⁴ And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, ^(A)for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. ^5 (B)At Gibeon ^(C)the Lord appeared to Solomon ^(D)in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” ⁶ And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because ^(E)he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and ^(F)have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. ⁷ And now, O Lord my God, ^(G)you have made your servant king in place of David my father, ^(H)although I am but a little child. I do not know ^(I)how to go out or come in. ^8 (J)And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, ^(K)too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. ^9 (L)Give your servant therefore an understanding mind ^(M)to govern your people, that I may ^(N)discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

¹⁰ It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. ¹¹ And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, ¹² behold, ^(O)I now do according to your word. Behold, ^(P)I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. ^13 (Q)I give you also what you have not asked, ^(R)both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. ¹⁴ And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, ^(S)as your father David walked, then ^(T)I will lengthen your days.”

¹⁵ And Solomon ^(U)awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.

Mem

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

^3 (A)Blessed be ^(B)the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing ^(C)in the heavenly places, ^4 (D)even as he ^(E)chose us in him ^(F)before the foundation of the world, that we should be ^(G)holy and blameless before him. In love ^5 (H)he predestined us^[a] for ^(I)adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, ^(J)according to the purpose of his will, ^6 (K)to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in ^(L)the Beloved. ^7 (M)In him we have ^(N)redemption ^(O)through his blood, ^(P)the forgiveness of our trespasses, ^(Q)according to the riches of his grace, ⁸ which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight ^9 (R)making known^[b] to us the mystery of his will, ^(S)according to his purpose, which he ^(T)set forth in Christ ¹⁰ as a plan for ^(U)the fullness of time, ^(V)to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

¹¹ In him we have obtained ^(W)an inheritance, ^(X)having been predestined ^(Y)according to the purpose of him who works all things according to ^(Z)the counsel of his will, ¹² so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be ^(AA)to the praise of his glory. ¹³ In him you also, when you heard ^(AB)the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, ^(AC)were sealed with the ^(AD)promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is ^(AE)the guarantee^[c] of our ^(AF)inheritance until ^(AG)we acquire ^(AH)possession of it,^{[d] (AI)}to the praise of his glory.

^40 (A)And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

The Boy Jesus in the Temple

⁴¹ Now ^(B)his parents went ^(C)to Jerusalem every year at ^(D)the Feast of the Passover. ⁴² And when he was twelve years old, ^(E)they went up according to custom. ⁴³ And when the feast ^(F)was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. ^(G)His parents did not know it, ⁴⁴ but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, ⁴⁵ and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple, ^(H)sitting among ^(I)the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ And when his parents^[a] saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, ^(J)your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” ⁴⁹ And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that ^(K)I must be in ^(L)my Father's house?”^{[b] 50} And ^(M)they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. ⁵¹ And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And ^(N)his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.

⁵² And Jesus ^(O)increased in wisdom and in stature^[c] and in ^(P)favor with God and man.