Solomon

1Solomon was David's son. He became strong as king. The LORD his God was with him and made him great.

And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly.

NoteDavid was king before Solomon. Solomon was his son and became the next king.

2Then Solomon spoke to all Israel. He spoke to the army leaders, the judges, and every leader. He spoke to the heads of the families.

Then Solomon spake unto all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every governor in all Israel, the chief of the fathers.

NoteA judge was someone who decided who was right when people argued.

3Solomon and the whole crowd went to the worship place at Gibeon. God's special tent was there. Moses, who served the LORD, had made that tent long ago in the desert.

So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.

NoteA worship place was a spot, often on a hill, where people prayed to God. Gibeon was a town near Jerusalem. The special tent was made long ago by Moses, the leader who brought God's people out of Egypt. People met with God there.

4David had brought the ark of God from Kirjath-jearim. David had set up a tent for it in Jerusalem.

But the ark of God had David brought up from Kirjathjearim to the place which David had prepared for it: for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.

NoteThe ark was a golden box that held God's rules written on stone. It reminded people that God was with them. Kirjath-jearim was a town where the ark had been kept.

5The bronze altar was at Gibeon, in front of the LORD's tent. Bezaleel, the son of Uri, had made it. Uri was the son of Hur. Solomon and the crowd went there to ask God for help.

Moreover the brasen altar, that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the LORD: and Solomon and the congregation sought unto it.

NoteBronze is a hard, shiny metal, a mix of copper and tin. An altar was a big stone or metal table. People burned gifts for God on it.

6Solomon went up to the bronze altar in front of the LORD. It stood at the special tent. There he burned a thousand animals as gifts to God.

And Solomon went up thither to the brasen altar before the LORD, which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it.

NoteBurning animals as gifts was how people said thank you and sorry to God. A thousand was a huge number of gifts, more than anyone usually gave.

7That night God came to Solomon. God said, "Ask me for anything. I will give it to you."

In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.

8Solomon said to God, "You were very kind to my father David. Now you have made me king in his place."

And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead.

9"LORD God, please keep the promise you made to my father David. You made me king over a huge crowd of people. There are as many as specks of dust on the ground."

Now, O LORD God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: for thou hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.

NoteGod had promised David that his family would keep being kings. Solomon is asking God to keep that promise.

10"Please give me wisdom and knowledge, so I can lead these people. Who could rule this great people of yours? There are so many."

Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?

NoteWisdom means knowing the right thing to do. Solomon wanted it so he could be a fair king.

11God said to Solomon, "This is what was in your heart. You did not ask for money or riches or fame. You did not ask me to kill your enemies. You did not even ask for a long life. You asked for wisdom and knowledge, so you could lead my people. I am the one who made you their king."

And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:

12"So I give you wisdom and knowledge. I will also give you riches and money and honor. No king before you ever had so much. No king after you will have so much either."

Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.

NoteHonor means people looking up to you and treating you well.

13Then Solomon left the worship place at Gibeon, where the special tent was. He went back to Jerusalem. And he ruled over Israel.

Then Solomon came from his journey to the high place that was at Gibeon to Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the congregation, and reigned over Israel.

14Solomon collected chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He kept some in the chariot cities and some with him in Jerusalem.

And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, which he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

NoteA chariot was a cart with wheels, pulled by horses. Soldiers rode in chariots to fight. Chariot cities were towns where the chariots and horses were kept.

15The king made silver and gold in Jerusalem as common as stones. He made cedar wood as common as the sycamore trees in the low hills.

And the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that are in the vale for abundance.

NoteCedar is a tall tree with lovely wood. Cedar wood cost a lot and had to come from far away. Sycamore trees grew everywhere nearby, so their wood was cheap. Solomon had so much that even the costly things felt common.

16Solomon's horses were brought in from Egypt and from a place called Kue. The king's traders bought them there.

And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price.

NoteKue was a land far to the north of Israel. Traders are people who buy things in one place and sell them in another.

17They brought a chariot from Egypt for 600 pieces of silver. A horse cost 150. The traders also sold them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.

And they fetched up, and brought forth out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so brought they out horses for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, by their means.

NoteSilver was weighed out instead of using coins. Six hundred pieces of silver was a great deal of money. The Hittites and the people of Syria lived north of Israel.

1Solomon decided to build a house for the LORD's name. He also decided to build a palace for himself as king.

And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.

NoteThe LORD is God's own name in the Bible. A house for God's name means a temple. A temple is a special building for worshiping God. A palace is the big house where a king lives.

2He put 70,000 men to work carrying loads. He put 80,000 men to cut stone in the mountains. He chose 3,600 men to be in charge of them.

