God

Shlomo and the whole community with him went to the high place at Giv'on, because in that place was God's tent of meeting, which Moshe the servant of ADONAI had made in the desert.

But the ark of God David had brought up from Kiryat-Ye'arim to the place he had prepared for it - he had set up a tent for it in Yerushalayim.

The bronze altar crafted by B'tzal'el the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had been placed before the tabernacle of ADONAI; and there Shlomo and the community consulted him.

On the bronze altar at the tent of meeting Shlomo offered a thousand burnt offerings before ADONAI.

That night God appeared to Shlomo and said to him, "Tell me what I should give you."

Shlomo said to God, "You showed much grace to your servant David my father and have made me king in his place.

Now, ADONAI, God, you have been faithful to your promise to David my father; for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the grains of dust on the earth.

So now, give me wisdom and knowledge; so that I will be able to lead this people. For who is equal to judging this great people of yours?"

God said to Shlomo, "Because you set your heart on this - because, instead of asking for riches, wealth, honor, the death of those who hate you, or long life, you asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself, so that you would be able to judge my people, over whom I made you king -

not only are wisdom and knowledge being given to you, but I will also give you riches, wealth and honor such as no king before you has ever had; and no king after you will have as much."

Shlomo then decided to build a house for the name of ADONAI and a royal palace for himself.

Here, I am about to build a house for the name of ADONAI my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before Him incense made of sweet spices; the house will also be for the continuing showbread and for the burnt offerings presented every morning and evening, on the shabbats, at every Rosh-Hodesh, and at the designated times of ADONAI our God. This is a perpetual regulation for Isra'el.

The house I will build will be great, because our God is greater than all gods.

But who is equal to building him a house? Why, heaven itself, even the heaven of heavens, cannot contain him; so who am I to build him a house, except to offer sacrifices before him?

Huram the king of Tzor wrote this answer and sent it to Shlomo: "Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you king over them."

Huram continued, "Blessed be ADONAI, the God of Isra'el, who made heaven and earth, who has given David the king a wise, knowledgeable son with common sense to build a house for ADONAI and a royal palace for himself.

Then Shlomo began to build the house of ADONAI in Yerushalayim on Mount Moriyah, where ADONAI had appeared to David his father. Provision had been made for this at the place David had chosen, the threshing-floor of Ornan the Y'vusi.

These are the foundations Shlomo laid for building the house of God: the length in old-standard cubits was sixty cubits [105 feet] and the width twenty cubits [thirty-five feet].

Huram made the ash pots, shovels and sprinkling basins. With that, Huram completed the work he had been doing for King Shlomo in the house of God -

the ash pots, the shovels, the forks and all the other equipment for it. All these articles that Huram the master craftsman made for King Shlomo in the house of ADONAI were of brilliant bronze.

Shlomo made all the objects that were inside the house of God: the gold altar; the table on which the showbread was displayed;

Thus all the work that Shlomo did for the house of ADONAI was finished. Then Shlomo brought in the gifts which David his father had consecrated - the silver, the gold and all the utensils - and put them in the treasuries of the house of God.

Shlomo assembled all the leaders of Isra'el and all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the paternal clans of the people of Isra'el, to Yerushalayim, to bring the ark for the covenant of ADONAI out of the City of David, also known as Tziyon.

The cohanim brought the ark for the covenant of ADONAI in to its place inside the sanctuary of the house, to the Especially Holy Place, under the wings of the k'ruvim.

There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets Moshe put there at Horev, when ADONAI made the covenant with the people of Isra'el at the time of their leaving Egypt.