2 Chronicles 3
1 Then Solomon’s workers started to build the temple for Yahweh in Jerusalem. They built it on Moriah Hill, where [an angel from] Yahweh had appeared to his father David. They built it on the ground that Araunah, a descendant of the Jebus people-group, had sold to David and where David said that it should be built.
And Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on mount Moriah, where He had appeared unto David his father, on the place that David had prepared in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
2 They began the work in April, when Solomon had been ruling almost four years.
And he began to build on the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.
3 The foundation of the temple was about 90 feet long and 30 feet wide.
Now in this manner was the foundation laid of the house of God [at its] building [by] Solomon: The length by cubits after the first measure was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.
4 The entrance room across the front of the temple was 30 feet wide and 30 feet high.
And the porch that was in the front of the length was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the height was a hundred and twenty: and he overlaid it within with pure gold.
5 Solomon’s workers used [panels/boards of] pine [wood] to line the main hall of the temple. Then they covered those panels with [very thin sheets of] pure gold. Then they decorated the walls with [carved images of] palm trees and designs that resembled chains.
And the great house he ceiled with fir-wood, which he overlaid with pure gold, and he wrought thereon palm-trees and chains.
6 They decorated the temple with very valuable stones. The gold that they used was from [the land of] Parvaim.
And he overlaid the house with costly stones for ornament: and the gold was gold of Parvayim.
7 They covered the ceiling beams, the door frames, the walls and the doors of the temple with [very thin sheets of] gold. They also carved [statues of] winged creatures on the walls.
And he covered the house, the beams, the sills, and its walls, and its doors, with gold: and he engraved cherubim on the walls.
8 They also built the Very Holy Place [inside the temple]. It was 30 feet wide and 30 feet long. They covered its walls with sheets of pure gold that altogether weighed 23 tons.
And he made the most holy house, its length being in front of the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and its breadth twenty cubits: and he covered it with fine gold, [amounting] to six hundred talents.
9 They used 1-1/4 pounds of gold to [cover the heads of] the nails. They also covered the walls of the upper rooms with sheets of gold.
And the weight of the nails [amounted] to fifty shekels of gold. And the upper chambers he covered with gold.
10 Solomon’s workers made two statues of creatures with wings to put inside the Very Holy Place. They covered those statues with [very thin sheets of] gold.
And he made in the most holy house two cherubim of sculpture work, and they overlaid them with gold.
11 [Each statue had two long wings]. One wing of each statue touched one of the walls of the Temple. The other wing of each statue touched a wing of the other statue. It was 7-1/2 feet from the outer tip of one wing to the outer tip of the other wing. The inner wings of the two statues touched each other.
And regarding the wings of the cherubim their length was twenty cubits; the wing of the one amounting to five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing of five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.
And the wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing of five cubits was joined closely to the wing of the other cherub.
13 It was 30 feet from the outer wing of the one statue to the outer wing of the other statue. The statues faced the doorway to the main room.
The wings of these cherubim [as they were] spread out were twenty cubits: and they were standing on their feet, and their faces were inward.
14 Solomon’s workers made a curtain [to separate the main room from the Very Holy Place]. It was made of blue, purple, and red thread and fine linen. There were figures of winged creatures that were embroidered on the curtain.
And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought thereon cherubim.
15 They made two [bronze] pillars and put them at the entrance of the temple. They were each 27 feet high. Each had a top over it that was 7-1/2 feet high.
And he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits in length, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.
16 The workers made [carvings that resembled] chains and put them on top of the pillars. They made [carvings that resembled] pomegranates and attached them to the chains.
And he made chains in the debir; and [others which] he placed on the top of the pillars; and he made a hundred pomegranates, and placed them on the chains.
17 They set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the south side [of the entrance] and the other on the north side. The one on the south side was named Jakin and the one on the north side was named Boaz.
And he set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and he called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Bo'az.
