1 Salomão levou treze anos a terminar a construção do seu palácio.2 Edificou primeiro a Casa da Floresta do Líbano, que tinha cem côvados de comprimento, cinqüenta de largo e trinta de alto, repousando sobre quatro fileiras de colunas de cedro, com traves de cedro sobre as colunas.3 Forrou de cedro o teto dos quartos, que se apoiavam nas colunas, em número de quarenta e cinco, ou seja, quinze colunas por fileira.4 Havia três fileiras de quartos, cujas janelas se correspondiam três vezes.5 Todas as portas e suas vigas eram retangulares, e as janelas se correspondiam três vezes.6 Fez um pórtico de colunas, com cinqüenta côvados de comprido e trinta de largo, precedido de um segundo pórtico de colunas com degraus.7 Salomão mandou fazer a sala do trono, onde estava o tribunal, o pórtico do juízo, e revestiu-o de cedro desde o pavimento até ao teto.8 Sua residência, construída no segundo pátio, atrás do pórtico, era de trabalho semelhante. Enfim, mandou construir para a filha do faraó, que ele tinha desposado, uma casa do mesmo gênero que este pórtico.9 Todas essas construções eram feitas com pedras escolhidas, talhadas sob medida, e serradas tanto por dentro como por fora, desde os fundamentos até o alto das cornijas, inclusive o muro do grande pátio.10 Os fundamentos eram também feitos de pedras escolhidas de grande dimensão, pedras de dez e de oito côvados.11 Por cima havia ainda pedras escolhidas, talhadas sob medida, e traves de cedro.12 O muro, que cercava o grande pátio, tinha três ordens de pedras talhadas e uma fileira de vigas de cedro, assim como no pátio interior do templo do Senhor e no pórtico do palácio.13 O rei Salomão mandara vir de Tiro um homem que trabalhava em bronze, Hirão,14 filho de uma viúva da tribo de Neftali, cujo pai era de Tiro. Hirão era talentoso, cheio de inteligência e habilidade para fazer toda espécie de trabalhos em bronze. Apresentou-se ao rei Salomão e executou todos os seus trabalhos.15 Fez duas colunas de bronze: a primeira tinha dezoito côvados de altura; a sua periferia media-se com um fio de doze côvados. Tinham quatro dedos de espessura e eram ocas. A segunda coluna era semelhante a esta.16 Fundiu dois capitéis para pô-los no alto das colunas; ambos tinham cinco côvados de altura,17 e eram ornados de redes de malhas e grinaldas em forma de cadeias; havia sete grinaldas para cada capitel.18 Dispôs em círculo ao redor de cada uma das malhas duas fileiras de romãs, para ornar cada um dos capitéis que cobriam as colunas.19 Os capitéis, que sobremontavam as colunas no pórtico, tinham a forma de lírios, com quatro côvados de altura.20 Os capitéis colocados sobre as duas colunas elevavam-se acima da parte mais grossa da coluna, além da rede; em volta dos dois capitéis, havia duzentas romãs dispostas em círculo.21 Hirão levantou as colunas no pórtico do templo; a coluna direita, que chamou Jaquin, e a esquerda, que chamou Boaz.22 Por cima das colunas pôs um trabalho em forma de lírio. E assim foi acabada a obra das colunas.23 Hirão fez também o mar de bronze, que tinha dez côvados de uma borda à outra, perfeitamente redondo, e com altura de cinco côvados; sua circunferência media-se com um fio de trinta côvados.24 Por baixo de sua borda havia coloquíntidas em número de dez por côvado; elas rodeavam o mar, dispostas em duas ordens, formando com o mar uma só peça.25 Este apoiava-se sobre doze bois, dos quais três olhavam para o norte, três para o ocidente, três para o sul e três para o oriente. O mar repousava