The Tanakh · JPS 1917 Translation

1 Kings 6

Jewish Publication Society 1917 · Nevi'im — the Prophets

1 Kings chapter 6 — part of the Nevi'im — the Prophets in the Jewish Bible. In the classic JPS 1917 translation it opens: “And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in…” — the complete text of all 38 verses is below, free to read online.

1And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of HaShem.

2And the house which king Solomon built for HaShem, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.

3And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house.

4And for the house he made windows broad within, and narrow without.

5And against the wall of the house he built a side-structure round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the sanctuary; and he made side-chambers round about;

6the nethermost story of the side-structure was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad; for on the outside he made rebatements in the wall of the house round about, that the beams should not have hold in the walls of the house.--

7For the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready at the quarry; and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.--

8The door for the lowest row of chambers was in the right side of the house and they went up by winding stairs into the middle row, and out of the middle into the third.

9So he built the house, and finished it; and he covered in the house with planks of cedar over beams.

10And he built the stories of the side-structure against all the house, each five cubits high; and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.

11And the word of HaShem came to Solomon, saying:

12'As for this house which thou art building, if thou wilt walk in My statutes, and execute Mine ordinances, and keep all My commandments to walk in them; then will I establish My word with thee, which I spoke unto David thy father;

13in that I will dwell therein among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.'

14So Solomon built the house, and finished it.

15And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar; from the floor of the house unto the joists of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the house with boards of cypress.

16And he built twenty cubits on the hinder part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor unto the joists; he even built them for himself within, for a Sanctuary, even for the most holy place.

17And the house, that is, the temple before the Sanctuary, was forty cubits long.

18And the cedar on the house within was carved with knops and open flowers; all was cedar; there was no stone seen.

19And he prepared the Sanctuary in the midst of the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of HaShem.

20And before the Sanctuary which was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof, overlaid with pure gold, he set an altar, which he covered with cedar.

21So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold; and he drew chains of gold across the wall before the Sanctuary; and he overlaid it with gold.

22And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until all the house was finished; also the whole altar that belonged to the Sanctuary he overlaid with gold.

23And in the Sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive-wood, each ten cubits high.

24And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub; from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.

25And the other cherub was ten cubits; both the cherubim were of one measure and one form.

26The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.

27And he set the cherubim within the inner house; and the wings of the cherubim were stretched forth, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.

28And he overlaid the cherubim with gold.

29And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers, within and without.

30And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without.

31And for the entrance of the Sanctuary he made doors of olive-wood, the door-posts within the frame having five angles.

32And as for the two doors of olive-wood, he carved upon them carvings of cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread the gold upon the cherubim, and upon the palm-trees.

33So also made he for the entrance of the temple door-posts of olive-wood, within a frame four-square;

34and two doors of cypress-wood; the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.

35And he carved thereon cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold fitted upon the graven work.

36And he built the inner court with three rows of hewn stone, and a row of cedar beams.

37In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of HaShem laid, in the month Ziv.

38And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.

38 verses · JPS 1917 (public domain)

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