2.Chronik 4 | New International Reader’s Version

More facts about the temple

1 Solomon made a bronze altar 10 metres long and wide and 5 metres high. 2 He made a huge metal bowl for washing. Its shape was round. It measured 5 metres from rim to rim. It was 2.5 metres high. And it was 15 metres round. 3 Below the rim there was a circle of bull figures around the bowl. In every half a metre round the bowl there were ten bulls. The bulls were arranged in two rows. They were made as part of the bowl itself. 4 The bowl stood on 12 bulls. Three of them faced north. Three faced west. Three faced south. And three faced east. The bowl rested on top of them. Their rear ends were towards the centre. 5 The bowl was 8 centimetres thick. Its rim was like the rim of a cup. The rim was shaped like the bloom of a lily. The bowl held 72,000 litres of water. 6 Solomon made ten smaller bowls for washing. He placed five of them on the south side of the huge bowl. He placed the other five on the north side. The things used for the burnt offerings were rinsed in the smaller bowls. But the priests used the huge bowl for washing. 7 Solomon made ten gold lampstands. He followed the pattern the LORD had given him. He placed the lampstands in the temple. He put five of them on the south side. He put the other five on the north side. 8 He made ten tables. He placed them in the temple. He put five of them on the south side. He put the other five on the north side. He also made 100 gold sprinkling bowls. 9 He made the courtyard of the priests. He also made the large courtyard. He made doors for it. He covered the doors with bronze. 10 He placed the huge bowl on the south side of the courtyard. He put it at the southeast corner. 11 And Huram also made the pots, shovels and sprinkling bowls. So Huram finished the work he had started for King Solomon. Here’s what he made for God’s temple. 12 He made the two pillars. He made the two tops for the pillars. The tops were shaped like bowls. He made the two sets of chains that were linked together. They decorated the two bowl-shaped tops of the pillars. 13 He made the 400 pomegranates for the two sets of chains. There were two rows of pomegranates for each chain. They decorated the bowl-shaped tops of the pillars. 14 He made the stands and their bowls. 15 He made the huge bowl. He made the 12 bulls that were under it. 16 He made the pots, shovels and meat forks. He also made all the things used with them. Huram-Abi made all these objects for King Solomon for the LORD’s temple. He made them out of bronze. Then he polished them. 17 The king had them made in clay moulds. It was done on the plains of the River Jordan between Sukkoth and Zarethan. 18 Solomon made huge numbers of these things. There were too many of them to weigh. In fact, it was impossible to add up the weight of all the bronze. 19 Solomon also made all the objects that were in God’s temple. He made the golden altar. He made the tables for the holy bread. 20 He made the pure gold lampstands and their lamps. The lamps burned in front of the Most Holy Room, just as the law required. 21 He made the gold flowers. He made the gold lamps and tongs. They were made out of solid gold. 22 He made the wick cutters, sprinkling bowls, dishes, and shallow cups for burning incense. All of them were made out of pure gold. He made the gold doors of the temple. They were the inner doors to the Most Holy Room and the doors of the main hall.