In front of the temple he made two pillars which had a combined length ¹  of 52½ feet, ²  with each having a plated capital seven and one-half feet high. ³ 

The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its assigned ¹  place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, in the most holy place under the wings of the cherubs.

When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven ¹  and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the Lord’s splendor filled the temple.

Now I have chosen and consecrated this temple by making it my permanent home; ¹  I will be constantly present there. ² 

The Levites must surround the king. Each of you must hold his weapon in his hand. Whoever tries to enter the temple ¹  must be killed. You must accompany the king wherever he goes.” ² 

Zikri, an Ephraimite warrior, killed the king’s son Maaseiah, Azrikam, the supervisor of the palace, and Elkanah, the king’s second-in-command.

A psalm – a song used at the dedication of the temple; ²  by David. I will praise you, O Lord, for you lifted me up, ³  and did not allow my enemies to gloat ⁴  over me.

For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; ²  a prayer ³  of David, written when Saul sent men to surround his house and murder him. ⁴  Deliver me from my enemies, my God! Protect me ⁵  from those who attack me! ⁶ 

when those who keep watch over the house ¹  begin to tremble, ²  and the virile men begin to stoop over, ³  and the grinders ⁴  begin to cease because they grow few, and those who look through the windows grow dim, ⁵ 

They went up to the temple, ¹  the people of Dibon went up to the high places to lament. ²  Because of what happened to Nebo and Medeba, ³  Moab wails. Every head is shaved bare, every beard is trimmed off. ⁴ 

This is what the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, says: “Go visit this administrator, Shebna, who supervises the palace, ¹  and tell him: ² 

Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace supervisor, accompanied by Shebna the scribe and Joah son of Asaph, the secretary, went out to meet him.

Do you think this temple I have claimed as my own ¹  is to be a hideout for robbers? ²  You had better take note! ³  I have seen for myself what you have done! says the Lord.

But, if you do not obey these commands, I solemnly swear ¹  that this palace will become a pile of rubble. I, the Lord, affirm it!” ² 

If you do not obey me, ¹  then I will do to this temple what I did to Shiloh. ²  And I will make this city an example to be used in curses by people from all the nations on the earth.’”

He said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courtyards with corpses. Go!” So they went out and struck people down throughout the city.

He measured the court as a square 175 feet long and 175 feet wide; ¹  the altar was in front of the temple.

Then he measured the wall of the temple ¹  as 10½ feet, ²  and the width of the side chambers as 7 feet, ³  all around the temple.

to the space above the entrance, to the inner room, and on the outside, and on all the walls in the inner room and outside, by measurement. ¹ 

a human face toward the palm tree on one side and a lion’s face toward the palm tree on the other side. They were carved on the whole temple all around;