The Reign of Asa

141 So Abijah slept with his fathers , and they buried him in the city of David , and his son Asa became king in his place . The land was undisturbed for ten years during his days . 2 Asa did good and right in the sight of the Lord his God , 3 for he removed the foreign altars and high places , tore down the sacred pillars , cut down the Asherim , 4 and commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers and to observe the law and the commandment . 5 He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah . And the kingdom was undisturbed under him. 6 He built fortified cities in Judah , since the land was undisturbed , and there was no one at war with him during those years , because the Lord had given him rest . 7 For he said to Judah , " Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers , gates and bars . The land is still ours because we have sought the Lord our God ; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side ." So they built and prospered . 8 Now Asa had an army of 300,000 e e from Judah , bearing large shields and spears , and 280,000 e e from Benjamin , bearing shields and wielding bows ; all of them were valiant warriors .

9 Now Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 e chariots , and he came to Mareshah . 10 So Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up in battle formation in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah . 11 Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said , "Lord , there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength ; so help us, O Lord our God , for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude . O Lord , You are our God ; let not man prevail against You." 12 So the Lord routed the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah , and the Ethiopians fled . 13 Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar ; and so many Ethiopians fell that they could not recover , for they were shattered before the Lord and before His army . And they carried away very much plunder . 14 They destroyed all the cities around Gerar , for the dread of the Lord had fallen on them; and they despoiled all the cities , for there was much plunder in them. 15 They also struck down those who owned livestock , and they carried away large numbers of sheep and camels . Then they returned to Jerusalem .

Solomon Builds the House of the LORD

31 Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah , where the Lord had appeared to his father David , at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite . 2 He began to build on the second day in the second month of the fourth year of his reign . 3 Now these are the foundations which Solomon laid for building the house of God . The length in cubits , according to the old standard was sixty cubits , and the width twenty cubits . 4 The porch which was in front of the house was as long as the width of the house , twenty cubits , and the height 120 e ; and inside e he overlaid it with pure gold . 5 He overlaid the main room with cypress wood and overlaid it with fine gold , and ornamented e it with palm trees and chains . 6 Further, he adorned the house with precious stones ; and the gold was gold from Parvaim . 7 He also overlaid the house with gold -the beams , the thresholds and its walls and its doors ; and he carved cherubim on the walls . 8 Now he made the room of the holy of holies : its length across e the width of the house was twenty cubits , and its width was twenty cubits ; and he overlaid it with fine gold , amounting to 600 e talents . 9 The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold . He also overlaid the upper rooms with gold .

10 Then he made two sculptured e cherubim in the room of the holy of holies and overlaid them with gold . 11 The wingspan of the cherubim was twenty cubits ; the wing of one , of five cubits , touched the wall of the house , and its other wing , of five cubits , touched the wing of the other cherub . 12 The wing of the other cherub , of five cubits , touched the wall of the house ; and its other wing of five cubits was attached to the wing of the first cherub . 13 The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits , and they stood on their feet facing the main room . 14 He made the veil of violet , purple , crimson and fine linen , and he worked cherubim on it.

The Two Pillars

15 He also made two pillars for the front of the house , thirty-five e cubits high , and the capital on the top of each was five cubits . 16 He made chains in the inner sanctuary and placed them on the tops of the pillars ; and he made one hundred pomegranates and placed them on the chains . 17 He erected the pillars in front of the temple , one on the right and the other on the left , and named e the one on the right Jachin and the one on the left Boaz .