1 And it happened in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel went out from the land of Egypt, in the fourth year, in the month of Ziv {ziv: month of brightness}—it is the second month—of Solomon’s reign over Israel, that he began to build the house for the LORD {YHWH, Temple Dweller}.
2 And the house which King Solomon built for the LORD {YHWH, Temple Dweller} was sixty cubits {amah: ancient measure} long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high.
3 And the portico {ulam: covered entrance} in front of the temple {heikhal: sacred main hall} of the house measured twenty cubits in length, corresponding to the width of the house, and was ten cubits wide from its front.
4 And he made for the house windows with narrowed frames {shekuphim: limited apertures}, set in closed frames {atumim: covered or latticed}.
5 And he built against the wall of the house an annex {yatsia: attached chambers} all around, against the walls of the house all around for the temple hall and for the inner sanctuary; and he made side-chambers {tselaot: rib-like rooms} all around.
6 The lowest side-chamber was five cubits wide, the middle chamber was six cubits wide, and the third chamber was seven cubits wide. He built ledges {migraot: projecting stone supports} around the outside of the house so that they would not be fastened {achoz: secured to walls}.
7 And the house, while it was being built, was built of whole stones brought in {massa: carried in}; and neither hammers {makkavot: stone mallets} nor the axe nor any iron tool was heard in the house while it was being built.
8 The entrance to the middle side chamber was on the south side of the house, and by winding stairs {velullim: spiral stairway} they would go up to the middle level, and from there to the third {shelishim: uppermost tier}.
9 And he built the house and finished it {yakallehu: brought to completion}, and he roofed the house with beams {gevim: structural supports} and planks of cedar wood.
10 And he built the side chamber {yatsi’a: projecting galleries} upon the entire house; its height was five cubits, and he attached the house with beams {ba’atzey: sturdy supports}.
11 And the word of the LORD {YHWH, Divine Authority} came to Solomon, saying {le’emor: introducing divine speech}.
12 As for this house which you are building, if you walk in My {YHWH: Promise Upholder} statutes {chukotai: fixed decrees} and do My ordinances, and you keep all My commandments to walk in them, then I will establish My word with you, just as I spoke to David your father.
13 And I {YHWH: Sovereign Presence} will dwell in the midst of the sons of Israel, and I will not forsake {eeʿezov: abandon completely} My people Israel.
14 And Solomon {Shelomoh: Temple Builder} built the house {bayit: Sacred Dwelling}, and he finished it.
15 And he built the walls of the house on the inside with boards of cedar {arazim: valued timber for sacred construction}, from the floor of the house up to the walls of the ceiling {sipun: uppermost interior covering}; he overlaid wood inside; and he covered the floor of the house with boards of cypress.
16 And he built twenty cubits {ammah: standardized length} at the rear of the house with cedar planks, from the floor to the walls, and he built it inside the house for the inner sanctuary, for the Most Holy Place {kodesh hakodashim: innermost sacred space}.
17 And the house, that is, the hall {heikal: main sanctuary chamber}, was forty cubits {amah: Hebrew cubit} long in front.
18 And cedar covered the interior of the house, carved with gourds and open flowers {ufeturei: ornamental pattern}. Everything was cedar; no stone was seen {even: building block}.
19 He prepared the inner sanctuary {devir: sacred chamber} within the house in the innermost part, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD {YHWH, Sanctuary Dweller}.
20 And the inner sanctuary {dvir: inner shrine} was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in its height; and he overlaid it with gold, pure {sagur: well refined}, and he overlaid an altar of cedar.
21 And Solomon covered the interior of the house with pure gold {zahav: unalloyed metal}; he fastened gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary {devir: innermost chamber} and overlaid it with gold.
22 And he overlaid the entire house with gold until its completion {tom: final stage}, and he overlaid the whole altar {mizbeach: sacrificial altar} for the inner sanctuary with gold.
23 And he made two cherubim of olive wood {atzei-shamen: olive timber} in the inner sanctuary, each having a height of ten cubits {ammot: ancient cubit measure}.
24 One wing of the cherub was five cubits {ammot: ancient measurement} long, and the other wing was five cubits, making ten cubits from the extremities {miktzot: outermost parts} of its wings.
25 And the second cherub {keruv: angelic figure} was ten cubits {amah: ancient unit of length}; one measurement and one proportion were for the two cherubim.
26 The height {komat: Elevation Measurement} of the first cherub was ten cubits, and so was the second cherub {keruv: Heavenly Guardian}.
27 And he placed the cherubim {keruvim: heavenly guardians} inside the innermost part of the house, and they spread out the wings {kanafim: sign of divine presence} of the cherubim, so that the wing of one touched the wall, and the wing of the other touched the second wall, and their wings met wing to wing in the midst of the house.
28 And he overlaid the cherubim {keruvim: angelic figures} with gold {zahav: precious metal}.
29 And on all the walls of the house, all around, he carved carvings of engraved figures {miklaot: relief work}—cherubim {keruvim: holy guardians}, palm trees, and open flowers—within and without.
30 And he overlaid with gold {zahav: precious metal} the floor of the house {habbayit: temple sanctuary}, both for the inner part and for the outer part.
31 And for the entrance {petach: vestibule} of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood, and the lintel and doorposts were five-sided {chamishit: five-sided frame}.
32 The two doors were of olive wood, and he carved on them carvings of cherubim {keruvim: throne guardians} and palm trees and open flowers {peturey: openwork buds}, and he overlaid them with gold and pressed the gold over the cherubim and over the palm trees.
33 And in the same way he made for the entrance of the temple doorposts {mezuzot: supporting pillars} of olive wood, four-sided {rebi‘it: four-sided/square form}.
34 And two doors of cypress wood {beroshim: Mediterranean juniper} had two panels {tsela‘im: side pieces} for the first door and two panels for the second door.
35 And he carved cherubim {keruvim: heavenly guardians}, palm trees, and open flower designs, and overlaid them with gold, applied evenly upon the carved work {mechukeh: engraved surface}.
36 And he built the inner courtyard with three rows {turei: courses} of hewn stone and a row of cut cedar beams {arazim: cedar wood}.
37 In the fourth year, the house of the LORD {YHWH, Worship Dwelling} was founded in the month of Ziv {ziv: radiant brightness}.
38 In the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its details and according to all its requirements {mishpatav: prescribed guidelines}; and he built it in seven years {shanim: measured periods}.