1 Foi na primavera do quarto ano do reinado de Salomão que ele começou a construção do templo; 480 anos depois do povo de Israel ter deixado a escravidão do Egito.

2 O templo, que o rei Salomão construiu para o Senhor, tinha 30 metros de comprimento, 10 metros de largura e 15 metros de altura. 3 A fachada principal tinha um pórtico com 10 metros de largura e 5 metros de fundo. 4 Tinha janelas com grades.

5 Fez também edificar compartimentos em todo o comprimento de ambos os lados do templo, contra as paredes exteriores. 6 Estas salas tinham a altura de três andares, tendo o primeiro piso de 2,5 metros de largura, o segundo piso 3 metros e o de cima 3,5 metros. Os compartimentos estavam ligados à parede do templo por vigas presas em blocos no exterior da parede; as vigas não estavam mesmo inseridas na parede.

7 As pedras usadas na construção do templo foram assentadas sem o ruído de martelo nem de qualquer instrumento semelhante.

8 Para o andar inferior dos compartimentos laterais entrava-se pelo lado direito do templo e havia umas escadas em caracol até ao segundo andar; um outro lanço de escadas levava até ao último piso, o terceiro. 9 Acabada a edificação, Salomão mandou revesti-la completamente de cedro, incluindo as traves e os pilares. 10 Como se disse, havia de cada lado da construção, encostado às paredes laterais, um anexo ligado ao edifício por vigas de cedro. Cada andar desse anexo media 2,5 metros de altura.

11 Então o Senhor deu a Salomão a seguinte mensagem 12 respeitante ao templo que estava a construir: "Se andares de acordo com a minha palavra e seguires os meus mandamentos e instruções, farei o que disse ao teu pai David: 13 Viverei no meio do povo de Israel e nunca o desampararei."

14 Por fim, o templo ficou acabado. 15 Todo o seu interior foi revestido de cedro, do chão ao teto. 16 O sobrado foi feito com pranchas de cipreste. Igual revestimento recebeu a câmara interior ao fundo do templo, o lugar santíssimo, também do chão ao teto, com tábuas de cedro; estas tiveram de ser cortadas à medida do compartimento, tábuas com 10 metros. 17 Para o resto do templo empregaram-se tábuas com 20 metros. 18 Por todo o edifício, o revestimento de cedro que cobria a pedra das paredes tinha incrustados botões de flores e flores abertas.

19 O compartimento interior era onde estava a arca da aliança do Senhor. 20 Este santuário interior tinha 10 metros de comprimento, 10 metros de largura e 10 metros de altura. As paredes e o teto estavam cobertas de ouro puro. Salomão fez um altar de cedro para esta sala. 21,22 Depois mandou revestir o resto do interior do templo com ouro puro, incluindo o altar de cedro. Fez também cadeias de ouro para proteger a entrada do lugar santíssimo.

23 Para o interior deste, fez dois querubins de madeira de oliveira, cada um com 5 metros de altura. 24-28 Foram postos lado a lado, de forma a que as asas abertas, do lado exterior, tocassem as paredes laterais e as do interior se tocassem no centro da peça. Cada asa media 2,5 metros e cada querubim, com as asas abertas, atingia o dobro dessa medida. Os dois querubins tinham a mesma medida e estavam revestidos de ouro.

29 Havia figuras de querubins, palmeiras e flores abertas gravadas nas paredes do templo e do santuário interior. 30 O chão de ambos os lugares também estava revestido de ouro.

31,32 A entrada para o lugar santíssimo era uma porta com cinco lados feita de madeira de oliveira; também tinha querubins entalhados, palmeiras e flores abertas, e tudo era revestido a ouro.

33 Mandou fazer igualmente ombreiras de madeira de oliveira para a entrada do templo. 34 Colocaram-se duas portas duplas feitas de madeira de cipreste e cada porta dobrava-se sobre si mesma. 35 Estas portas também tinham os mesmos entalhes: querubins, palmeiras e flores abertas, e eram todas revestidas a ouro.

36 As paredes do átrio interior tinham três fiadas de pedras lavradas intercaladas com uma viga de cedro.

37 Os alicerces do templo foram colocados no mês de Ziv*6.37 Mês de Ziv. Entre a lua nova do mês de abril e o mês de maio. do quarto ano do reinado de Salomão. 38 O edifício ficou inteiramente pronto, com todos os seus acabamentos, no mês de Bul*6.38 Mês de Bul. Entre a lua nova do mês de outubro e o mês de novembro. do décimo primeiro ano do seu reinado. Levou 7 anos a ser construído.

1 And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.*6.1 began…: Heb. built 2 And the house which king Solomon built for the LORD, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits. 3 And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house. 4 And for the house he made windows of narrow lights.*6.4 of…: or, broad within, and narrow without: or, skewed and closed

5 And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle: and he made chambers round about:*6.5 against the wall: or, upon, or, joining to the wall*6.5 built chambers: Heb. built floors*6.5 made chambers: Heb. made ribs 6 The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad: for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house.*6.6 narrowed…: Heb. narrowings, or, rebatements 7 And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. 8 The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third.*6.8 side: Heb. shoulder 9 So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.*6.9 with…: or, the vaultbeams and the panellings with cedar 10 And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.

11 And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying, 12 Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father: 13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel. 14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.

15 And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and the walls of the cieling: and he covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.*6.15 both…: or, from the floor of the house unto the walls, etc 16 And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built them for it within, even for the oracle, even for the most holy place. 17 And the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits long. 18 And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.*6.18 knops: or, gourds*6.18 open: Heb. openings of 19 And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD. 20 And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.*6.20 pure: Heb. shut up 21 So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold. 22 And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.

23 And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high.*6.23 olive: or, oily: Heb. trees of oil 24 And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits. 25 And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubims were of one measure and one size. 26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub. 27 And he set the cherubims within the inner house: and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.*6.27 they…: or, the cherubims stretched forth their wings 28 And he overlaid the cherubims with gold. 29 And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without.*6.29 open flowers: Heb. openings of flowers 30 And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without.

31 And for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive tree: the lintel and side posts were a fifth part of the wall.*6.31 a fifth…: or, fivesquare 32 The two doors also were of olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubims, and upon the palm trees.*6.32 two…: or, leaves of the doors*6.32 open flowers: Heb. openings of flowers 33 So also made he for the door of the temple posts of olive tree, a fourth part of the wall.*6.33 a fourth…: or, foursquare 34 And the two doors were of fir tree: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. 35 And he carved thereon cherubims and palm trees and open flowers: and covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work.

36 And he built the inner court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams.

37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid, in the month Zif: 38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.*6.38 throughout…: or, with all the parts thereof, and with all the ordinances thereof