And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.

NoteLong ago workers cut big blocks of stone out of hillsides. They used hand tools, and it was slow, hard work. Then other men carried the heavy blocks to the building.

3Solomon sent a message to Huram, the king of Tyre. He said, "You helped my father David. You sent him cedar logs to build his house. Please help me the same way.

And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell therein, even so deal with me.

NoteTyre was a rich city by the sea, north of Israel. Cedars are tall trees with strong wood that smells sweet.

4I am going to build a house for the LORD my God. It will be set apart just for him. There we will burn sweet-smelling incense before him. There we will always keep the special bread on the table. We will give burnt offerings every morning and evening. We will do it on Sabbath days, on new moon days, and at the feasts God chose. God told Israel to do this always.

Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.

NoteIncense is a sticky gum from trees. Burning it makes a sweet smell. The special bread sat on a table inside God's house, and fresh loaves were set out each week. A burnt offering was a gift to God: an animal burned on an altar, which is a stone table for gifts. The Sabbath was the seventh day of each week, a day to rest and worship. A new moon day was the start of a new month. Feasts were special days each year when everyone came together to worship.

5The house I build will be great. Our God is greater than all other gods.

And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods.

NotePeople in other lands worshiped many gods. They often made statues of them.

6But no one can really build a house for him. Even the highest heavens are too small to hold him. So who am I to build him a house? I can only build a place to burn offerings to him.

But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?

Note"Heaven of heavens" means the sky and everything far beyond it.

7So please send me a man with great skill. He must know how to work with gold, silver, bronze, and iron. He must know how to work with purple, red, and blue yarn. He must know how to carve. He will work with my own skilled men in Judah and Jerusalem. My father David found those men.

Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide.

NoteBronze is a hard metal made by mixing copper and tin. Yarn is thread used for weaving cloth. Purple, red, and blue dyes were rare and cost a lot back then. To carve is to cut shapes and pictures into wood, stone, or metal.

8Please send me cedar, cypress, and algum logs from Lebanon. I know your workers are good at cutting trees there. My workers will help your workers.

Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,

NoteLebanon was the land just north of Israel. It had huge forests. Cedar, cypress, and algum were all fine trees for building.

9They will get me plenty of wood. The house I am building will be very large and fine.

Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great.

10This is what I will pay your woodcutters. I will give them 20,000 measures of ground wheat. I will give them 20,000 measures of barley. I will give them 20,000 baths of wine and 20,000 baths of olive oil."

And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.

NoteA measure here held about as much grain as a big barrel. A bath was about six gallons, like a large jug. Barley is a grain that people ground up to make bread.

11Then Huram, the king of Tyre, wrote back to Solomon. He said, "The LORD loves his people. That is why he made you their king."

Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the LORD hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them.

12Huram also said, "Praise the LORD, the God of Israel! He made the heavens and the earth. He gave King David a wise son. This son is smart and careful. He will build a house for the LORD and a palace for himself.

Huram said moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an house for the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.

13So I am sending you a very skilled man. His name is Huram-abi. He is clever and full of good ideas.

And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram my father’s,

14His mother came from the tribe of Dan. His father was a man from Tyre. He knows how to work with gold, silver, bronze, and iron. He can work with stone and wood. He can work with purple, blue, and red yarn, and fine linen. He can carve any kind of design. He can make anything you ask him to make. He will work with your skilled men and with the men of your father David.

The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father.

NoteDan was one of the twelve family groups of Israel. Linen is smooth cloth made from a plant called flax.

15So please send your servants the wheat, barley, oil, and wine you promised.

Now therefore the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his servants:

16We will cut all the wood you need from Lebanon. We will tie the logs together and float them by sea to Joppa. Then you can carry them up to Jerusalem."

And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need: and we will bring it to thee in floats by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem.

NoteJoppa was a town on the seacoast. Jerusalem sat high up in the hills. That is why the logs had to be carried up from the shore.

17Solomon counted all the foreign men living in Israel. He counted them the way his father David had. There were 153,600 of them.

And Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred.

NoteThese were people living in Israel who had come from other lands. To "number" them means to count them all.

18He put 70,000 of them to work carrying loads. He put 80,000 to cut stone in the mountains. He made 3,600 of them leaders to keep the work going.

And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people a work.

1Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. He built it on Mount Moriah. That is where the LORD had appeared to David, Solomon's father. David had already picked this spot. It was the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

NoteThe house of the LORD means the temple, a special building for God. Mount Moriah is a hill in the city of Jerusalem. The Jebusites were people who lived there long before David came. Grain was beaten on a threshing floor to knock the seeds loose.

