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."
14. So Solomon built the temple and finished it.
15. He put cedar boards on its inside walls. He covered them from floor to ceiling. He covered the temple floor with pine boards.
16. He put up a wall 30 feet from the back of the temple. He made it with cedar boards from floor to ceiling. That formed a room inside the temple. It was the Most Holy Room.
17. The main hall in front of the room was 60 feet long.
18. The inside of the temple was covered with cedar wood. Gourds and open flowers were carved on the wood. Everything was cedar. There wasn't any stone showing anywhere.
19. Solomon prepared the Most Holy Room inside the temple. That's where the ark of the covenant of the Lord would be placed.
20. The Most Holy Room was 30 feet long. It was 30 feet wide. And it was 30 feet high. Solomon covered the inside of it with pure gold. He prepared the cedar altar for burning incense. He covered it with gold.
21. Solomon covered the inside of the main hall with pure gold. He placed gold chains across the front of the Most Holy Room. That room was covered with gold.
22. So Solomon covered the inside of the whole temple with gold. He also covered the altar for burning incense with gold. It was right in front of the Most Holy Room.
23. For the Most Holy Room Solomon made a pair of cherubim. He made them out of olive wood. Each cherub was 15 feet high.