The Furnishings for the Temple

4¹ Then he made a bronze altar , twenty cubits in length and twenty cubits in width and ten cubits in height . ² Also he made the cast metal sea , ten cubits from brim to brim , circular in form , and its height was five cubits and its circumference e e thirty cubits . ³ Now figures like oxen were under it and all around e it, ten cubits , entirely encircling the sea . The oxen were in two rows , cast in one piece . ⁴ It stood on twelve e oxen , three facing the north , three facing west , three facing south and three facing east ; and the sea was set on top of them and all their hindquarters turned inwards . ⁵ It was a handbreadth thick , and its brim was made like the brim of a cup , like a lily blossom ; it could hold 3,000 e baths . ⁶ He also made ten basins in which to wash , and he set five on the right side and five on the left to rinse things for the burnt offering ; but the sea was for the priests to wash in. ⁷ Then he made the ten golden lampstands in the way prescribed for them and he set them in the temple , five on the right side and five on the left . ⁸ He also made ten tables and placed them in the temple , five on the right side and five on the left . And he made one hundred golden bowls . ⁹ Then he made the court e of the priests and the great court and doors for the court , and overlaid their doors with bronze . ¹⁰ He set the sea on the right side of the house toward the southeast .

¹¹ Huram also made the pails , the shovels and the bowls . So Huram finished doing the work which he performed for King Solomon in the house of God : ¹² the two pillars , the bowls and the two capitals on top of the pillars , and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on top of the pillars , ¹³ and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks , two rows of pomegranates for each network to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the pillars . ¹⁴ He also made the stands and he made the basins on the stands , ¹⁵ and the one sea with the twelve e oxen under it. ¹⁶ The pails , the shovels , the forks and all its utensils , Huram-abi e made of polished bronze for King Solomon for the house of the Lord . ¹⁷ On the plain of the Jordan the king cast them in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah . ¹⁸ Thus Solomon made all these utensils in great quantities , for the weight of the bronze could not be found out. ¹⁹ Solomon also made all the things that were in the house of God : even the golden altar , the tables with the bread of the Presence on them, ²⁰ the lampstands with their lamps of pure gold , to burn in front of the inner sanctuary in the way prescribed ; ²¹ the flowers , the lamps , and the tongs of gold , of purest gold ; ²² and the snuffers , the bowls , the spoons and the firepans of pure gold ; and the entrance of the house , its inner doors for the holy of holies and the doors of the house , that is, of the nave , of gold .

5¹ Thus all the work that Solomon performed for the house of the Lord was finished . And Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated , even the silver and the gold and all the utensils , and put them in the treasuries of the house of God .

Solomon Brings the Ark into the Temple

² Then Solomon assembled to Jerusalem the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes , the leaders of the fathers' households of the sons of Israel , to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David , which is Zion . ³ All the men of Israel assembled themselves to the king at the feast , that is in the seventh month . ⁴ Then all the elders of Israel came , and the Levites took up the ark . ⁵ They brought up the ark and the tent of meeting and all the holy utensils which were in the tent ; the Levitical priests brought them up. ⁶ And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him before the ark , were sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered . ⁷ Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place , into the inner sanctuary of the house , to the holy of holies , under the wings of the cherubim . ⁸ For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark , so that the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its poles . ⁹ The poles were so long that the ends of the poles of the ark could be seen in front of the inner sanctuary , but they could not be seen outside ; and they are there to this day . ¹⁰ There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put there at Horeb , where the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel , when they came out of Egypt .

¹¹ When the priests came forth from the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard to divisions ), ¹² and all the Levitical singers , Asaph , Heman , Jeduthun , and their sons and kinsmen , clothed in fine linen , with cymbals , harps and lyres , standing east of the altar , and with them one hundred and twenty priests blowing trumpets ¹³ in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the Lord , and when they lifted up their voice accompanied by trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music , and when they praised the Lord saying, " He indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting ," then the house , the house of the Lord , was filled with a cloud , ¹⁴ so that the priests could not stand to minister because e of the cloud , for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God .

The Dedication of the Temple

6¹ Then Solomon said , "The Lord has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud . ² "I have built You a lofty house , And a place for Your dwelling forever ." ³ Then the king faced e about and blessed all the assembly of Israel , while all the assembly of Israel was standing . ⁴ He said , "Blessed be the Lord , the God of Israel , who spoke with His mouth to my father David and has fulfilled it with His hands , saying , ⁵ 'Since the day that I brought My people from the land of Egypt , I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house that My name might be there , nor did I choose any man for a leader over My people Israel ; ⁶ but I have chosen Jerusalem that My name might be there , and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel .' ⁷ " Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the Lord , the God of Israel . ⁸ "But the Lord said to my father David , 'Because e it was in your heart to build a house for My name , you did well that it was in your heart . ⁹ 'Nevertheless you shall not build the house , but your son who will be born e to you, he shall build the house for My name .' ¹⁰ "Now the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke ; for I have risen in the place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel , as the Lord promised , and have built the house for the name of the Lord , the God of Israel . ¹¹ "There I have set the ark in which is the covenant of the Lord , which He made with the sons of Israel ."

