1 Depois Salomão mandou edificar o seu próprio palácio que levou 13 anos a construir.

2 Uma das salas do palácio chamava-se Salão da Floresta do Líbano. Era uma sala enorme que media 50 metros de comprimento por 25 metros de largura e 15 metros de altura. 3 Enormes vigas de cedro saíam do teto e repousavam sobre quarenta e cinco colunas também de cedro, distribuídas em três séries de quinze cada uma. 4 Tinha três ordens de janelas que ficavam umas em frente das outras. 5 As portas da sala estavam emolduradas em retângulos, ficando umas em frente das outras, em três filas.

6 O Salão dos Pilares media 25 metros de comprimento e 15 metros de largura, com um pórtico à entrada e uma abóbada suportada por pilares.

7 Havia também a Sala do Trono ou Sala de Julgamento, onde o rei se sentava para ouvir os processos jurídicos, que era revestida de cedro do chão até ao teto. 8 Os seus aposentos pessoais eram igualmente em cedro e dispunham-se em volta de um pátio, na retaguarda desta última sala. Reservou, aliás, apartamentos idênticos, com as mesmas medidas, no palácio que mandou construir para a filha do Faraó, uma das suas mulheres.

9 Todas estas construções foram feitas com enormes blocos de pedra cortados à medida. O custo de cada um desses blocos ficou, por isso, muito elevado. 10 As pedras para os alicerces tinham 5 e 4 metros de largura. 11 Os grandes blocos das paredes, cortados à medida exata da largura, juntavam-se no alto com as vigas de cedro. 12 O Grande Pátio tinha três correntezas de pedras lavradas, intercaladas com vigas de cedro, como acontecia no templo e no pórtico do palácio.

13 O rei Salomão pediu a um homem de Tiro, chamado Hurão, 14 que viesse fazer aquelas obras, porque era um artista inteligente e hábil a trabalhar em bronze. Ele era meio judeu, sendo filho de uma viúva de Naftali, e o seu pai fora operário de fundição em Tiro. Esse homem veio trabalhar para o rei Salomão.

15 Fez então duas grandes colunas de bronze, cada uma com 9 metros de altura e 6 metros de perímetro. 16 No topo desses pilares fez dois capitéis em forma de lírios, em bronze fundido, cada um com 2,5 metros de altura. 17 Cada capitel era decorado com sete conjuntos de rosáceas. 18-22 Cada capitel tinha também duas filas com duzentas romãs em bronze, esculpidas em cadeia. Hurão mandou colocar esses pilares à entrada do templo. Ao do lado sul deu o nome de Jaquim, ao outro, a norte, deu o nome de Boaz.*7.18-22 Em hebraico, Jaquim significa ele estabelecerá e Boaz significa nele está a força.

23 Depois mandou forjar um enorme tanque redondo, também chamado mar de fundição, com um diâmetro de 5 metros. A borda dessa grande bacia ficava 2,5 metros do chão; a sua circunferência media 15 metros. 24 Por baixo da borda, do lado de fora, havia duas filas de ornamentos, separadas por alguns centímetros e fundidos juntamente com o tanque.

25 Este assentava sobre doze bois de metal com as partes traseiras viradas para o interior; três voltados para o norte, três para o sul, três para o este e três para o oeste. 26 As paredes do tanque mediam 8 centímetros de espessura. O seu rebordo era como o de uma taça em forma de lírio. Tinha capacidade para 44 000 litros.

27 Depois fez dez bases de bronze, com quatro rodas. Cada base era quadrada com 2 metros de lado e 1,5 metros de altura. 28 Estavam montadas sobre um suporte rodado feito de peças cruzadas. 29 Tinham como decoração leões incrustados, bois e querubins; acima e abaixo dos leões e dos bois pendiam grinaldas. 30 Cada uma destas bases tinha quatro rodas de bronze e eixos também em bronze; em cada canto das bases havia postes de bronze decorados com figuras em espiral nos lados. 31 A parte de cima destas bases consistia numa peça redonda de 50 centímetros de altura. O seu centro era côncavo, com 75 centímetros de fundo, decorado no exterior com espirais. As paredes do revestimento eram quadradas, não redondas. 32 Estas bases andavam sobre quatro rodas ligadas a eixos fundidos com as próprias bases. As rodas tinham 75 centímetros de altura. 33 Eram semelhantes às rodas de um carro. Todas as partes das bases eram feitas de bronze fundido, incluindo os eixos, os raios, os arcos e o centro.

