3
1 Then Sh'lomo began to build the Bais Hashem at Yerushalayim in Mt Moriyah, where Hashem appeared unto Dovid Avihu, in the makom (place) which Dovid had prepared in the goren (threshing floor) of Ornan the Yevusi. 2 And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his* reign.
3 Now these are the foundations which Sh'lomo laid for the building of the Bais HaElohim. The length by cubits using the middah harishonah (old standard) was threescore cubits, and the width twenty cubits.
4 And the Ulam that was in the front of the Bais (porch or vestibule in front of the Holy Place), the length of it was according to the width of the Bais, twenty cubits, and the height was twenty, and he overlaid it within with zahav tahor. 5 And the Bais HaGadol he paneled with cypress, which he overlaid with zahav tov, and carved thereon timorim (palm trees) and sharsherot (chainwork). 6 And he decorated the Bais with precious stones for tiferet (beauty), and the zahav was zahav from Parvayim. 7 He overlaid also the Bais, the ceiling beams, the thresholds, and the walls thereof, and the daletot (doors) thereof, with zahav; and carved keruvim on the walls.
8 And he made the Bais Kodesh HaKadashim, the length whereof was according to the width of the bais, twenty cubits long, and the width thereof twenty cubits, and he overlaid it with zahav tov of six hundred talents. 9 And the weight of the masmerot (nails) was fifty shekels of zahav. And he overlaid the upper rooms with zahav.
10 And in the Bais Kodesh HaKadashim he made two keruvim of ma'aseh tza'atzu'im (sculpture work), and overlaid them with zahav. 11 And the wings of the keruvim were twenty cubits long; one wing of the one keruv was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the Bais; and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other keruv. 12 And one wing of the other keruv was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the Bais; and the other wing was five cubits also, joining to the wing of the other keruv. 13 The wings of these keruvim spread themselves forth twenty cubits; and they stood on their feet, and their faces turned inward.
14 And he made the Parochet of blue wool, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought keruvim thereon.
15 Also he made before the Bais two [freestanding] Ammudim (pillars) of thirty and five cubits high,† and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.
16 And he made sharsherot in the Devir, and put them on the rosh of the Ammudim; and made a hundred pomegranates, and put them on the sharsherot.
17 And he erected the Ammudim before the Heikhal, one on the right, and the other on the left; and called the shem of that on the right Yachin, and the shem of that on the left Boaz.
* 3:2 Sh'lomoʼs 970-930 B.C.E. † 3:15 53 feet