1. Solomon began to build the temple of the Lord. It was 480 years after the people of Israel had come out of Egypt. It was in the fourth year of Solomon's rule over Israel. He started in the second month. That was the month of Ziv.
2. The temple King Solomon built for the Lord was 90 feet long. It was 30 feet wide. And it was 45 feet high.
3. The temple had a porch in front of the main hall. The porch was as wide as the temple itself. It was 30 feet wide. It came out 15 feet from the front of the temple.
4. Solomon made narrow windows high up in the temple walls.
5. He built side rooms around the temple. They were built against the walls of the main hall and the Most Holy Room.
6. On the first floor the side rooms were seven and a half feet wide. On the second floor they were nine feet wide. And on the third floor they were ten and a half feet wide. Solomon made the walls of the temple thinner as they went up floor by floor. The result was ledges along the walls. So the floor beams of the side rooms rested on the ledges. The beams didn't go into the temple walls.
7. All of the stones that were used for building the temple were shaped where they were cut. So hammers, chisels and other iron tools couldn't be heard where the temple was being built.
8. The entrance to the first floor was on the south side of the temple. A stairway led up to the second floor. From there it went on up to the third floor.
9. So Solomon built the temple and finished it. He made its roof out of beams and cedar boards.
10. He built side rooms all along the temple. Each room was seven and a half feet high. They were joined to the temple by cedar beams.
11. A message came to Solomon from the Lord. The Lord said,
12. "You are now building this temple. Follow my orders. Keep my rules. Obey all of my commands. Then I will make the promise I gave your father David come true. I will do it through you.
13. I will live among my people Israel. I will not desert them."