2He began building on the second day of the second month. It was the fourth year that he was king.

And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.

NoteTheir year started in spring, not in winter like ours. So the second month was about our April.

3Here is the size that Solomon set for the house of God. The base was sixty cubits long and twenty cubits wide. He used the older way of measuring.

Now these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the first measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.

NoteA cubit was about eighteen inches long. That is a grown-up's arm from the elbow to the fingertips. Sixty cubits is about ninety feet. Over the years people changed how long a cubit was. Solomon used the older, longer one.

4A porch stood across the front of the house. It was twenty cubits wide, the same as the house. Its height was one hundred twenty. Solomon covered the inside of the porch with pure gold.

And the porch that was in the front of the house, the length of it was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the height was an hundred and twenty: and he overlaid it within with pure gold.

NoteA porch is a covered space right in front of a door. The old writing says one hundred twenty but never says of what. So nobody today is sure how tall it means.

5He lined the main room with wood from fir trees. He covered that wood with fine gold. Then he added carvings of palm trees and chains.

And the greater house he cieled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm trees and chains.

NoteFir trees are tall evergreen trees, a lot like pine trees. Their wood is strong and smells sweet.

6He decorated the house with precious stones to make it beautiful. The gold he used came from a place called Parvaim.

And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim.

NoteNobody today knows where Parvaim was. It was known for very fine gold.

7He covered the beams, the doorposts, the walls, and the doors with gold. He also carved cherubim on the walls.

He overlaid also the house, the beams, the posts, and the walls thereof, and the doors thereof, with gold; and graved cherubims on the walls.

NoteBeams are the long, strong pieces of wood that hold up a roof. Doorposts are the upright pieces on each side of a door. Cherubim are winged creatures who serve God. One alone is called a cherub.

8Then he made the Most Holy Place, the special room deep inside. It was twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide. He covered it with six hundred talents of fine gold.

And he made the most holy house, the length whereof was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits: and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.

NoteA talent was a heavy weight, about seventy-five pounds. Six hundred talents is more gold than a wagon could carry.

9The gold nails weighed fifty shekels. He covered the upper rooms with gold too.

And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.

NoteA shekel was a small weight, less than half an ounce.

10In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim. They were carved figures, and he covered them with gold.

And in the most holy house he made two cherubims of image work, and overlaid them with gold.

11Their wings reached twenty cubits from tip to tip. One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long and touched the wall. Its other wing was five cubits long and touched the other cherub's wing.

And the wings of the cherubims were twenty cubits long: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.

12One wing of the second cherub was five cubits long and touched the wall. Its other wing was five cubits long and touched the first cherub's wing.

And one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was five cubits also, joining to the wing of the other cherub.

13So the wings of these cherubim stretched twenty cubits across. The cherubim stood on their feet. They faced the main room.

The wings of these cherubims spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were inward.

14He made the curtain out of blue, purple, and crimson yarn and fine linen. Cherubim were woven into the cloth.

And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon.

NoteThis curtain hung in front of the Most Holy Place. It kept that room hidden from everyone else. Crimson is a deep red color. Linen is smooth cloth made from a plant called flax. Blue and purple dye cost a great deal of money then.

15In front of the house he made two pillars. Together they stood thirty-five cubits tall. Each pillar had a decorated top that was five cubits tall.

Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the chapiter that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.

NoteThirty-five cubits is about fifty feet, taller than most houses. The decorated top was a carved stone cap on the pillar.

16He made chains that looped together, and he put them on top of the pillars. He made one hundred pomegranates and fastened them onto the chains.

And he made chains, as in the oracle, and put them on the heads of the pillars; and made an hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains.

NoteA pomegranate is a round red fruit full of juicy seeds. The metal ones hanging on the chains were made in that shape.

17Then he set the pillars up in front of the temple. One stood on the south side and one on the north side. He named the south pillar Jachin and the north pillar Boaz.

And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.

NoteNames meant something in their language. Jachin means "he makes it steady." Boaz means "strength is in him."

1Solomon made an altar out of bronze. It was twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide. It was ten cubits tall.

Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof.

NoteAn altar was a big stone or metal table. People burned gifts to God on it. Bronze is a hard, shiny brown metal. It is made by mixing copper and tin. A cubit was about 18 inches, the length of a grown-up's arm below the elbow. So this altar was about 30 feet on each side and 15 feet tall. That is bigger than a small room.

2He also made a huge round bowl called the Sea. It was made by pouring hot metal into a mold. It was ten cubits across and five cubits deep. A line around the outside would measure thirty cubits.

Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.

