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1 Kings

Starts with King Solomon's reign, his wisdom, and building the temple, then the kingdom dividing into Israel and Judah.

Chapter 7

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1 But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.

*But Solomon took thirteen years to build his own home and completed it entirely.

2 He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.

*He constructed a house from Lebanon's forest wood. It was 100 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. The structure had four rows of cedar columns, with cedar beams on top of them.

3 And it was covered with cedar above upon the beams, that lay on forty five pillars, fifteen in a row.

*The roof was made of cedar wood on the beams, which rested on 45 columns, with 15 columns in each row.

4 And there were windows in three rows, and light was against light in three ranks.

*There were three rows of windows, and lights were opposite to each other in three levels.

5 And all the doors and posts were square, with the windows: and light was against light in three ranks.

*All the doors and posts were shaped like squares, along with the windows. There were three rows of lights shining opposite each other.

6 And he made a porch of pillars; the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits: and the porch was before them: and the other pillars and the thick beam were before them.

*He built a porch with columns. It was 50 cubits long and 30 cubits wide. This porch was in front of them, and also there were more columns and a big beam in front of them.

7 Then he made a porch for the throne where he might judge, even the porch of judgment: and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other.

*Then he built a deck for the king's seat for judging, called the Judgment Deck. It was made of cedar wood all across the floor.

8 And his house where he dwelt had another court within the porch, which was of the like work. Solomon made also an house for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had taken to wife, like unto this porch.

*Solomon's home had a smaller courtyard inside the main entrance, built in the same style. He also built a house for his wife, Pharaoh's daughter, with a similar design as their main porch.

9 All these were of costly stones, according to the measures of hewed stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, and so on the outside toward the great court.

*All these stones were expensive and carefully cut with saws, both inside and outside. They went from the foundation to the top and also extended towards the large courtyard area.

10 And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits.

*The foundation used expensive large stones, some were 10 cubits big and others were 8 cubits big.

11 And above were costly stones, after the measures of hewed stones, and cedars.

*Above were expensive stones, similar to cut stones in size, and cedar wood.

12 And the great court round about was with three rows of hewed stones, and a row of cedar beams, both for the inner court of the house of the LORD, and for the porch of the house.

*The big outer area had three levels of cut stones and a level of cedar wood planks, for the inner court of God's place and the entrance of the building.

13 And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre.

*King Solomon asked for Hiram to come from Tyre.

14 He was a widow’s son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work.

*He was the son of a widow from the Naphtali tribe and his dad was from Tyre, skilled in bronze work. He was very smart, knowledgeable, and talented in making things with bronze. He worked for King Solomon, creating all kinds of bronze works.

15 For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of twelve cubits did compass either of them about.

*He made two bronze pillars, each 18 cubits tall, and a line of 12 cubits went around each one.

16 And he made two chapiters of molten brass, to set upon the tops of the pillars: the height of the one chapiter was five cubits, and the height of the other chapiter was five cubits:

*He created two brass figures to place on top of the pillars. Each figure was five feet tall.

17 And nets of checker work, and wreaths of chain work, for the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars; seven for the one chapiter, and seven for the other chapiter.

*The verse describes intricate patterns of checkered and chain designs on decorative tops of columns. There are seven of these designs each for two different column tops.

18 And he made the pillars, and two rows round about upon the one network, to cover the chapiters that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and so did he for the other chapiter.

*He created the pillars and two rings around them. These rings covered the decorations on top, which had pomegranates, and he did this for both decorations.

19 And the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily work in the porch, four cubits.

*The decorations on top of the pillars showed a lily design in the entrance area, measuring four cubits long.

20 And the chapiters upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above, over against the belly which was by the network: and the pomegranates were two hundred in rows round about upon the other chapiter.

*The statues on top of the two columns had pomegranate designs too, facing the middle part supported by the net. There were 200 pomegranate designs going around the other statue.

21 And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz.

*He put up the support columns at the entrance of the temple. He placed the right column and named it Jachin. He also put up the left column and named it Boaz.

22 And upon the top of the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars finished.

*At the top of the pillars, there were designs of lilies. This completed the work on the pillars.

23 And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.

*He created a melted sea that was ten cubits in size from edge to edge; it was shaped like a circle, five cubits tall, and a line of thirty cubits went around it completely.

24 And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast.

*Around the edge of it, there were ten decorative balls per unit length, going around the sea. These balls were arranged in two rows when the object was made.

25 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 above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

*It sat on twelve ox statues, with three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The sea was placed on top of them, and their backs faced inward.

26 And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths.

*It was as thin as a hand's width, with a decoration like a cup's rim, having lily-shaped flowers; it could hold 2,000 large bathtubs worth of water.