sobre eles, e suas ancas estavam para o lado de dentro.26 A espessura do mar era de um palmo; sua borda assemelhava-se à de um copo em forma de lírio; sua capacidade era de dois mil batos.27 Fez também duas bases de bronze, tendo cada uma quatro côvados de comprimento, quatro de largura e três de altura.28 Eis como eram feitas essas bases: eram formadas de painéis e enquadradas de molduras.29 Nos painéis enquadrados de molduras, havia leões, bois e querubins, assim como nas travessas igualmente. Por cima e por baixo dos leões e dos bois pendiam grinaldas em forma de festões.30 Cada base tinha quatro rodas de bronze, com seus eixos de bronze, e nos quatro cantos havia suportes fundidos que sustinham a bacia, os quais estavam por baixo das grinaldas.31 A abertura para a bacia era no interior dos suportes, e os ultrapassava de um côvado de altura; era cilíndrica e seu diâmetro era de um côvado e meio; e era também ornada de esculturas. Os painéis eram quadrados e não redondos.32 Debaixo destes estavam as quatro rodas, cujos eixos eram fixados à base. Cada roda tinha um côvado e meio de altura,33 e era feita como as de um carro. Eixos, cambas, raios e cubos, tudo era fundido.34 Nos quatro ângulos de cada base encontravam-se quatro suportes que faziam parte da mesma base.35 A parte superior da base era de forma circular, tendo meio côvado de altura; seus esteios formavam com os painéis uma só peça.36 Nas placas dos seus esteios e dos painéis assim como no espaço livre entre estas, esculpiu querubins, leões, palmas e grinaldas circulares.37 Desse modo fez as dez bases, todas do mesmo molde, da mesma dimensão e modelo.38 Fez também dez bacias de bronze, contendo cada uma quarenta batos. Cada uma tinha quatro côvados e repousava sobre um dos dez pedestais.39 Pôs cinco pedestais do lado direito do templo e cinco do lado esquerdo. O mar foi colocado do lado direito do edifício, para o sudoeste.40 Hirão fez também caldeirões, pás e bacias. Hirão concluiu, pois, toda a obra que o rei Salomão lhe mandara fazer para o templo do Senhor:41 duas colunas, dois capitéis esféricos para o alto das colunas, duas redes para cobrir os capitéis esféricos que estão sobre as colunas;42 quatrocentas romãs para as redes, duas fileiras de romãs para cada rede, para cobrir os dois capitéis esféricos que estão no alto das colunas;43 dez pedestais e dez bacias sobre os pedestais;44 o mar, único, com os doze bois por baixo do mar;45 os caldeirões, pás e bacias. Todos esses objetos que Hirão fez por ordem do rei Salomão para o templo do Senhor, eram de bronze polido.46 O rei mandou-os fundir na planície do Jordão, numa terra argilosa, entre Socot e Sartã.47 Era tão grande o número desses objetos, que Salomão não pesou o bronze.48 Salomão mandou ainda fabricar todos os utensílios que estariam no templo do Senhor: o altar de ouro, a mesa de ouro sobre a qual se colocavam os pães de proposição;49 os candelabros de ouro fino, cinco à direita e cinco à esquerda, diante do santuário, com as flores, as lâmpadas e as espevitadeiras de ouro,50 os copos, as facas, as bacias, as colheres e os cinzeiros de ouro fino, e os gonzos de ouro para os batentes da porta do santuário, o Santo dos Santos, e da porta do templo, o Santo.51 Assim foram concluídos todos os trabalhos empreendidos pelo rei Salomão para o templo do Senhor. E Salomão mandou então que se trouxesse tudo o que Davi, seu pai, tinha consagrado: a prata, o ouro e os utensílios, e colocou-os nas reservas do templo do Senhor.

