Temple Construction Begins
(2 Chronicles 3:1–2)

1And it came to pass in the four hundredth year and eightieth year† after the going out of the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt, in the fourth year, in the month of Ziv—† it is the second month of the reigning of Solomon over Israel—that he began to build the house of YHWH.

2And the house that King Solomon built for YHWH, sixty cubits was its length, and twenty its width, and thirty cubits its height.† 3And the portico was upon the face of the sanctuary of the house, twenty cubits† was its length upon the face, the width of the house, and ten by the cubit† was its width upon the face of the house.

4And he made for the house windows with narrowed frames.

The Chambers

5And he built against the wall of the house chambers all around, the walls of the house all around, the sanctuary and the inner sanctuary. And he made side chambers all around it. 6The lowest couch was five by the cubit wide,† and the middle was six by the cubit wide,† and the third was seven by the cubit wide.† For ledges he gave all around the outside of the temple, so that nothing would be fastened into the walls of the house.

7And the house, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that hammer or chisel or any iron tool was not heard in the house while it was being built.

8The doorway for the bottom† story was on the right side of the house, and by stairs they went up the middle story, and from the middle to the third.

9And he built the house and finished it, and he covered the house with beams and rows of the cedars. 10And he built the couch against all the house, five cubits high, and it was attached to the house with cedar beams.

God’s Promise to Solomon

11And the word of YHWH came to Solomon, saying, 12“This house that you are building, if you walk in My statutes, and My ordinances you do, and keep all My commandments and walk in them, then I will cause to stand My word with you, which I spoke to David your father. 13And I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.”

The Temple’s Interior
(2 Chronicles 3:5–9)

14And Solomon built the house and completed it. 15And he built the walls of the house on the inside On the inside with cedar boards from the floor of the house up to the walls of the ceiling. He overlaid with wood the inside, and he covered the floor of the house with sides of cypress.†

16And he built the twenty cubits at the rear of the house with cedar boards from floor to ceiling, and he built it inside, as the inner sanctuary, for the Holy of Holies.† 17And forty by the cubit† was the sanctuary; it is the house before it.

18And the cedar for the house inside was carved with gourds and open flowers. All was cedar; not a stone was seen.

19And the inner sanctuary in the midst of the house on the inside, he prepared to set there the ark of the covenant of YHWH. 20And before the face of the inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, and twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high. And He overlaid it with pure gold, and he overlaid the altar of cedar.†

21And Solomon overlaid the house inside with pure gold, and He stretched gold chains† across the front of the inner sanctuary, and he overlaid it with gold. 22And all the house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house. And all the altar that was for the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold.

The Cherubim
(2 Chronicles 3:10–13)

23And he made inside the inner sanctuary two cherubim of olive wood, ten cubits high. 24And was five cubits the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the second wing of the cherub—ten cubits from the ends of one wing and to the ends of the other. 25And ten by the cubit was the second cherub, of one size and one shape were the two cherubim. 26The height of the one cherub was ten by the cubit, and so the second cherub.

27And he set the cherubim inside the inner room, and they stretched out the wings of the cherubim so that the wing of the one touched one wall, and the wing of the second cherub touched the second wall, and their wings in the middle of the room touched wing against wing. 28And he overlaid the cherubim with gold.

29And all the walls of the house all around he carved with openings of carvings of cherubim, and palm trees, and open flowers, from inside and to the outside. 30And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold, for inside and for the outside.

The Doors

31And for the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood. The lintel and doorposts were five-sided. 32And the two doors were of olive wood, and he carved on them figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and he overlaid them with gold, and he beat out the gold on the cherubim, and on the palm trees.

33And also he made for the door of the sanctuary doorposts of olive wood with four sides. 34And the two doors were of cypress wood, two panels of the one door were folding, and two panels of the second door were folding. And he carved cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold applied evenly on the carved work.

The Courtyard

And he built the inner court with three rows of hewn stone, and a row of cut beams of cedar.

In the fourth year of the house of YHWH the foundation was laid, in the month of Ziv. And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul,† that is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its details and according to all its plans. And he built it seven years.

Footnotes:

1 Hebrew; LXX four hundred and fortieth
1 Ziv was the second month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of April and May; also in verse 37.
2 The house was approximately 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high (27.4 meters long, 9.1 meters wide, and 13.7 meters high).
3 20 cubits is approximately 30 feet or 9.1 meters; also in verses 16 and 20.
3 10 cubits is approximately 15 feet or 4.6 meters; also in verses 23–26.
6 5 cubits is approximately 7.5 feet or 2.3 meters; also in verses 10 and 24.
6 6 cubits is approximately 9 feet or 2.7 meters.
6 7 cubits is approximately 10.5 feet or 3.2 meters.
8 LXX and Targum; Hebrew middle
15 Or pine or juniper or fir; also in verse 34
16 Or the Most Holy Place
17 40 cubits is approximately 60 feet or 18.3 meters.
20 Or with cedar
21 Or made gold chains to draw (the curtains)
38 Bul was the eighth month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of October and November.