¹² Then he stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands . ¹³ Now Solomon had made a bronze platform , five cubits long , five cubits wide and three cubits high , and had set it in the midst of the court ; and he stood on it, knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven . ¹⁴ He said , "O Lord , the God of Israel , there is no god like You in heaven or on earth , keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart ; ¹⁵ who has kept with Your servant David , my father , that which You have promised him; indeed You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand , as it is this day . ¹⁶ "Now therefore, O Lord , the God of Israel , keep with Your servant David , my father , that which You have promised him, saying , ' You shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel , if only your sons take heed to their way , to walk in My law as you have walked before Me.' ¹⁷ "Now therefore, O Lord , the God of Israel , let Your word be confirmed which You have spoken to Your servant David . ¹⁸ "But will God indeed dwell with mankind on the earth ? Behold , heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much e less this house which I have built . ¹⁹ "Yet have regard to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication , O Lord my God , to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You; ²⁰ that Your eye may be open toward this house day and night , toward the place of which You have said that You would put Your name there , to listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place . ²¹ "Listen to the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place ; hear from Your dwelling place , from heaven ; hear and forgive . ²² "If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath , and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house , ²³ then hear from heaven and act and judge Your servants , punishing the wicked by bringing his way on his own head and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness . ²⁴ "If Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and they return to You and confess Your name , and pray and make supplication before You in this house , ²⁵ then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel , and bring them back to the land which You have given to them and to their fathers . ²⁶ "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name , and turn from their sin when You afflict them; ²⁷ then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel , indeed , teach them the good way in which they should walk . And send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people for an inheritance . ²⁸ "If there is famine in the land , if there is pestilence , if there is blight or mildew , if there is locust or grasshopper , if their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities , whatever plague or whatever sickness there is, ²⁹ whatever e prayer or supplication is made by any man or by all Your people Israel , each knowing his own affliction and his own pain , and spreading his hands toward this house , ³⁰ then hear from heaven Your dwelling place , and forgive , and render to each according to all his ways , whose heart You know for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men , ³¹ that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long e as they live in the land which You have given to our fathers . ³² "Also concerning the foreigner who is not from Your people Israel , when he comes from a far country for Your great name's sake and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm , when they come and pray toward this house , ³³ then hear from heaven , from Your dwelling place , and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name , and fear You as do Your people Israel , and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Your name . ³⁴ "When Your people go out to battle against their enemies , by whatever way You shall send them, and they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name , ³⁵ then hear from heaven their prayer and their supplication , and maintain their cause . ³⁶ "When they sin against You ( for there is no man who does not sin ) and You are angry with them and deliver them to an enemy , so that they take them away captive to a land far off or near , ³⁷ if they take thought in the land where e they are taken captive , and repent and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity , saying , 'We have sinned , we have committed iniquity and have acted wickedly '; ³⁸ if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity , where they have been taken captive , and pray toward their land which You have given to their fathers and the city which You have chosen , and toward the house which I have built for Your name , ³⁹ then hear from heaven , from Your dwelling place , their prayer and supplications , and maintain their cause and forgive Your people who have sinned against You. ⁴⁰ "Now , O my God , I pray , let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place . ⁴¹ " Now therefore arise , O Lord God , to Your resting place , You and the ark of Your might ; let Your priests , O Lord God , be clothed with salvation and let Your godly ones rejoice in what is good . ⁴² "O Lord God , do not turn away the face of Your anointed ; remember Your lovingkindness to Your servant David ."

²⁴ The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, "How long e will You keep us in suspense e ? If You are the Christ , tell us plainly ." ²⁵ Jesus answered them, " I told you, and you do not believe ; the works that I do in My Father's name , these testify of Me. ²⁶ "But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep . ²⁷ "My sheep hear My voice , and I know them, and they follow Me; ²⁸ and I give eternal life to them, and they will never e perish ; and no one will snatch them out of My hand . ²⁹ "My Father , who has given them to Me, is greater than all ; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand . ³⁰ " I and the Father are one ." ³¹ The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. ³² Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works from the Father ; for which of them are you stoning Me?" ³³ The Jews answered Him, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy ; and because You, being a man , make Yourself out to be God ." ³⁴ Jesus answered them, "Has it not been written in your Law , ' I SAID , YOU ARE GODS '? ³⁵ "If he called them gods , to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot e be broken ), ³⁶ do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world , 'You are blaspheming ,' because I said , ' I am the Son of God '? ³⁷ " If I do not do the works of My Father , do not believe Me; ³⁸ but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works , so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father ."

³⁹ Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp . ⁴⁰ And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing , and He was staying there . ⁴¹ Many came to Him and were saying , "While John performed no sign , yet everything John said about this man was true ." ⁴² Many believed in Him there .