NotePeople called this huge bowl the Sea because it held so much water. A mold is a hollow shape. Workers pour hot melted metal in, and it cools hard in that shape. Ten cubits across is about 15 feet. That is wider than a car is long.

3Below the top edge were metal shapes of oxen. They went all the way around the bowl. There were ten in every cubit. They were made in two rows as part of the bowl itself.

And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about: ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast.

NoteOxen are big, strong farm animals, much like cattle. Farmers used them to pull plows and heavy carts. People thought of them as the strongest animals they knew.

4The Sea sat on top of twelve metal oxen. Three faced north, and three faced west. Three faced south, and three faced east. The bowl rested on their backs. Their back ends all pointed toward the middle.

It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

5The metal was about as thick as a hand is wide. The top edge curved out like the rim of a cup. It looked like a lily flower opening up. The bowl could hold about 17,000 gallons of water.

And the thickness of it was an handbreadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and it received and held three thousand baths.

NoteA handbreadth is how wide your hand is across the palm. On a grown-up that is about three inches. A bath was a measuring jar used long ago. Each one held about six gallons of water.

6He also made ten smaller bowls for washing. Five sat on the south side, and five on the north. The parts of the burnt gifts were rinsed in them. But the priests used the big Sea to wash themselves.

He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them: such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in.

NoteA burnt gift, or burnt offering, was an animal given to God. It was burned on the altar as a present to him. Priests were the men who led worship at God's house. They took care of the gifts people brought.

7He made ten gold lampstands, just as the plans said. He set them inside the temple. Five stood on the south side, and five on the north.

And he made ten candlesticks of gold according to their form, and set them in the temple, five on the right hand, and five on the left.

NoteA lampstand was a tall stand that held small oil lamps. There were no light bulbs then. Lamps burned olive oil with a little string called a wick. The temple was God's house in the city of Jerusalem. It was the one special building made for worshiping God.

8He also made ten tables and put them in the temple. Five stood on the south side, and five on the north. He also made a hundred gold bowls.

He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left. And he made an hundred basons of gold.

9He made the yard where the priests worked. He also made the big yard and its doors. He covered those doors with bronze.

Furthermore he made the court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid the doors of them with brass.

NoteA court was an open yard with a wall around it. The big yard was where everybody could come. The priests' yard was closer in, and only priests worked there.

10He put the big Sea on the south side. It stood near the southeast corner.

And he set the sea on the right side of the east end, over against the south.

11Huram also made the pots, the shovels, and the sprinkling bowls. So Huram finished all the work he had promised. He did it for King Solomon, for God's house.

And Huram made the pots, and the shovels, and the basons. And Huram finished the work that he was to make for king Solomon for the house of God;

NoteHuram was a very skilled metal worker. King Solomon asked him to come and help build. Sprinkling bowls were used to carry blood from the animal gifts. Priests sprinkled a little of it on the altar. The shovels were for scooping ashes away after a fire.

12Here is what he made. He made the two tall pillars. He made the two bowl-shaped tops that sat on the pillars. He made two sets of woven metal to cover those tops.

To wit, the two pillars, and the pommels, and the chapiters which were on the top of the two pillars, and the two wreaths to cover the two pommels of the chapiters which were on the top of the pillars;

NoteThe pillars were two tall metal posts. They stood at the front of the temple, one on each side. The bowl-shaped tops sat on the pillars like fancy hats. The woven metal looked like a net made of chains.

13He made four hundred metal pomegranates for the woven covers. There were two rows of them on each cover. They went around the bowl-shaped tops of the pillars.

And four hundred pomegranates on the two wreaths; two rows of pomegranates on each wreath, to cover the two pommels of the chapiters which were upon the pillars.

NoteA pomegranate is a round red fruit. It is full of little juicy seeds inside. It grew all over that land, so people knew it well.

14He made the stands. He made the washing bowls that sat on the stands.

He made also bases, and lavers made he upon the bases;

15He made the big Sea. He made the twelve oxen that held it up.

One sea, and twelve oxen under it.

16He made the pots, the shovels, and the big meat forks. He made all the other tools too. Huram, the skilled worker, made these for King Solomon. They were all for the LORD's house, made of polished bronze.

The pots also, and the shovels, and the fleshhooks, and all their instruments, did Huram his father make to king Solomon for the house of the LORD of bright brass.

NoteThe big meat forks were for lifting meat out of the pots. Polished bronze was rubbed until it shone almost like a mirror. When the Bible prints LORD in big letters, it means God's own special name.

17The king had them made out in the flat land near the Jordan River. The workers poured the hot metal into molds of clay. This was done between the towns of Succoth and Zeredah.

In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredathah.

