CHAPTER 7
He built
the House
of the Forest
of Lebanon
a hundred
cubits
long,
fifty
cubits
wide,
and thirty
cubits
high,
with
four
rows
of cedar
pillars
supporting
the cedar
beams.
The house was roofed
with cedar
above
the beams
that
rested on
the pillars—
forty-five beams,
fifteen
per row.
Solomon made
his colonnade
fifty
cubits
long
and thirty
cubits
wide,
with a portico
in front of it
and a canopy
with pillars
in front of
the portico.
In addition, he built
a hall
for the throne,
the Hall
of Justice,
where
he was to judge.
It was paneled
with cedar
from floor
to
ceiling.
And the palace
where
Solomon would live,
set further back,
was
of similar
construction.
He also made
a palace
like this
hall
for Pharaoh’s
daughter,
whom
he
had married.
All
these buildings
were constructed with costly
stones,
cut
to size
and trimmed
with saws
inside
and out
from the foundation
to
the eaves,
from the outside
to
the great
courtyard.
The foundations
were laid with large,
costly
stones,
some eight
cubits
and some
ten
cubits in length.
The great
courtyard
was surrounded by
three
rows
of dressed stone
and a row
of trimmed cedar
beams,
as were the inner
courtyard
and portico
of the house of
the LORD.
He was
the son of
a widow
from the tribe
of Naphtali,
and his father
was a man
of Tyre,
a craftsman
in bronze.
Huram had great
skill,
understanding,
and knowledge
for every kind
of bronze
work.
So he came
to
King
Solomon
and carried out
all
his work.
He also made
two
capitals
of cast
bronze
to set
on
top
of the pillars,
each
capital
five
cubits
high.
For the capitals
on
top
of the pillars
he made a network
of lattice,
with wreaths
of
chainwork,
seven
for each
capital.
Likewise, he made
the pillars
with two
rows
of pomegranates
around
each
grating
to cover
each capital
atop the pillars.
On
the capitals
of both
pillars,
just
above
the rounded projection
next to
the network,
were the two hundred
pomegranates
in rows
encircling
each capital.
Thus he set up
the pillars
at the portico
of the temple.
The pillar
to the south
he named
Jachin,
and the pillar
to the north
he named
Boaz.
He also made
the Sea
of cast metal.
It was circular in shape,
measuring ten
cubits
from rim
to
rim,
five
cubits
in height,
and thirty
cubits
in circumference.
Below
the rim,
ornamental buds
encircled
it,
ten
per cubit
all the way
around
the Sea,
cast
in two
rows
as a part of the Sea.
The Sea stood
on
twelve
oxen,
three
facing
north,
three
facing
west,
three
facing
south,
and three
facing
east.
The Sea
rested on them,
with all
their hindquarters
toward the center.
It was a handbreadth
thick,
and its rim
was fashioned
like the brim
of a cup,
like a lily
blossom.
It could hold
two thousand
baths.
In addition, he made
ten
movable stands
of bronze,
each
four
cubits
long,
four
cubits
wide,
and three
cubits
high.
and on
the panels
between
the uprights
were lions,
oxen,
and cherubim.
On
the uprights
was a pedestal
above,
and below
the lions
and oxen
were wreaths
of beveled
work.
Each
stand
had four
bronze
wheels
with bronze
axles
and a basin
resting on
four
supports,
with wreaths
at each
side.
The opening to each stand
inside
the crown
at the top
was one cubit deep,
with a round
opening
like the design
of a pedestal,
a cubit
and a half wide.
And around
its opening
were engravings,
but the panels of the stands were
square,
not
round.
There were four
wheels
under
the panels,
and the axles
of the wheels
were attached to the stand;
each
wheel
was a cubit
and a half
in diameter.
The wheels
were made
like
chariot
wheels;
their axles,
rims,
spokes,
and hubs
were all
of cast metal.
At the top
of each stand
was a circular
band
half
a cubit
high.
The supports
and panels
were cast as a unit
with
the top
of the stand.
He engraved
cherubim,
lions,
and palm trees
on
the surfaces
of the supports
and
panels,
wherever each
had space,
with wreaths
all around.
He also made
ten
bronze
basins,
each
holding
forty
baths
and
measuring four
cubits across,
one
basin
for each
of the ten
stands.
He set
five
stands
on
the south
side
of the temple
and five
on
the north,
and
he put
the Sea
on the south
side,
at the southeast corner
of the temple.
In addition, Huram
made
the pots,
shovels,
and sprinkling bowls.
So Huram
finished
all
the work
he had undertaken
for King
Solomon
in the house
of the LORD:
the two
pillars;
the two
bowl-shaped
capitals
atop
the pillars;
the two
sets of network
covering
both
bowls
of the capitals
atop
the pillars;
the four
hundred
pomegranates
for the two
sets of network
(two
rows
of pomegranates
for each
network
covering
both
the bowl-shaped
capitals
atop
the pillars);
and
the pots,
shovels,
and sprinkling bowls.
All
the articles
that
Huram
made
for King
Solomon
in the house
of the LORD
were made of burnished
bronze.
Solomon left
all
these articles
unweighed,
because there were so
many.
The weight
of the bronze
could not
be determined.
Solomon
also made
all
the furnishings
for the house
of the LORD:
the golden
altar;
the golden
table
on which
was placed
the Bread
of the Presence;
the lampstands
of pure
gold
in front
of the inner sanctuary,
five
on the right side
and five
on the left;
the gold
flowers,
lamps,
and tongs;
the pure
gold
basins,
wick trimmers,
sprinkling bowls,
ladles,
and censers;
and the gold
hinges
for the doors
of the inner
temple
(that is, the Most Holy Place)
as well as for the doors
of the main hall
of the temple.
So all
the work
that
King
Solomon
had performed
for the house
of the LORD
was completed.
Then Solomon
brought in
the consecrated items
of his father
David—
the silver,
the gold,
and
the furnishings—
and he placed them
in the treasuries
of the house
of the LORD.