1 Kings 7; 2 Chronicles 4; Psalm 44; 1 Timothy 2

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1 Kings 7

Solomon Builds His Palace

Solomon was xbuilding his own house thirteen years, and he finished his entire house.

He built ythe House of the Forest of Lebanon. Its length was a hundred cubits1 and its breadth fifty cubits and its height thirty cubits, and it was built on four2 rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on the pillars. And it was covered with cedar above the chambers that were on the forty-five pillars, fifteen in each row. There were window frames in three rows, and window opposite window in three tiers. All the doorways and windows3 had square frames, and window was opposite window in three tiers.

And he made zthe Hall of Pillars; its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth thirty cubits. There was a porch in front with pillars, and aa canopy in front of them.

And he made the Hall of the Throne where he was to pronounce judgment, even the Hall of Judgment. bIt was finished with cedar from floor to rafters.4

His own house where he was to dwell, in the other court back of the hall, was of like workmanship. Solomon also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter cwhom he had taken in marriage.

All these were made of costly stones, cut according to measure, sawed with saws, back and front, even from the foundation to the coping, and from the outside to the great court. 10 The foundation was of costly stones, huge stones, stones of eight and ten cubits. 11 And above were costly stones, cut according to measurement, and cedar. 12 dThe great court had three courses of cut stone all around, and a course of cedar beams; so had the inner court of the house of the Lord and ethe vestibule of the house.

The Temple Furnishings

13 And King Solomon sent and brought fHiram from 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 bronze. And ghe was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill for making any work in bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all his work.

15 hHe cast itwo pillars of bronze. jEighteen cubits was the height of one pillar, and a line of twelve cubits measured its circumference. It was hollow, and its thickness was four fingers. The second pillar was the same.5 16 He also made two capitals of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of the one capital was five cubits, and jthe height of the other capital was five cubits. 17 There were lattices of checker work with wreaths of chain work for the capitals on the tops of the pillars, a lattice6 for the one capital and a lattice for the other capital. 18 Likewise he made pomegranates7 in two rows around the one latticework to cover the capital that was on the top of the pillar, and he did the same with the other capital. 19 Now the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars in the vestibule were of lily-work, four cubits. 20 The capitals were on the two pillars and also above the rounded projection which was beside the latticework. There were ktwo hundred pomegranates in two rows all around, and so with the other capital. 21 lHe set up the pillars at the vestibule of the temple. He set up the pillar on the south and called its name Jachin, and he set up the pillar on the north and called its name Boaz. 22 And on the tops of the pillars was lily-work. Thus the work of the pillars was finished.

23 mThen he made nthe sea of cast metal. It was round, ten cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference. 24 Under its brim were ogourds, for ten cubits, compassing the sea all around. The gourds were in two rows, cast with it when it was cast. 25 It stood on ptwelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The sea was set on them, and all their rear parts were inward. 26 Its thickness was a handbreadth,8 and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It held two thousand baths.9

27 He also made the qten stands of bronze. Each stand was four cubits long, four cubits wide, and three cubits high. 28 This was the construction of the stands: they had panels, and the panels were set in the frames, 29 and on the panels that were set in the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim. On the frames, both above and below the lions and oxen, there were wreaths of beveled work. 30 Moreover, each stand had four bronze wheels and axles of bronze, and at the four corners were supports for a basin. The supports were cast with wreaths at the side of each. 31 Its opening was within a crown that projected upward one cubit. Its opening was round, as a pedestal is made, a cubit and a half deep. At its opening there were carvings, and its panels were square, not round. 32 And the four wheels were underneath the panels. The axles of the wheels were of one piece with the stands, and the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half. 33 The wheels were made like a chariot wheel; their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all cast. 34 There were four supports at the four corners of each stand. The supports were of one piece with the stands. 35 And on the top of the stand there was a round band half a cubit high; and on the top of the stand its stays and its panels were of one piece with it. 36 And on the surfaces of its stays and on its panels, he carved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, according to the space of each, with wreaths all around. 37 After this manner he made qthe ten stands. All of them were cast alike, of the same measure and the same form.

38 And he made rten basins of bronze. Each basin held forty baths, each basin measured four cubits, and there was a basin for each of the ten stands. 39 And he set the stands, five on the south side of the house, and five on the north side of the house. And he set the sea at the southeast corner of the house.

40 sHiram also made tthe pots, the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram finished all the work that he did for King Solomon on the house of the Lord: 41 the two pillars, the two bowls of the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars, and the two ulatticeworks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars; 42 and the vfour hundred pomegranates for the two latticeworks, two rows of pomegranates for each latticework, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars; 43 the ten stands, and the ten basins on the stands; 44 and wthe one sea, and the twelve oxen underneath the sea.

45 Now xthe pots, the shovels, and the basins, all these vessels in the house of the Lord, which Hiram made for King Solomon, were of burnished bronze. 46 In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between ySuccoth and zZarethan. 47 And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because there were so many of them; athe weight of the bronze was not ascertained.