NoteThe Jordan River runs down the middle of that land. The flat ground beside it had thick clay in it. Clay is sticky mud that gets hard when it dries. That made it good for shaping molds. Succoth and Zeredah were two small towns there.

18Solomon made so many of these things that no one counted them. Nobody ever found out how much all the bronze weighed.

Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance: for the weight of the brass could not be found out.

19Solomon also made everything else for God's house. He made the gold altar. He made the tables that held the special bread kept before God.

And Solomon made all the vessels that were for the house of God, the golden altar also, and the tables whereon the shewbread was set;

NoteThe gold altar was small and stood inside the temple. Priests burned sweet-smelling incense on it, not animals. The special bread was twelve flat loaves. They sat on a table in God's house all week long. Fresh loaves were put out every week.

20He made the lampstands and their lamps out of pure gold. They burned in front of the inner room, just as the rules said.

Moreover the candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn after the manner before the oracle, of pure gold;

NoteThe inner room was the small room at the very back of the temple. It was the most special room in the whole building.

21He made the flower shapes, the lamps, and the tongs out of gold. It was the purest gold there was.

And the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, made he of gold, and that perfect gold;

NoteThe flower shapes were gold decorations on the lampstands. Tongs are like big metal pinchers. Priests used them to move hot coals and lamp wicks.

22He made the wick trimmers, the sprinkling bowls, the dishes, and the incense pans. All were made of the purest gold. The doors of the temple were gold too. That included the inner doors to the Most Holy Place and the doors to the main hall.

And the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers, of pure gold: and the entry of the house, the inner doors thereof for the most holy place, and the doors of the house of the temple, were of gold.

NoteA wick is the little string in an oil lamp that burns. Wick trimmers were small snips for cutting off the burned end. That kept the lamp burning bright. Incense pans held burning coals and sweet-smelling powder. The smoke smelled lovely, a bit like perfume. The Most Holy Place was that small room at the very back. Only one priest could go in, and only once a year. The main hall was the big room in front of it.

1At last all the work Solomon did for the LORD's house was done. Solomon brought in the things his father David had given to God. He put the silver, the gold, and all the objects in the treasure rooms.

Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God.

NoteThe LORD's house means the temple. It was a big, beautiful building in Jerusalem. People went there to worship God. David had collected gold and silver for it. Solomon, his son, built it.

2Then Solomon called Israel's leaders to Jerusalem. He called the elders, the heads of each tribe, and the leaders of the families. They came to carry up the ark of the covenant of the LORD. It was in Zion, the city of David.

Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.

NoteThe ark of the covenant was a special box covered in gold. Inside were the stones with God's rules on them. It reminded the people that God was with them. Elders were older men who helped lead the people. A tribe was one big family group. Israel had twelve of them. Zion was the oldest part of Jerusalem, where King David had lived.

3So all the men of Israel came to the king. They came at the feast held in the seventh month of the year.

Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month.

NoteThis feast was a big party that lasted a week. Families camped in little shelters made of branches. It came in the fall, at harvest time. Their year began in the spring, so the seventh month was around our September and October.

4All the elders of Israel came. Then the Levites lifted up the ark. The Levites were the helpers who worked at God's house.

And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark.

5They carried up the ark. They also carried the Tent of Meeting, the old tent where people met with God. They carried every holy object that was inside that tent. The priests and the Levites brought all of it up.

And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites bring up.

NotePriests were men chosen to lead worship at God's house. Only they could go into certain rooms. Holy means kept only for God and nothing else. The Tent of Meeting was the cloth tent used long before the temple was built.

6King Solomon was there in front of the ark. All the people of Israel who had come were there too. They offered sheep and cattle to God. There were so many that no one could count them.

Also king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude.

NoteOffering an animal to God was how people worshiped back then. It was their way of saying sorry and thank you. Afterward much of the meat was cooked and shared as a feast.

7Then the priests carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place. They put it in the inner room of the house, the Most Holy Place. It sat under the wings of the cherubim, two large carved figures with wings.

And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims:

NoteThe Most Holy Place was the smallest, most special room. Almost nobody was allowed to go inside it. Cherubim were carved angel figures with big wings.

8The cherubim spread their wings over the place where the ark sat. Their wings covered the ark and the poles used to carry it.

For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.

9The poles were so long that their ends could be seen. Anyone standing in front of the inner room could see them. But no one outside that room could see them. The poles are still there today.

And they drew out the staves of the ark, that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen without. And there it is unto this day.

Note"Unto this day" means the day the writer wrote this book. That was a very long time ago.

