1 No ano quatrocentos e oitenta depois que saíram da terra do Egito os filhos de Israel, no quarto ano do reinado de Salomão sobre Israel, no mês de Zive, que é o segundo mês, começou-se a edificar a casa de Jeová.2 A casa que Salomão edificou para Jeová, tinha sessenta cúbitos de comprido, vinte de largo e trinta de alto.3 O pórtico diante do templo da casa estendia-se por vinte cúbitos no sentido da largura da casa, e projetava-se por dez cúbitos à frente da mesma.4 Para a casa fez janelas de gelosias fixas.5 Contra a parede da casa, tanto do templo como do oráculo, edificou andares ao redor e fez câmaras laterais ao redor:6 o andar de baixo tinha cinco cúbitos de largo, o do meio seis e o terceiro sete, porque pelo lado de fora na parede da casa fez encostas, para que as vigas não estribassem nas paredes da casa.7 Ao edificar-se a casa, empregavam-se pedras preparadas na pedreira; não se ouviu na casa martelo, nem machado nem instrumento algum de ferro, enquanto ela se edificava.8 A porta para as câmaras laterais do meio estava à banda direita da casa; subiam por uma escada para o andar do meio, e do andar do meio para o terceiro.9 Assim edificou a casa e a acabou, cobrindo-a com traves e pranchas de cedro.10 Os andares que edificou contra a casa toda eram de cinco cúbitos de altura, e os ligou à casa com madeira de cedro.11 Então veio a palavra de Jeová a Salomão, dizendo:12 Quanto a esta casa que tu estás edificando, se andares nos meus estatutos, e executares os meus juízos, e guardares todos os meus mandamentos, andando neles; estabelecerei contigo a minha palavra que falei a Davi, teu pai.13 Habitarei no meio dos filhos de Israel, e não abandonarei o meu povo de Israel.14 Salomão edificou a casa, e acabou-a.15 Guarneceu as paredes da casa por dentro com tábuas de cedro, cobrindo-as por dentro com madeiras desde o soalho da casa até as traves do teto. Também cobriu o soalho com tábuas de cipreste.16 Do fundo da casa a vinte cúbitos fez com tábuas de cedro uma divisão desde o soalho até as traves; e preparou-a por dentro para o oráculo, para o santo dos santos.17 A casa, isto é, o templo fronteiro ao oráculo, tinha quarenta cúbitos de comprido.18 A casa por dentro estava forrada de cedro, lavrado de botões e de flores abertas: tudo era cedro; não se via pedra.19 No meio da casa na parte mais interior preparou um oráculo, para pôr nele a arca da aliança de Jeová.20 Dentro do oráculo havia um espaço de vinte cúbitos de comprimento, vinte de largura e vinte de altura, que cobriu de ouro puro. Cobriu de cedro o altar.21 Salomão cobriu também de ouro puro a casa por dentro; e fez passar cadeias de ouro por dentro do oráculo, que cobriu de ouro.22 Cobriu inteiramente de ouro a casa toda; também cobriu de ouro o altar todo que pertencia ao oráculo.23 No oráculo fez dois querubins de pau de oliveira, cada um tendo dez cúbitos de alto.24 Uma asa do querubim tinha cinco cúbitos, e a outra tinha cinco; desde a extremidade duma asa até a extremidade da outra havia dez cúbitos.25 O outro querubim também tinha dez cúbitos: ambos os querubins eram da mesma medida e da mesma forma.26 Um querubim tinha dez cúbitos de alto, assim também o outro.27 Pôs os querubins dentro da casa interior; as asas dos querubins estendiam-se, de sorte que a dum tocava numa parede, e a do outro tocavam noutra parede; e as suas asas tocavam uma a outra no meio da casa.28 Cobriu de ouro os querubins.29 Em volta de todas as paredes da casa, tanto na divisão mais interior como na mais exterior, fez de entalhe querubins, palmeiras e flores abertas.30 Também cobriu de ouro o soalho da casa, tanto na divisão mais interior como na mais exterior.31 Para a entrada do oráculo fez de pau de oliveira portas: a verga da porta e as umbreiras constituiam a quinta parte da parede.32 Assim fabricou de pau de oliveira duas portas; e nelas fez de entalhe querubins, palmeiras e flores abertas, que cobriu de ouro. Também estendeu o ouro sobre os querubins e sobre as palmeiras.33 Assim para a entrada do templo fez também de pau de oliveira umbreiras que constituiam a quarta parte da parede;34 e de madeira de cipreste fez duas portas. As duas folhas de cada porta fechavam-se uma sobre outra.35 Nelas esculpiu querubins, palmeiras e flores abertas; e cobriu-as de ouro ajustado às figuras entalhadas.36 Edificou o átrio interior de três ordens de pedras lavradas, e duma ordem de vigas de cedro.37 Lançou-se o fundamento da casa de Jeová no quarto ano, no mês de Zive.38 No undécimo ano, no mês de Bul, que é o oitavo mês, foi acabada a casa em todas as suas partes, e tal como devia ser. Levou Salomão sete anos para edificá-la.

