13. I will live among the Israelites and will never abandon my people Israel.”
14. So Solomon finished building the Temple.
15. The entire inside, from floor to ceiling, was paneled with wood. He paneled the walls and ceilings with cedar, and he used planks of cypress for the floors.
16. He partitioned off an inner sanctuary—the Most Holy Place—at the far end of the Temple. It was 30 feet deep and was paneled with cedar from floor to ceiling.
17. The main room of the Temple, outside the Most Holy Place, was 60 feet long.
18. Cedar paneling completely covered the stone walls throughout the Temple, and the paneling was decorated with carvings of gourds and open flowers.
19. He prepared the inner sanctuary at the far end of the Temple, where the Ark of the lord’s Covenant would be placed.
20. This inner sanctuary was 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. He overlaid the inside with solid gold. He also overlaid the altar made of cedar.
21. Then Solomon overlaid the rest of the Temple’s interior with solid gold, and he made gold chains to protect the entrance to the Most Holy Place.
22. So he finished overlaying the entire Temple with gold, including the altar that belonged to the Most Holy Place.
23. He made two cherubim of wild olive wood, each 15 feet tall, and placed them in the inner sanctuary.
24. The wingspan of each of the cherubim was 15 feet, each wing being 71/2 feet long.
25. The two cherubim were identical in shape and size;
26. each was 15 feet tall.
27. He placed them side by side in the inner sanctuary of the Temple. Their outspread wings reached from wall to wall, while their inner wings touched at the center of the room.
28. He overlaid the two cherubim with gold.
29. He decorated all the walls of the inner sanctuary and the main room with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers.