Solomon Asks for Wisdom^(A)

3 Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married^(B) his daughter.^(C) He brought her to the City of David^(D) until he finished building his palace^(E) and the temple of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem. ² The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places,^(F) because a temple had not yet been built for the Name^(G) of the Lord. ³ Solomon showed his love^(H) for the Lord by walking^(I) according to the instructions^(J) given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.^(K)

⁴ The king went to Gibeon^(L) to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. ⁵ At Gibeon the Lord appeared^(M) to Solomon during the night in a dream,^(N) and God said, “Ask^(O) for whatever you want me to give you.”

⁶ Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful^(P) to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son^(Q) to sit on his throne this very day.

⁷ “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child^(R) and do not know how to carry out my duties. ⁸ Your servant is here among the people you have chosen,^(S) a great people, too numerous to count or number.^{(T) 9} So give your servant a discerning^(U) heart to govern your people and to distinguish^(V) between right and wrong. For who is able^(W) to govern this great people of yours?”

¹⁰ The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. ¹¹ So God said to him, “Since you have asked^(X) for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment^(Y) in administering justice, ¹² I will do what you have asked.^(Z) I will give you a wise^(AA) and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. ¹³ Moreover, I will give you what you have not^(AB) asked for—both wealth and honor^(AC)—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal^(AD) among kings. ¹⁴ And if you walk^(AE) in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”^{(AF) 15} Then Solomon awoke^(AG)—and he realized it had been a dream.^(AH)

He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings^(AI) and fellowship offerings.^(AJ) Then he gave a feast^(AK) for all his court.

A Wise Ruling

¹⁶ Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. ¹⁷ One of them said, “Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me. ¹⁸ The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.

¹⁹ “During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him. ²⁰ So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. ²¹ The next morning, I got up to nurse my son—and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t the son I had borne.”

²² The other woman said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.”

But the first one insisted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so they argued before the king.

²³ The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’”

²⁴ Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king. ²⁵ He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”

²⁶ The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved^(AL) out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”

But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”

²⁷ Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”

²⁸ When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom^(AM) from God to administer justice.

The Servant of the Lord

Restoration of Israel

⁸ This is what the Lord says:

²² This is what the Sovereign Lord^(BX) says:

²⁵ But this is what the Lord says:

9 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come^(A) with power.”^(B)

The Transfiguration^(C)(D)

² After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John^(E) with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. ³ His clothes became dazzling white,^(F) whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. ⁴ And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

⁵ Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi,^(G) it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” ⁶ (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

⁷ Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud:^(H) “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”^(I)

⁸ Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone^(J) what they had seen until the Son of Man^(K) had risen from the dead. ¹⁰ They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.

¹¹ And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

¹² Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man^(L) must suffer much^(M) and be rejected?^{(N) 13} But I tell you, Elijah has come,^(O) and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.”

Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by an Impure Spirit^(P)

¹⁴ When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. ¹⁵ As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

¹⁶ “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.

¹⁷ A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. ¹⁸ Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”

¹⁹ “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

²⁰ So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.^(Q)

²¹ Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. ²² “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

²³ “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”^(R)

²⁴ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

²⁵ When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene,^(S) he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

²⁶ The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” ²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

²⁸ After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately,^(T) “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

²⁹ He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.^[a]”

Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time^(U)

³⁰ They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, ³¹ because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man^(V) is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him,^(W) and after three days^(X) he will rise.”^{(Y) 32} But they did not understand what he meant^(Z) and were afraid to ask him about it.

³³ They came to Capernaum.^(AA) When he was in the house,^(AB) he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” ³⁴ But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.^(AC)

³⁵ Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”^(AD)

³⁶ He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms,^(AE) he said to them, ³⁷ “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”^(AF)

Whoever Is Not Against Us Is for Us^(AG)

³⁸ “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”^(AH)

³⁹ “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, ⁴⁰ for whoever is not against us is for us.^{(AI) 41} Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.^(AJ)

Causing to Stumble

⁴² “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble,^(AK) it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.^{(AL) 43} If your hand causes you to stumble,^(AM) cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell,^(AN) where the fire never goes out.^{(AO) [44] [b] 45} And if your foot causes you to stumble,^(AP) cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.^{(AQ) [46] [c] 47} And if your eye causes you to stumble,^(AR) pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,^{(AS) 48} where

⁴⁹ Everyone will be salted^(AU) with fire.

⁵⁰ “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again?^(AV) Have salt among yourselves,^(AW) and be at peace with each other.”^(AX)