48 So Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of the Lord: bthe golden altar, cthe golden table for dthe bread of the Presence, 49 ethe lampstands of pure gold, five on the south side and five on the north, before the inner sanctuary; fthe flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of gold; 50 the cups, snuffers, basins, dishes for incense, and gfire pans, of pure gold; and the sockets of gold, for the doors of the innermost part of the house, hthe Most Holy Place, and for the doors of the nave of the temple.

51 Thus all the work that King Solomon did on the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in ithe things that David his father had dedicated, the silver, the gold, and the vessels, and stored them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord.


2 Chronicles 4

The Temple’s Furnishings

He made kan altar of bronze, twenty cubits1 long and twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high. lThen he made the sea of cast metal. It was round, ten cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference. Under it were figures of gourds,2 for ten cubits, compassing the sea all around. The gourds were in two rows, cast with it when it was cast. It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The sea was set on them, and all their rear parts were inward. Its thickness was a handbreadth.3 And its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. mIt held 3,000 baths.4 nHe also made ten basins in which to wash, and set five on the south side, and five on the north side. In these they were to rinse off what was used for the burnt offering, and the sea was for the priests to wash in.

And he made ten golden lampstands oas prescribed, and set them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. pHe also made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. And he made a hundred basins of gold. He made qthe court of the priests rand the great court and doors for the court and overlaid their doors with bronze. 10 sAnd he set the sea at the southeast corner of the house.

11 tuHiram also made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. uSo Hiram finished the work that he did for King Solomon on the house of God: 12 the two pillars, vthe bowls, and the two capitals on the top of the pillars; and the two latticeworks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; 13 wand the 400 pomegranates for the two latticeworks, two rows of pomegranates for each latticework, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars. 14 nHe made the stands also, and the basins on the stands, 15 and the one sea, and the twelve oxen underneath it. 16 The pots, the shovels, xthe forks, and all the equipment for these tyHuram-abi made of burnished bronze for King Solomon for the house of the Lord. 17 In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah.5 18 zSolomon made all these things in great quantities, for the weight of the bronze was not sought.

19 So Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of God: the golden altar, athe tables for the bread of the Presence, 20 the lampstands and their lamps of pure gold bto burn before the inner sanctuary, as prescribed; 21 the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of purest gold; 22 the snuffers, basins, dishes for incense, and fire pans, of pure gold, and the sockets6 of the temple, for the inner doors to the Most Holy Place and for the doors of the nave of the temple were of gold.


Psalm 44

Come to Our Help

To the choirmaster. cA Maskil1 of the Sons of Korah.

O God, we have heard with our ears,

dour fathers have told us,

what deeds you performed in their days,

ein the days of old:

you with your own hand fdrove out the nations,

but gthem you planted;

you afflicted the peoples,

but hthem you set free;

for not iby their own sword did they win the land,

nor did their own arm save them,

but your right hand and your arm,

and jthe light of your face,

kfor you delighted in them.

lYou are my King, O God;

mordain salvation for Jacob!

Through you we npush down our foes;

through your name we otread down those who rise up against us.

For not in pmy bow do I trust,

nor can my sword save me.

But you have saved us from our foes

and have qput to shame those who hate us.

rIn God we have boasted continually,

and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah

But you have srejected us and disgraced us

and thave not gone out with our armies.

10  You have made us uturn back from the foe,

and those who hate us have gotten spoil.

11  You have made us like vsheep for slaughter

and have wscattered us among the nations.

12  xYou have sold your people for a trifle,

demanding no high price for them.

13  You have made us ythe taunt of our neighbors,

the derision and zscorn of those around us.

14  You have made us aa byword among the nations,

ba laughingstock2 among the peoples.

15  All day long my disgrace is before me,

and cshame has covered my face

16  at the sound of the taunter and reviler,

at the sight of dthe enemy and the avenger.

17  eAll this has come upon us,

though we have not forgotten you,

and we have not been false to your covenant.

18  Our heart has not turned back,

nor have our fsteps gdeparted from your way;

19  yet you have hbroken us in the place of ijackals

and covered us with jthe shadow of death.

20  If we had forgotten the name of our God

or kspread out our hands to la foreign god,

21  mwould not God discover this?

nFor he knows the secrets of the heart.

22  Yet ofor your sake we are killed all the day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

23  pAwake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?

Rouse yourself! qDo not reject us forever!

24  Why rdo you hide your face?

Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?

25  For our ssoul is bowed down to the dust;

our belly clings to the ground.

26  Rise up; tcome to our help!

uRedeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!


1 Timothy 2

Pray for All People

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, vfor kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and wdignified in every way. This is good, and xit is pleasing in the sight of yGod our Savior, who desires zall people to be saved and ato come to bthe knowledge of the truth. For cthere is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man1 Christ Jesus, dwho gave himself as a ransom for all, which is ethe testimony given fat the proper time. gFor this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (hI am telling the truth, I am not lying), ia teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

I desire then that jin every place the men should pray, klifting lholy hands without anger or quarreling; likewise also mthat women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 nbut with what is proper for women who profess godlinesswith good works. 11 Let a woman learn quietly owith all submissiveness. 12 pI do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 qFor Adam was formed first, rthen Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but sthe woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15 Yet she will be saved through tchildbearingif they continue in ufaith and love and holiness, with self-control.