King Solomon had imposed to build the Lord 's temple, his own palace, the supporting terraces,^(u) the wall of Jerusalem,^(v) and Hazor,^(w) Megiddo,^(x) and Gezer.^{(y) 16} Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He then burned it down, killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and gave it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon's wife.^{(z) 17} Then Solomon rebuilt Gezer, Lower Beth-horon,^{(aa) 18} Baalath,^(ab) Tamar^[f][g] in the Wilderness of Judah, ¹⁹ all the storage cities that belonged to Solomon, the chariot cities,^(ac) the cavalry cities,^(ad) and whatever Solomon desired to build^(ae) in Jerusalem, Lebanon, or anywhere else in the land of his dominion.

²⁰ As for all the peoples who remained of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not Israelites— ²¹ their descendants who remained in the land after them, those whom the Israelites were unable to completely destroy^(af)—Solomon imposed forced labor on them; it is this way until today.^{(ag) 22} But Solomon did not consign the Israelites to slavery;^(ah) they were soldiers, his servants, his commanders, his captains, and commanders of his chariots and his cavalry. ²³ These were the deputies^(ai) who were over Solomon's work: 550 who ruled over the people doing the work.^(aj)

Solomon's Other Activities

²⁴ Pharaoh's daughter moved from the city of David^(ak) to the house that Solomon had built for her;^(al) he then built the terraces.^(am)

²⁵ Three times a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar he had built for the Lord , and he burned incense with them in the Lord 's presence.^(an) So he completed the temple.^(ao)

²⁶ King Solomon put together a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber,^(ap) which is near Eloth on the shore of the Red Sea in the land of Edom. ²⁷ With the fleet, Hiram sent his servants, experienced seamen, along with Solomon's servants. ²⁸ They went to Ophir^(aq) and acquired gold there—16 tons^[h]—and delivered it to Solomon.^(ar)