and come in before this people; for who can judge this Thy people, that is so great?' And God said to Solomon: 'Because this was in thy heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of them that hate thee, neither yet hast asked long life, but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge My people, over whom I have made thee king; 12wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee, and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.' So Solomon came [from his journey] to the high place that was at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, unto Jerusalem; and he reigned over Israel. 1 AND Solomon the son of David and knowledge, that I may go out was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly. 2And Solomon spoke unto all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every prince in all Israel, the heads of the fathers' houses. So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness. But the ark of God had David brought up from Kiriathjearim to the place that David had prepared for it; for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem. Moreover the brazen altar, that Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, had been put before the tabernacle of the LORD; and Solomon and the congregation sought unto it. And Solomon offered there, upon the brazen altar before the LORD, which was at the tent of meeting, he offered a thousand burnt-offerings upon it. In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him: 'Ask what I shall give thee.' And Solomon said unto God: 'Thou hast shown great kindness unto David my father, and hast made me king in his stead. "Now, O LORD God, let Thy promise unto David my father be established; for Thou hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. 10Give me now wisdom 14And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem. 15And the king made silver and gold to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore-trees that are in the Lowland, for abundance. And the horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt; also out of Keve, the king's merchants buying them of the men of Keve at a price. "And they fetched up, and brought out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty; and so for all the 2.16 my servants shall be with thy servants, even to prepare me timber in abundance; for the house which I am derful. And, behold, I will give to about to build shall be great and won-. thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.' 18 Now Solomon purposed to build a house for the name of the LORD, and 2 a house for his kingdom. And Solomon counted out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand men that were hewers in the mountains, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them. And Solomon sent to Hu- answered in writing, which he sent 10Then Huram the king of Tyre ram the king of Tyre, saying: 'As to Solomon: 'Because the LORD lovthou didst deal with David my father, eth His people, He hath made thee and didst send him cedars to build king over them.' "Huram said morehim a house to dwell therein [, even so over: 'Blessed be the LORD, the God deal with me]. Behold, I am about to of Israel, that made heaven and earth, build a house for the name of the who hath given to David the king a LORD my God, to dedicate it to Him, wise son, endued with discretion and and to burn before Him incense of understanding, that should build a sweet spices, and for the continual house for the LORD, and a house for showbread, and for the burnt-offerings his kingdom. 12And now I have sent morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the appointed seasons of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel. And the house which I build is great; for great is our God above all gods. But who is able to build Him a house, seeing the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? who am I then, that I should build Him a house, save only to offer before Him? Now therefore send me a man skilful to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that hath skill to grave all manner of gravings, to be with the skilful men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide. Send me also cedar-trees, cypress-trees, and sandal-wood, out of Lebanon; for I know that thy servants have skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, a skilful man, endued with understanding, even Huram my master craftsman, 13the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to devise any device; to do whatever may be set before him, with thy skilful men, and with the skilful men of my lord David thy father. 14Now therefore the wheat and the barley, the oil and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his servants; and we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need; and we will bring it to thee in floats by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem.' strangers that were in the land of 16 And Solomon numbered all the Israel, after the numbering wherewith 1095 SECOND CHRONICLES David his father had numbered them; and they were found a hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and .six hundred. 17 And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountains, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people at work. 3 Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where [the LORD] appeared unto David his father; for which provision had been made in the Place of David, in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite. And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign. Now these are the foundations which Solomon laid for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the ancient measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. And the porch that was before [the house], the length of it, according to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and the height a hundred and twenty; and he overlaid it within with pure gold. And the greater house he covered with cypress-wood, which he overlaid with fine gold, and wrought thereon palm-trees and chains. And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty; and the gold was gold of Parvaim. He overlaid also the house, the beams, the thresholds, and the walls thereof, and the doors thereof, with gold; and graved cherubim on the walls. And he made the most holy place; the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits; and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents. And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold. made two cherubim of image work; 10And in the most holy place he and they overlaid them with gold. "And the wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits long: the wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to wing was likewise five cubits, reachthe wall of the house; and the other ing to the wing of the other cherub. 12And the wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was five cubits also, joining to the wing of the other cherub. 13The wings of these cherubim spread themselves forth twenty cubits; and they stood on their feet, and their faces were inward. purple, and crimson, and fine linen, 14And he made the veil of blue, and and wrought cherubim thereon. pillars of thirty and five cubits high, 15 Also he made before the house two and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits. Sanctuary, and put them on 16And he made tops of the pillars; and he made a chains in the hundred pomegranates, and put them the on the chains. 17And he set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz. 4 Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length breadth thereof, and ten cubits the thereof, and twenty cubits the height thereof. ten cubits from brim to brim, round 2Also he made the molten sea of in compass, and the height thereof was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about. 1096 'And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about, for ten cubits, compassing the sea round about. The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast. "It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was set upon them above, and all their hinder parts were inward. And it was a handbreadth thick; and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily: it received and held three thousand baths. "He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them; such things as belonged to the burnt-offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in. "And he made the ten candlesticks of gold according to the ordinance concerning them; and he set them in the temple, five on the right hand, and five on the left. "He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left. And he made a hundred basins of gold. "Furthermore he made the court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid the doors of them with brass. 19 And he set the sea on the right side [of the house] eastward, toward the south. And Huram made the pots, and the shovels, and the basins. So Huram made an end of doing the work that he wrought for king Solomon in the house of God: 12the two pillars, and the bowls, and the two capitals which were on the top of the pillars; and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks: two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were upon the top of the pillars. 14He made also the bases, and the lavers made he upon the bases; 1one sea, and the twelve oxen under it. 16The pots also, and the shovels, and the flesh-hooks, and all the vessels thereof, did Huram his master craftsman make for king Solomon for the house of the LORD of bright brass. "In the plain of the Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah. 18Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance; for the weight of the brass could not be found out. 19 And Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of God, the golden altar also, and the tables whereon was the showbread; 20and the candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn according to the ordinance before the Sanctuary, of pure gold; and the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, of gold, and that perfect gold; and the snuffers, and the basins, and the pans, and the fire-pans, of pure gold. And as for the entry of the house, the inner doors thereof for the most holy place, and the doors of the house, that is, of the temple, were of gold. houses of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion. And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king at the feast, which was in the seventh month. And all the elders of Israel came, and the Levites took up the ark. And they brought up the ark, and the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; these did the priests and the Levites bring up. And king Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be counted nor numbered for multitude. "And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto its place, into the Sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim. 8 For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and the staves thereof above. And the staves were so long that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the Sanctuary; but they could not be seen without; and there they are unto this day. There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt. "And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place for all the priests that were present had sanctified themselves, and did not keep their courses; 12also the Levites who were the singers, all of them, even Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and their brethren, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them a hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpetsit came even to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD: 'for He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever'; that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God. And the king turned his face, and blessed all the congregation of Israel; and all the congregation of Israel stood. And he said: 'Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth unto David my father, and hath with His hands fulfilled it, saying: "Since the day that I brought forth My people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house in, that My name might be there; neither chose I any man to be prince over My people Israel; but I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name might be there; and have chosen David to be over My people Israel. Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. But the LORD said unto David my father: Whereas it was in thy heart to build a house for My name, thou didst well that it was in thy heart; 'never |