10Nothing was inside the ark but two flat stones. Moses had put them there at Mount Horeb. That is where the LORD made his agreement with the people of Israel. It happened after they came out of Egypt.

There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put therein at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

NoteThe two flat stones were the Ten Commandments. God gave those rules to Moses. Moses was the leader who brought the people out of Egypt. Mount Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai. A covenant is a promise two sides make and keep.

11Then the priests came out of the holy room. Every priest who was there had made himself ready for God. They did not take turns that day, as they usually did.

And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course:

NoteGetting ready for God meant washing and putting on clean clothes. It was a way of showing respect. There were many priests, so they usually worked in groups. Each group took its turn. On this day they all came at once.

12The Levites who sang were all there. They came from the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun. Their sons and relatives came too. They wore white linen clothes. They played cymbals, harps, and lyres. They stood on the east side of the altar. With them stood one hundred and twenty priests blowing trumpets.

Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)

NoteLinen is soft cloth made from a plant. Cymbals are round metal plates you clash together. A lyre is a small harp you hold in your arms. An altar is a stone table where gifts were offered to God. Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun were families known for their music.

13The trumpet players and the singers made one single sound together. They praised the LORD and thanked him with one voice. They lifted their voices with trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments. They sang, "He is good. His faithful love lasts forever." Then a cloud filled the house, the house of the LORD.

It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;

NoteA thick cloud was how God showed people he had come. The same thing happened long before at the tent in the desert.

14The priests could not stand up and do their work. It was because of the cloud. The shining glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

NoteGlory means a bright, shining light. It showed that God himself was there.

1Then Solomon said, "The LORD said he would live in the thick dark cloud."

Then said Solomon, The LORD hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

NoteSolomon was the king of Israel. He was King David's son. When you see LORD in big letters, that is God's own special name. The thick dark cloud is a picture. Long ago God came near his people inside a dark cloud. Nobody could see him with their eyes.

2"But I have built you a grand house. It is a place for you to live forever."

But I have built an house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever.

NoteThe house means the temple. It was a big, beautiful building for God in Jerusalem. People came there to pray and worship.

3All the people of Israel were standing there. The king turned around and blessed them.

And the king turned his face, and blessed the whole congregation of Israel: and all the congregation of Israel stood.

NoteTo bless people means to ask God to be good to them. The King James word "congregation" means all the people gathered in one place.

4He said, "Praise the LORD, the God of Israel. He promised something to my father David. Now he has done it with his own hand."

And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who hath with his hands fulfilled that which he spake with his mouth to my father David, saying,

NoteDoing something "with his own hand" means God did it himself.

5"God said, 'I brought my people out of Egypt. Since that day I have not picked a city in Israel to build a house for my name. I have not picked a man to lead my people either.'"

Since the day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel to build an house in, that my name might be there; neither chose I any man to be a ruler over my people Israel:

NoteLong ago God's people were slaves in the land of Egypt. God brought them out to a new land. Putting God's name in a place meant that place belonged to him.

6"'But now I have chosen Jerusalem, so my name will be there. And I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.'"

But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel.

NoteJerusalem was the most important city in Israel. That is where the temple was built.

7"My father David really wanted to build a house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel."

Now it was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

8"But the LORD said to my father David, 'You wanted to build a house for my name. It was good that you wanted this.'"

But the LORD said to David my father, Forasmuch as it was in thine heart to build an house for my name, thou didst well in that it was in thine heart:

9"'But you are not the one who will build it. Your own son will build the house for my name.'"

Notwithstanding thou shalt not build the house; but thy son which shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house for my name.

10"The LORD has now done what he said. I have taken my father David's place. I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised. And I have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel."

The LORD therefore hath performed his word that he hath spoken: for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and am set on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

NoteA throne is the special chair a king sits on. Sitting on it means you are the king now.

11"I have put the ark in it. Inside the ark is the agreement the LORD made with the people of Israel."

And in it have I put the ark, wherein is the covenant of the LORD, that he made with the children of Israel.

NoteThe ark was a wooden box covered with gold. Inside were flat stones with God's rules written on them. The agreement was a promise between God and his people.

12Solomon stood in front of the LORD's altar. All the people of Israel were watching. He spread out his hands.

And he stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands:

NoteAn altar is a stone table. People burned gifts to God on it. Spreading out both hands was how people prayed back then.

13Solomon had made a bronze platform. It was five cubits on each side. It was three cubits high. He had put it in the middle of the courtyard. He stood on it, then knelt down in front of everyone. He spread out his hands toward the sky.

For Solomon had made a brasen scaffold of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court: and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven,

NoteBronze is a strong metal. It shines like brownish gold. A cubit was about as long as your arm below the elbow. That is around eighteen inches. So the platform was about seven feet on each side. It stood about as high as a grown-up's chest.

