⁵ The Lord appeared to Solomon in Gibeon in a dream at night.

God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

⁶ Solomon said, “You have shown great mercy and faithfulness^[a] to your servant, my father David, just as he walked before you in truth, righteousness, and uprightness of heart toward you. You have shown this great mercy and faithfulness to him and have given him a son who is seated on his throne to this very day. ⁷ O Lord my God, now you have made your servant king in the place of my father David, but I am a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. ⁸ And I, your servant, am among your people whom you have chosen, a great people, who cannot be counted or numbered because they are so many. ⁹ Now give to your servant a perceptive heart to judge your people, to distinguish between good and evil, for who is able to judge this great people of yours?”

¹⁰ In the eyes of the Lord, Solomon’s request was good. ¹¹ So God said to him, “Because you have asked for this, and you have not asked for a long life, nor have you asked for riches, nor have you asked for the lives of your enemies, but you have asked for discernment to reach just verdicts, ¹² therefore I will act according to your words. Yes, I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you before you, nor will anyone like you rise up after you.

The Treasure, the Pearl, and the Net

⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again. In his joy, he goes away and sells all that he has and buys that field.

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls. ⁴⁶ When he found one very valuable pearl, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

⁴⁷ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. ⁴⁸ When the net was filled, they pulled it onto the shore. They sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but threw the bad ones away. ⁴⁹ That is how it will be at the end of the world. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous who are among them. ⁵⁰ And they will throw the wicked into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” ⁵¹ Jesus said to them, “Did you understand all these things?”

They answered him, “Yes.”

⁵² He said to them, “Therefore every expert in the law who has been trained as a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure both new things and old things.”

¹⁷ Instruct those who are rich in this present age not to be arrogant or to put their hope in the uncertainty of riches, but rather in God, who richly supplies us with all things for our enjoyment. ¹⁸ Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹ In this way they are storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.^[a]

²⁰ O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, turning away from godless, empty talk and the contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge.” ²¹ By professing it, some have veered away from the faith. Grace be with you.^[b] Amen.^[c]