27 And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it.

*He created ten brass stands; each stand was four feet long and four feet wide, and three feet tall.

28 And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges:

*The base's job was done like this: They had edges, and these edges were between the steps.

29 And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work.

*On the edges, between the steps, were lions, oxen, and cherubs. Above the steps, there was a base. Below the lions and oxen, some decorations were added with delicate detailing.

30 And every base had four brasen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners thereof had undersetters: under the laver were undersetters molten, at the side of every addition.

*Each base had 4 bronze wheels and brass plates. The four corners had supports. Under the basin, melted supports were added on each side of every extra part.

31 And the mouth of it within the chapiter and above was a cubit: but the mouth thereof was round after the work of the base, a cubit and an half: and also upon the mouth of it were gravings with their borders, foursquare, not round.

*The top part of the object had a mouth that was one cubit in size. However, the mouth's shape was rounded, similar to the base, measuring a cubit and a half. Additionally, there were carvings around the mouth, forming a square shape instead of a circle.

32 And under the borders were four wheels; and the axletrees of the wheels were joined to the base: and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit.

*Under the edges, there were four wheels connected to the bottom part. Each wheel was as tall as a measurement called a cubit and a half-cubit.

33 And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their axletrees, and their naves, and their felloes, and their spokes, were all molten.

*The wheels' work was similar to that of a chariot wheel. Their parts, including axletrees, naves, felloes, and spokes, were all made by melting metal.

34 And there were four undersetters to the four corners of one base: and the undersetters were of the very base itself.

*There were four helpers at each corner of a single base, and these helpers were part of the base itself.

35 And in the top of the base was there a round compass of half a cubit high: and on the top of the base the ledges thereof and the borders thereof were of the same.

*At the top of the base, there was a round compass measuring half a cubit tall. The ledges and borders on top of the base were also the same.

36 For on the plates of the ledges thereof, and on the borders thereof, he graved cherubims, lions, and palm trees, according to the proportion of every one, and additions round about.

*On the edges and borders, he carved cherubs, lions, and palm trees in different sizes, with extra designs all around.

37 After this manner he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one size.

*In this way, he created the ten bases. They were all made from one mold, had the same shape, and were the same size.

38 Then made he ten lavers of brass: one laver contained forty baths: and every laver was four cubits: and upon every one of the ten bases one laver.

*Then, he created ten large basins from bronze. One basin held enough water for forty baths. Each basin measured four cubits in size, and there was one basin on top of each of the ten bases.

39 And he put five bases on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house: and he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward over against the south.

*He placed five supports on the right side of the house and five on the left side. He also put the sea on the right side facing east, towards the south.

40 And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the basons. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made king Solomon for the house of the LORD:

*Hiram created the basins, shovels, and large bowls. After completing this work for King Solomon's temple, Hiram finished helping King Solomon with his tasks for the Lord's house.

41 The two pillars, and the two bowls of the chapiters that were on the top of the two pillars; and the two networks, to cover the two bowls of the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars;

*The two columns had decorations on top, along with two large bowls. There were also two net-like structures to cover these bowls at the top of the columns.

42 And four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, even two rows of pomegranates for one network, to cover the two bowls of the chapiters that were upon the pillars;

*And 400 pomegranates for the two circles, that's two rows of pomegranates for one circle, to cover the top parts on the pillars.

43 And the ten bases, and ten lavers on the bases;

*And there were 10 bases with 10 basins each on them.

44 And one sea, and twelve oxen under the sea;

*And one big ocean, with 12 cows living underwater.

45 And the pots, and the shovels, and the basons: and all these vessels, which Hiram made to king Solomon for the house of the LORD, were of bright brass.

*And the pots, shovels, and basins, along with all these objects made by Hiram for King Solomon for God's temple were made of shiny bronze.

46 In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarthan.

*The king placed them in the Jordan valley, between the places called Succoth and Zarthan, on muddy ground.

47 And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were exceeding many: neither was the weight of the brass found out.

*Solomon didn't weigh any of the vessels because there were too many; their brass weight wasn't determined.

48 And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shewbread was,

*And Solomon created all the items needed for the LORD's house: a golden altar and a golden table for the bread display.

49 And the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the oracle, with the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs of gold,

*And the golden candlesticks, five on one side and five on the other, in front of the oracle, with the flowers, lamps, and golden tongs.

50 And the bowls, and the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the temple.

*And the bowls, snuffers, basins, spoons, and golden censors; also the gold hinges for the inner house's door, the holy place, and the main temple door.

51 So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the LORD. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated; even the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, did he put among the treasures of the house of the LORD.

*Thus, all the work King Solomon completed for God's temple was finished. Solomon then placed the items that his father David had dedicated - including silver, gold, and objects - into the temple's treasures.

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