14He said, "LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you. Not in heaven, not on earth. You keep your promises. You show love to your servants who follow you with their whole heart."

And said, O LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts:

NoteA servant is someone who works for another person. Here it means people who belong to God and obey him.

15"You kept your promise to your servant David, my father. You said it with your mouth. Today you have done it with your hand."

Thou which hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him; and spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day.

16"So now, LORD, God of Israel, keep the rest of your promise to David. You said, 'One of your family will always sit on the throne of Israel. But your children must be careful to obey my law, just as you have.'"

Now therefore, O LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me.

NoteThe King James says "walk in my law." Walking here means the way you live every day. God's law was the set of rules he gave his people.

17"So now, LORD, God of Israel, please make your promise to David come true."

Now then, O LORD God of Israel, let thy word be verified, which thou hast spoken unto thy servant David.

18"But will God really live with people on the earth? The sky and the highest heavens are not big enough to hold you. This house I built is much too small!"

But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!

19"Still, please listen to my prayer. I am your servant, LORD my God. Hear me when I cry out and ask you for help."

Have respect therefore to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee:

NoteThe King James word "supplication" means asking for help with your whole heart.

20"Watch over this house day and night. This is the place where you said you would put your name. Listen when I pray facing this place."

That thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof thou hast said that thou wouldest put thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward this place.

21"Listen when I pray, and when your people Israel pray toward this place. Hear them from heaven, where you live. And when you hear, please forgive."

Hearken therefore unto the supplications of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall make toward this place: hear thou from thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and when thou hearest, forgive.

22"Suppose someone hurts his neighbor. He is told to make a promise before you. He comes and makes that promise at your altar in this house."

If a man sin against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to make him swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house;

NoteLong ago people settled arguments at the temple. Each person made a solemn promise to God there. Everyone trusted God to show who was telling the truth.

23"Then hear from heaven and act. Judge between them. Punish the one who did wrong, so his own actions come back on him. Show that the one who did right is right, and give him what he deserves."

Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.

24"Suppose your people Israel lose a battle because they sinned against you. Then they come back to you and say your name. They pray and beg you in this house."

And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee; and shall return and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house;

NoteTo sin means to do what God said not to do.

25"Then hear from heaven. Forgive the sin of your people Israel. Bring them back to the land you gave them and their fathers."

Then hear thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest to them and to their fathers.

26"Suppose the sky stays shut and no rain falls, because they sinned against you. Then they pray toward this place and say your name. They turn away from their sin, because you made them suffer."

When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them;

NoteFarmers needed rain to make food grow. When no rain came, people went hungry.

27"Then hear from heaven and forgive them. They are your servants and your people Israel. Teach them the good way to live. Send rain on your land, the land you gave your people to keep."

Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance.

NoteThe King James says "inheritance." That means something handed down in a family. The land was theirs to keep and pass on.

28"Suppose the land has no food, or a sickness spreads. Or crops dry up or rot. Or locusts and grasshoppers eat the plants. Or enemies surround their cities. Any trouble or sickness may come."

If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be:

NoteLocusts are big grasshoppers. They fly in huge crowds and eat whole fields. The King James words "blasting" and "mildew" mean sick, ruined crops. To besiege a city means enemies surround the walls. Then no food can get in.

29"Then anyone may pray, or all your people Israel may pray. Each person knows his own pain and sadness. They spread out their hands toward this house."

Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house:

30"Then hear from heaven, where you live. Forgive them. Give each person what fits how he has lived. You know what is in his heart. Only you know what is inside people."

Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men:)

31"Then they will respect you and follow your ways. They will do this all their lives in the land you gave our fathers."

That they may fear thee, to walk in thy ways, so long as they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.

NoteThe King James says "fear thee." Fear here does not mean being scared. It means deep respect and wonder.

32"Also think of the foreigner, who is not one of your people Israel. He comes from a faraway land because he has heard how great you are. He has heard of your strong hand and your powerful arm. When he comes and prays at this house,"

Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name’s sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray in this house;

NoteA foreigner is a person from another country. "Strong hand" and "powerful arm" are just ways to say God is strong.

33"then hear from heaven, where you live. Do what he asks you for. Then everyone on earth will know your name. They will respect you, as your people Israel do. And they will know that this house I built carries your name."

Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.

34"Suppose your people go out to fight their enemies, wherever you send them. And they pray to you facing this city you chose, and this house I built for your name."

If thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name;

35"Then hear their prayer from heaven. Hear them beg you, and help them win their case."

