1 Kings 6:1–10

The Building of the Temple

1 aNow it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv which is the second month, that he 1began to build the house of the Lord.

2 As for the house which King Solomon built for the Lord, its length was sixty 1cubits and its width twenty cubits and its height thirty cubits.

3 The porch in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits 1in length, 2corresponding to the width of the house, and its 3depth along the front of the house was ten cubits.

4 Also for the house ahe made windows with artistic frames.

5 aAgainst the wall of the house he built stories encompassing the walls of the house around both the nave and the binner sanctuary; thus he made cside chambers all around.

6 The lowest story was five cubits wide, and the middle was six cubits wide, and the third was seven cubits wide; for on the outside he 1made offsets in the wall of the house all around in order that the beams would not 2be inserted in the walls of the house.

7 aThe house, while it was being built, was built of stone 1prepared at the quarry, and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any iron tool heard in the house while it was being built.

8 The doorway for the 1lowest side chamber was on the right side of the house; and they would go up by winding stairs to the middle story, and from the middle to the third.

9 So ahe built the house and finished it; and he covered the house with beams and 1planks of cedar.

10 He also built the stories against the whole house, each five 1cubits high; and they 2were fastened to the house with timbers of cedar.