1 Solomon began work on the Temple. It was four hundred and eighty years after the people of Israel left Egypt, during the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the second month, the month of Ziv.2 The Temple Solomon built was ninety feet long, thirty feet wide, and forty-five feet high inside.3 The entrance room was fifteen feet deep and thirty feet wide. It was as wide as the sanctuary.4 He made windows for the Temple. Their openings were narrower on the outside than on the inside.5 A third-story annex, seven and one half feet high, was built against the outside walls. It was on the sides and the back of the Temple.6 Each room in the lowest story was seven and one half feet wide. The middle story was nine feet wide. The top story was ten and one half feet wide. The Temple wall on each floor was thinner than on the floor below, so that the rooms could rest on the wall without having their beams built into it.7 The stones with which the Temple was built were prepared at the quarry. That way there was no noise made by hammers, axes, or any other iron tools as the Temple was built.8 The entrance to the lowest story of the annex was on the south side of the Temple. It had stairs leading up to the second and third stories.9 King Solomon finished building the Temple. He put in a ceiling made of beams and boards of cedar.10 The three-story annex, each story seven and one half feet high, was built against the outside walls of the Temple. Cedar beams were used to join it to them.11 Jehovah spoke to Solomon:12 »If you obey all my laws and commands, I will do for you what I promised your father David.13 »I will live among my people Israel in this Temple that you are building. I will never abandon them.«14 Solomon finished building the Temple.15 The inside walls were covered with cedar panels from the floor to the ceiling. The floor was made of pine.16 An inner room, called the Most Holy Place, was built in the rear of the Temple. It was thirty feet long and was partitioned off by cedar boards reaching from the floor to the ceiling.17 The room in front of the Most Holy Place was sixty feet long.18 The cedar panels were decorated with carvings of gourds and flowers. The entire interior was covered with cedar. The stones of the walls could not be seen.19 An inner room was built in the rear of the Temple. The Ark of the Covenant was to be placed there.20 This inner room was thirty feet long, thirty feet wide, and thirty feet high, all covered with pure gold. The altar was covered with cedar panels.21 The inside of the Temple was covered with gold. Gold chains were placed across the entrance of the inner room.22 The whole interior of the Temple was covered with gold, as well as the altar in the Most Holy Place.23 Two cherubim made of olive wood were placed in the Most Holy Place. Each one was fifteen feet tall.24 Each had two wings, each wing was seven and one half feet long. The distance from one wing tip to the other was fifteen feet.25 The other cherub was fifteen feet tall.26 Both were the same size and shape.27 They were placed side by side in the Most Holy Place. Their outstretched wings touched each other in the middle of the room, and the other two wings touched the walls.28 The two cherubim were covered with gold.29 The walls of the main room and of the inner room were all decorated with carved figures of cherubim, palm trees, and flowers.30 Even the floor was covered with gold.31 A double door made of olive wood was hung at the entrance of the Most Holy Place. There was a pointed arch on top of the doorway.32 The doors were decorated with carved figures of cherubim, palm trees, and flowers. The doors, the cherubim, and the palm trees were covered with gold.33 A rectangular doorframe of olive wood was made for the entrance to the main room.34 There were two folding doors made of pine35 and decorated with carved figures of cherubim, palm trees, and flowers, which were evenly covered with gold.36 An inner court was built in front of the Temple. They enclosed it with walls that had one layer of cedar beams for every three layers of stone.37 The foundation of the Temple was laid in the second month, the month of Ziv, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign.38 In the eighth month, the month of Bul, in the eleventh year of Solomon's reign, the Temple was completely finished exactly as it had been planned. It took Solomon seven years to build it.