Furnishings for the Temple
1Solomon* also made a bronze altar 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 15 feet high.* 2Then he cast a great round basin, 15 feet across from rim to rim, called the Sea. It was 71/2 feet deep and about 45 feet in circumference.* 3It was encircled just below its rim by two rows of figures that resembled oxen. There were about six oxen per foot* all the way around, and they were cast as part of the basin.
4The Sea was placed on a base of twelve bronze oxen, all facing outward. Three faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east, and the Sea rested on them. 5The walls of the Sea were about three inches* thick, and its rim flared out like a cup and resembled a water lily blossom. It could hold about 16,500 gallons* of water.
6He also made ten smaller basins for washing the utensils for the burnt offerings. He set five on the south side and five on the north. But the priests washed themselves in the Sea.
7He then cast ten gold lampstands according to the specifications that had been given, and he put them in the Temple. Five were placed against the south wall, and five were placed against the north wall.
8He also built ten tables and placed them in the Temple, five along the south wall and five along the north wall. Then he molded 100 gold basins.
9He then built a courtyard for the priests, and also the large outer courtyard. He made doors for the courtyard entrances and overlaid them with bronze. 10The great bronze basin called the Sea was placed near the southeast corner of the Temple.
11Huram-abi also made the necessary washbasins, shovels, and bowls.
So at last Huram-abi completed everything King Solomon had assigned him to make for the Temple of God:
12the two pillars;
the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars;
the two networks of interwoven chains that decorated the capitals;
13the 400 pomegranates that hung from the chains on the capitals (two rows of pomegranates for each of the chain networks that decorated the capitals on top of the pillars);
14the water carts holding the basins;
15the Sea and the twelve oxen under it;
16the ash buckets, the shovels, the meat hooks, and all the related articles.
Huram-abi made all these things of burnished bronze for the Temple of the LORD, just as King Solomon had directed. 17The king had them cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth and Zarethan.* 18Solomon used such great quantities of bronze that its weight could not be determined.
19Solomon also made all the furnishings for the Temple of God:
the gold altar;
the tables for the Bread of the Presence;
20the lampstands and their lamps of solid gold, to burn in front of the Most Holy Place as prescribed;
21the flower decorations, lamps, and tongs—all of the purest gold;
22the lamp snuffers, bowls, ladles, and incense burners—all of solid gold;
the doors for the entrances to the Most Holy Place and the main room of the Temple, overlaid with gold.