The outside of the temple is completed

1Solomon's workers started building the temple during Ziv,6.1 Ziv: The second month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-April to mid-May. the second month of the year. It had been four years since Solomon became king of Israel, and four hundred and eighty years since the people of Israel left Egypt.

2The inside of the LORD's temple was twenty-seven metres long, nine metres wide, and thirteen and a half metres high. 3A four and a half metre porch went all the way across the front of the temple. 4The windows were narrow on the outside but wide on the inside.

5-6Along the sides and back of the temple, there were three levels of storage rooms. The rooms on the bottom level were just over two metres wide, the rooms on the middle level were over two and a half metres wide, and those on the top level were just over three metres wide. There were ledges on the outside of the temple that supported the beams of the storage rooms, so that nothing was built into the temple walls.

7Solomon did not want the noise of hammers and axes to be heard at the place where the temple was being built. So he made the workers shape the blocks of stone at the quarry.

8The entrance to the bottom storage rooms was on the south side of the building, and stairs to the other rooms were also there. 9The roof of the temple was made out of beams and cedar boards.

The workers finished building the outside of the temple. 10Storage rooms just over two metres high were all around the temple, and they were attached to the temple by cedar beams.

11The LORD told Solomon:

12-13If you obey my commands and do what I say, I will keep the promise I made to your father David. I will live among my people Israel in this temple you are building, and I will not desert them.

14So Solomon's workers finished building the temple.

The inside of the temple is furnished

(2 Chronicles 3.8-14)

15The floor of the temple was made out of pine, and the walls were lined with cedar from floor to ceiling.6.15 from floor to ceiling: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

16The most holy place was in the back of the temple, and it was nine metres square. Cedar boards standing from floor to ceiling6.16 standing…ceiling: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. separated it from the rest of the temple.6.16: Ex 26.33,34. 17The temple's main room was eighteen metres long, and it was in front of the most holy place.

18The inside walls were lined with cedar to hide the stones, and the cedar was decorated with carvings of gourds and flowers.

19The sacred chest was kept in the most holy place. 20-22This room was nine metres long, nine metres wide, and nine metres high, and it was lined with pure gold. There were also gold chains across the front of the most holy place. The inside of the temple, as well as the cedar altar in the most holy place, was covered with gold.6.22: Ex 30.1-3.

23Solomon had two statues of winged creatures6.23 statues of winged creatures: These were symbols of the LORD's throne on earth (see Exodus 25.18-22). made from olive wood to put in the most holy place. Each creature was four and a half metres tall6.23-28: Ex 25.18-20. 24-26and four and a half metres across. They had two wings, and the wings were just over two metres long. 27Solomon put them next to each other in the most holy place. Their wings were spread out and reached across the room. 28The creatures were also covered with gold.

29The walls of the two rooms were decorated with carvings of palm trees, flowers, and winged creatures. 30Even the floor was covered with gold.

31-32The two doors to the most holy place were made out of olive wood and were decorated with carvings of palm trees, flowers, and winged creatures. The doors and the carvings were covered with gold. The door frame came to a point at the top.

33-34The two doors to the main room of the temple were made out of pine, and each one had two sections6.33,34 two sections: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. so they could fold open. The door frame was shaped like a rectangle and was made out of olive wood. 35The doors were covered with gold and were decorated with carvings of palm trees, flowers, and winged creatures.

36The inner courtyard of the temple had walls made out of three layers of cut stones with one layer of cedar beams.

37Work began on the temple during Ziv,6.37 Ziv: See the note at 6.1. the second month of the year, four years after Solomon became king of Israel. 38Seven years later the workers finished building it during Bul,6.38 Bul: The eighth month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-October to mid-November. the eighth month of the year. It was built exactly as it had been planned.