2 Chronicles 4–6

The Altar, Reservoir, and Basins

4He made a bronze altar ^q30 feet ^rlong, 30 feet ^swide, and 15 feet ^thigh.

²Then he made the cast metal reservoir, ^u15 feet ^vfrom brim to brim, perfectly round. It was 7½ feet ^whigh and 45 feet ^xin circumference. ³The likeness of oxen ^ywas below it, completely encircling it, 10 every half yard, ^zcompletely surrounding the reservoir. The oxen were cast in two rows when the reservoir was cast. ⁴It stood on 12 oxen, 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. ⁵The reservoir was three inches ^athick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup or a lily blossom. It could hold 11,000 gallons. ^b

⁶He made 10 basins for washing and he put five on the right and five on the left. ^cThe parts of the burnt offering were rinsed in them, ^dbut the reservoir was used by the priests for washing.

The Lampstands, Tables, and Courts

⁷He made the 10 gold lampstands according to their specifications and put them in the sanctuary, five on the right and five on the left. ^e8He made 10 tables and placed them in the sanctuary, five on the right and five on the left. ^fHe also made 100 gold bowls.

⁹He made the courtyard ^gof the priests and the large court, and doors for the court. He overlaid the doors with bronze. ¹⁰He put the reservoir on the right side, toward the southeast. ^h11Then Huram ^ijmade ^kthe pots, the shovels, and the bowls.

Completion of the Bronze Furnishings

So Huram finished doing the work that he was doing for King Solomon in God’s temple: ¹²two pillars; the bowls and the capitals on top of the two pillars; the two gratings for covering both bowls of the capitals that were on top of the pillars; ¹³the 400 pomegranates for the two gratings (two rows of pomegranates for each grating covering both capitals’ bowls on top of the pillars ^l). ¹⁴He also made the water carts ^mnand the basins on the water carts. ¹⁵The one reservoir and the 12 oxen underneath it, ¹⁶the pots, the shovels, the forks, and all their utensils—Huram-abi ^opmade them for King Solomon for the Lord’s temple. All these were made of polished bronze. ¹⁷The king had them cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth and Zeredah. ¹⁸Solomon made all these utensils in such great abundance that the weight of the bronze was not determined.

Completion of the Gold Furnishings

¹⁹Solomon also made all the equipment in God’s temple: the gold altar; the tables on which to put the bread of the Presence; ^q20the lampstands and their lamps of pure gold to burn in front of the inner sanctuary according to specifications; ^r21the flowers, lamps, and gold tongs—of purest gold; ²²the wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, ladles, ^sand firepans—of purest gold; and the entryway to the temple, its inner doors to the most holy place, and the doors of the temple sanctuary—of gold.

5So all the work Solomon did for the Lord’s temple was completed. Then Solomon brought the consecrated things of his father David—the silver, the gold, and all the utensils—and put them in the treasuries of God’s temple.

Preparations for the Temple Dedication

²At that time ^tSolomon assembled at Jerusalem the elders of Israel—all the tribal heads, the ancestral chiefs of the Israelites—in order to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord up from the city of David, ^uthat is, Zion. ³So all the men of Israel were assembled in the king’s presence at the festival; this was in the seventh month. ^v

⁴All the elders of Israel came, and the Levites picked up the ark. ⁵They brought up the ark, the tent of meeting, and the holy utensils that were in the tent. The priests and the Levites brought them up. ⁶King Solomon and the entire congregation of Israel who had gathered around him were in front of the ark sacrificing sheep and cattle that could not be counted or numbered because there were so many. ⁷The priests brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the most holy place, beneath the wings of the cherubim. ^w8And the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark so that the cherubim formed a cover above the ark and its poles. ⁹The poles were so long that their ends were seen from the holy place ^xyin front of the inner sanctuary, but they were not seen from outside; they are there to this very day. ¹⁰Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had put in it at Horeb, ^zawhere the Lord had made a covenant with the Israelites when they came out of Egypt.