34 Havia suportes em cada um dos quatro cantos das bases, também eles fundidos com as bases. 35 Estas tinham uma cercadura com 25 centímetros, na parte superior, de que saíam umas pegas; tudo fundido numa só peça com a base. 36 Nos espaços que podiam ser decorados, viam-se querubins, leões e palmeiras rodeadas por figuras em espiral. 37 As dez bases eram todas do mesmo tamanho e tinham as mesmas decorações, visto terem sido feitas no mesmo molde.

38 Depois mandou fazer dez tinas de bronze e colocou-as sobre as bases. Eram quadradas, com 2 metros de lado, e tinham a capacidade para 900 litros de água. 39 Cinco destas tinas foram postas num dos lados do templo e as outras cinco no outro. O tanque ficava no canto sul, no lado direito. 40 Hurão fez também o resto dos utensílios necessários: bacias, pás e tinas. Por fim, Hurão terminou toda a obra para o templo do Senhor, que Salomão lhe encomendara.

Esta é a lista dos trabalhos feitos:

41 dois pilares;

um capitel para o cimo de cada pilar;

rosáceas para cobrir as bases dos capitéis de cada pilar;

42 quatrocentas romãs, em duas filas, no trabalho das rosáceas, para cobrir as bases dos dois capitéis;

43 dez bases para dez pias;

44 um grande tanque e doze bois para o suportar;

45 recipientes; pás; bacias.

Todos estes utensílios foram feitos por este hábil artífice, Hurão, para o rei Salomão, usando bronze polido. 46 Tudo foi feito em bronze fundido e preparado nas planícies do Jordão, num sítio entre Sucote e Zaretã. 47 Foram usadas grandes quantidades de bronze, cujo peso era tal, que Salomão nem sequer registou o seu valor.

48 No entanto, Salomão recomendou que todos os utensílios e o mobiliário da casa do Senhor fossem feitos de ouro puro. Isto incluía o altar, a mesa onde se encontrava exposto o pão da Presença de Deus; 49 o candelabro, com cinco luzes à direita e cinco à esquerda, em frente do lugar santíssimo, as decorações florais, as lâmpadas e os espevitadores; 50 as taças, os apagadores, as bacias, os perfumadores, os braseiros; tudo foi feito em ouro puro; também as dobradiças das portas do lugar santíssimo e as da entrada principal do templo. Todos estes objetos eram feitos de ouro puro.

51 Quando o templo acabou de ser construído, Salomão colocou no tesouro do templo a prata, o ouro e todos os recipientes consagrados por seu pai, David.

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

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. 3 And it was covered with cedar above upon the beams, that lay on forty five pillars, fifteen in a row.*7.3 beams: Heb. ribs 4 And there were windows in three rows, and light was against light in three ranks.*7.4 light was…: Heb. sight against sight 5 And all the doors and posts were square, with the windows: and light was against light in three ranks.*7.5 doors…: or, spaces and pillars were square in prospect

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.*7.6 before them: or, according to 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.*7.7 from…: Heb. from floor to 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. 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. 10 And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits. 11 And above were costly stones, after the measures of hewed stones, and cedars. 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.

13 And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre.*7.13 Hiram: also called, Huram 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.*7.14 a widow’s…: Heb. the son of a widow woman 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.*7.15 cast: Heb. fashioned 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: 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. 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. 19 And the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily work in the porch, four cubits. 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. 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.*7.21 Jachin: that is, He shall establish*7.21 Boaz: that is, In it is strength 22 And upon the top of the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars finished.

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.*7.23 from…: Heb. from his brim to his brim 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. 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. 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.

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. 28 And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges: 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. 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. 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. 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.*7.32 joined…: Heb. in the base 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. 34 And there were four undersetters to the four corners of one base: and the undersetters were of the very 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. 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.*7.36 proportion: Heb. nakedness 37 After this manner he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one 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. 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.*7.39 side: Heb. shoulder

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:*7.40 And Hiram: Heb. And Hirom 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; 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;*7.42 upon…: Heb. upon the face of the pillars 43 And the ten bases, and ten lavers on the bases; 44 And one sea, and twelve oxen under the sea; 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.*7.45 bright: Heb. made bright or, scoured 46 In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarthan.*7.46 in…: Heb. in the thickness of the ground 47 And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were exceeding many: neither was the weight of the brass found out.*7.47 because…: Heb. for the exceeding multitude*7.47 found: Heb. searched

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, 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, 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.*7.50 censers: Heb. ash pans 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.*7.51 things…: Heb. holy things of David