1 But his own house was Solomon building thirteen years, and then he finished all his house.2 He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon: a hundred cubits was its length, and fifty cubits was its breadth, and thirty cubits was its height, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.3 And it was covered with cedar above over the beams, that lay on the forty–five pillars, fifteen in a row.4 And there were window–spaces in three rows, and windows were opposite each other in three ranks.5 And all the entrances and door–posts formed a square in shape: and windows were opposite windows in three ranks.6 And he made a porch of pillars: fifty cubits was its length, and thirty cubits its breadth; and the porch was before them; and the other pillars with an entablature before them.7 Then he made a porch for the throne where he might judge, the porch of judgment: and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other.8 And his house where he dwelt in another court within the porch, was of the like work: and Solomon made also a house for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had taken for wife, like unto this porch.9 All these were of heavy stones, hewn after a fixed measure, sawed with the saw inside and outside, even from the foundation unto the coping, and from the outside unto the great court.10 And the foundation was of heavy stones, large stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits.11 And above were heavy stones, hewn after a fixed measure, and cedars.12 And the great court round about was of three rows of hewn stones, and one 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.14 He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in copper: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and knowledge, to make every work in copper; and he came to king Solomon, and did all his work.15 And he cast two pillars of copper, eighteen cubits was the height of the one pillar; and a line of twelve cubits did encompass the second pillar.16 And he made two capitals, to set upon the tops of the pillars, of molten copper; five cubits was the height of the one capital, and five cubits was the height of the other capital;17 And nets of checker–work, and wreaths of chain–work, for the capitals which were upon the top of the pillars; seven for the one capital, and seven for the other capital.18 And he made the pillars, so that two rows of pomegranates were round about upon the one net–work, to cover the capitals that were upon the top: and the same he made for the other capital.19 And the capitals, that were upon the top of the pillars, furnished with lily–work, as those in the porch, were four cubits.20 And the capitals upon the two pillars rose also above, close by the rounding which was on the side of the network: and the pomegranates were two hundred, in rows round about, upon either capital.21 And he set up the pillars for the porch of the temple; and he set up the right pillar, and called its name Yachin; and he set up the left pillar, and called its name Boaz.22 And upon the top of the pillars there was lily–work: and so was finished the work of the pillars.23 And he made the molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other, rounded all about, and it was five cubits in height: and a line of thirty cubits did encompass it round about.24 And colocynth–shaped knobs were under its brim round about encompassing it, ten in a cubit, encircling the sea round about: the colocynths were in two rows, and were cast with it when it was cast.25 It was standing 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 resting above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.26 And its thickness was a hand’s breadth, and its brim was wrought like the brim of a cup, with lily–buds: it could contain two thousand baths.27 And he made ten bases of copper: four cubits was the length of each one base, and four cubits its breadth, and three cubits its height.28 And this was the workmanship of the bases: They had borders, and the borders were between the corner ledges;29 And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and upon the corner ledges it was thus also above; and likewise beneath the lions and oxen were pendant wreaths of plated work.30 And every base had four copper wheels, and axles of copper; and its four corners had undersetters; under the laver were the undersetters cast on; at the side of each were pendants.31 And its mouth was within the capital and above a cubit in height; but the mouth of this was rounded after the work of the base, a cubit and a half cubit; and also upon its mouth were carvings; and their borders were square, not rounded.32 And the four wheels were under the borders; and the axletrees of the wheels were joined to the base: and the height of each one wheel was a cubit and a half cubit.33 And the workmanship of the wheels was like the workmanship of a chariot–wheel: their axletrees, and their naves, and their felloes, and their spokes, were all cast.34 And there were four undersetters to the four corners of each one base; the undersetters were of one piece with the base itself.35 And on the top of the base was a rounded compass of half a cubit high: and on the top of the base were its side–ledges; and its borders were of one piece with itself.36 And he engraved on the plates of its side–ledges and on its borders, cherubim, lions, and palm–trees: and in the open space of every one were pendant wreaths round about.37 After this manner did he make the ten bases: one casting, one measure, one form, was there for all of them.38 Then made he ten lavers of copper; forty baths could each one laver contain; every laver was four cubits: each one laver was upon each one base of the ten bases.39 And he put the bases, five on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house: and the sea he set on the right side of the house eastward opposite the south.40 And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the basins; so Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made for king Solomon for the house of the Lord.41 The two pillars, and the two bowl–shaped capitals that were on the top of the two pillars; and the two net–works, to cover the two bowl–shaped capitals which were upon the top of the pillars;42 And the four hundred pomegranates for the two net–works, two rows of pomegranates for each one net–work, to cover the two bowl–shaped, capitals that were upon the front of the pillars;43 And the ten bases, and the ten lavers upon the bases;44 And the one sea, and the twelve oxen under the sea;45 And the pots, and the shovels, and the basins; and all these vessels, which Hiram had made for king Solomon for the house of the Lord, were of polished copper.46 In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay–ground between Succoth and Zarethan.47 And Solomon set down all the vessels unweighed, because they were exceedingly many: the weight of the copper was not inquired into.48 And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the Lord: The altar of gold, and the table whereupon the show–bread was, of gold,49 And the candlesticks, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the debir, of pure gold, with the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs of gold,50 And the bowls, and the knives, and the basins, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges, for the doors of the inner house, for the holy of holies, for the doors of the house, and for the temple, were of gold.51 And so was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the Lord: and Solomon brought in the things sanctified by David his father, the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, and he placed these in the treasuries of the house of the Lord.