¹¹Now all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves regardless of their divisions. ^bWhen the priests came out of the holy place, ¹²the Levitical singers dressed in fine linen and carrying cymbals, harps, and lyres ^cwere standing east of the altar, and with them were 120 priests blowing trumpets. ^dThe Levitical singers were descendants of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun and their sons ^eand relatives. ¹³The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the Lord with one voice. They raised their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, ^fin praise to the Lord:

For He is good;

His faithful love endures forever. ^g

The temple, the Lord’s temple, was filled with a cloud. ^h14And because of the cloud, the priests were not able to continue ministering, for the glory of the Lord filled God’s temple. ⁱ

Solomon’s Dedication of the Temple

6Then Solomon said: ^j

The Lord said He would dwell in thick darkness, ^k

²but I have built an exalted temple for You,

a place for Your residence forever.

³Then the king turned and blessed the entire congregation of Israel while they were standing. ⁴He said:

May the Lord God of Israel be praised!

He spoke directly to my father David,

and He has fulfilled the promise

by His power.

He said,

⁵“Since the day I brought My people Israel

out of the land of Egypt, ^l

I have not chosen a city to build a temple in

among any of the tribes of Israel,

so that My name would be there,

and I have not chosen a man

to be ruler over My people Israel.

⁶But I have chosen Jerusalem

so that My name will be there, ^m

and I have chosen David

to be over My people Israel.” ⁿ

⁷Now it was in the heart of my father David

to build a temple for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. ^o

⁸However, Yahweh said to my father David,

“Since it was your desire to build a temple for My name,

you have done well to have this desire.

⁹Yet, you are not the one to build the temple,

but your son, your own offspring,

will build the temple for My name.”

¹⁰So Yahweh has fulfilled what He promised.

I have taken the place of my father David

and I sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised.

I have built the temple for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

¹¹I have put the ark there,

where Yahweh’s covenant is

that He made with the Israelites. ^p

Solomon’s Prayer

¹²Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire congregation of Israel and spread out his hands. ¹³For Solomon had made a bronze platform 7½ feet ^qlong, 7½ feet ^rwide, and 4½ feet ^shigh and put it in the court. He stood on it, ^tknelt down in front of the entire congregation of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven. ^u14He said:

Lord God of Israel,

there is no God like You

in heaven or on earth, ^v

keeping His gracious covenant

with Your servants who walk before You

with their whole heart. ^w

¹⁵You have kept what You promised

to Your servant, my father David.

You spoke directly to him,

and You fulfilled Your promise by Your power,

as it is today. ^x

¹⁶Therefore, Lord God of Israel,

keep what You promised

to Your servant, my father David:

“You will never fail to have a man

to sit before Me on the throne of Israel, ^y

if only your sons guard their way to walk in My Law

as you have walked before Me.”

¹⁷Now, Lord God of Israel, please confirm

what You promised to Your servant David.

¹⁸But will God indeed live on earth with man?

Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain You, ^z

much less this temple I have built.

¹⁹Listen ^ato Your servant’s prayer and his petition,

Lord my God,

so that You may hear the cry and the prayer

that Your servant prays before You,

²⁰so that Your eyes watch over this temple

day and night,

toward the place where You said

You would put Your name; ^b

and so that You may hear the prayer

Your servant prays toward this place.

²¹Hear the petitions of Your servant

and Your people Israel,

which they pray toward this place.

May You hear in Your dwelling place in heaven.

May You hear and forgive.

²²If a man sins against his neighbor

and is forced to take an oath ^c

and he comes to take an oath

before Your altar in this temple,

²³may You hear in heaven and act.

May You judge Your servants,

condemning the wicked man by bringing

what he has done on his own head

and providing justice for the righteous

by rewarding him according to his righteousness.

²⁴If Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy,

because they have sinned against You,

and they return to You and praise Your name,

and they pray and plead for mercy

before You in this temple,

²⁵may You hear in heaven

and forgive the sin of Your people Israel.

May You restore them to the land

You gave them and their ancestors.

²⁶When the skies are shut and there is no rain

because they have sinned against You,

and they pray toward this place

and praise Your name,

and they turn from their sins

because You are afflicting ^dethem,

²⁷may You hear in heaven

and forgive the sin of Your servants

and Your people Israel,

so that You may teach them the good way

they should walk in.

May You send rain on Your land

that You gave Your people for an inheritance.

²⁸When there is famine on the earth,

when there is pestilence,

when there is blight, mildew, locust, or grasshopper,

when their enemies besiege them

in the region of their fortified cities, ^fg

when there is any plague or illness,

²⁹whatever prayer or petition

anyone from your people Israel might have—

…