Then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

NoteThe King James says "maintain their cause." That means to stand up for them and help them.

36"Suppose they sin against you. Everybody sins. So you get angry and hand them over to enemies. The enemies take them away to a land far off or nearby."

If they sin against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near;

NoteCaptives are people taken away by an enemy army. They had to live far from home.

37"But then they think it over in the land where they were taken. They turn back and pray to you there. They say, 'We have sinned. We did wrong. We acted in a bad way.'"

Yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly;

38"Suppose they come back to you with their whole heart. They do it in the land where they were taken. They pray facing the land you gave their fathers. They pray toward the city you chose, and the house I built for your name."

If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name:

39"Then hear from heaven, where you live. Hear their prayer and their begging. Help them, and forgive your people who sinned against you."

Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee.

40"Now, my God, please keep your eyes open. Please listen closely to the prayers made in this place."

Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

41"Now stand up, LORD God, and come to your resting place. Come with the ark that shows your strength. Let your priests wear your saving help like clothes. Let your faithful people be glad for all your goodness."

Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness.

NotePriests were men whose job was helping people worship God. Wearing help like clothes is a picture. It means everyone can see that God helps them. The King James word "saints" means people who love God.

42"LORD God, do not turn away the king you chose. Remember your faithful love for your servant David."

O LORD God, turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of David thy servant.

Note"Anointed" means chosen by God to be king. Oil was poured on the new king's head. That showed God had picked him.

1Solomon finished praying. Then fire came down from heaven. It burned up the animals that were offered to God. The bright glory of the LORD filled the temple, God's house.

Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.

NoteAn offering was a gift given to God. People burned certain animals on a stone table called an altar. The smoke going up meant the gift was for God. "Glory" here means a bright shining light. It showed that God himself was there.

2The priests, the men who served God at the temple, could not go inside. The glory of the LORD filled the LORD's house.

And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’s house.

3All the people of Israel saw the fire come down. They saw the glory of the LORD over the temple. They knelt down on the stone floor with their faces to the ground. They worshiped and thanked the LORD. They said, "He is good. His faithful love lasts forever."

And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

NoteKneeling with your face on the ground was a way to show great respect. People did this before God and before kings.

4Then the king and all the people gave gifts of animals to the LORD.

Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD.

5King Solomon offered 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep. In this way the king and all the people gave God's house to him for his use.

And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.

NoteThat is a huge number of animals. They were killed and cooked over many days. Animals were the most valuable things people owned, so giving them was a big gift. Most of the meat was then shared and eaten by the crowd at the party.

6The priests stood in their places to do their work. The Levites, who were helpers at the temple, stood with them. They played the music instruments King David had made to thank the LORD. David had used them to sing, "His faithful love lasts forever." The priests stood across from them and blew trumpets. All Israel stood up.

And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of musick of the LORD, which David the king had made to praise the LORD, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.

NoteThe trumpets were long metal horns. They made a loud, clear sound that everyone could hear.

7Solomon set apart the middle of the yard in front of the LORD's house. There he offered burnt offerings, grain gifts, and the fat from the peace offerings. He did this because the bronze altar he had made was too small. It could not hold all those gifts.

Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD: for there he offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brasen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the fat.

NoteAn altar was a big stone table where gifts were burned for God. A burnt offering was an animal burned up completely as a gift. A grain gift was flour or bread brought to God. A peace offering was an animal shared as a meal with family and friends, to say thank you to God. "Set apart" means he kept that space only for God's use.

8At that same time Solomon held a feast for seven days. All Israel came with him. It was a very large crowd. They came from Lebo-hamath in the north to the brook of Egypt in the south.

Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt.

NoteA feast was a holiday with lots of food, music, and family. Lebo-hamath and the brook of Egypt were places at the two far ends of the country. Saying both names is a way of saying "people came from everywhere."

9On the eighth day they held a special meeting. They had spent seven days setting apart the altar for God. Then they had feasted for seven more days.

And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.

NoteA special meeting meant everyone gathered one more time before going home. It was the quiet ending to the long holiday.

10On the twenty-third day of the seventh month, Solomon sent the people home. They were happy and glad inside. They were glad for the good things the LORD had done for David, for Solomon, and for his people Israel.

And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the LORD had shewed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.

NoteIsrael counted months differently than we do. Their year started in the spring. So the seventh month came around our September or October.

11So Solomon finished the LORD's house and his own palace. Everything he had wanted to build for both houses, he built well.

Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD, and the king’s house: and all that came into Solomon’s heart to make in the house of the LORD, and in his own house, he prosperously effected.

NoteA palace is the very large house where a king and his family live.