^5 (A)At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon ^(B)in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”

^6 (C)And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he ^(D)walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You ^(E)have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. ⁷ Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a ^(F)little child; I do not know how ^(G)to go out or come in. ⁸ And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You ^(H)have chosen, a great people, ^(I)too numerous to be numbered or counted. ^9 (J)Therefore give to Your servant an ^[a]understanding heart ^(K)to judge Your people, that I may ^(L)discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

¹⁰ The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. ¹¹ Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have ^(M)not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, ^12 (N)behold, I have done according to your words; ^(O)see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. ¹³ And I have also ^(P)given you what you have not asked: both ^(Q)riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. ¹⁴ So ^(R)if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, ^(S)as your father David walked, then I will ^(T)lengthen^[b] your days.”

Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

13 Now ^(A)before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that ^(B)His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He ^(C)loved them to the end.

² And ^[a]supper being ended, ^(D)the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, ³ Jesus, knowing ^(E)that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He ^(F)had come from God and ^(G)was going to God, ^4 (H)rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. ⁵ After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. ⁶ Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, ^(I)“Lord, are You washing my feet?”

⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you ^(J)do not understand now, ^(K)but you will know after this.”

⁸ Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”

Jesus answered him, ^(L)“If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

⁹ Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”

¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and ^(M)you are clean, but not all of you.” ¹¹ For ^(N)He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”

¹² So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you ^[b]know what I have done to you? ^13 (O)You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. ^14 (P)If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, ^(Q)you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ For ^(R)I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. ^16 (S)Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. ^17 (T)If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Jesus Identifies His Betrayer^(U)

¹⁸ “I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the ^(V)Scripture may be fulfilled, ^(W)‘He who eats ^[c]bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’ ^19 (X)Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He. ^20 (Y)Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

The Damascus Road: Saul Converted^(A)

9 Then ^(B)Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ² and asked ^(C)letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

^3 (D)As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. ⁴ Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, ^(E)why are you persecuting Me?”

⁵ And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”

Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ^[a]It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

⁶ So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”

Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

⁷ And ^(F)the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. ⁸ Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹ And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Ananias Baptizes Saul

¹⁰ Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus ^(G)named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.”

And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”

¹¹ So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul ^(H)of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. ¹² And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”

¹³ Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, ^(I)how much ^[b]harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all ^(J)who call on Your name.”

¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, “Go, for ^(K)he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before ^(L)Gentiles, ^(M)kings, and the ^(N)children^[c] of Israel. ¹⁶ For ^(O)I will show him how many things he must suffer for My ^(P)name’s sake.”

^17 (Q)And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and ^(R)laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord ^[d]Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and ^(S)be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸ Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.

¹⁹ So when he had received food, he was strengthened. ^(T)Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.

Saul Preaches Christ

²⁰ Immediately he preached ^[e]the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

²¹ Then all who heard were amazed, and said, ^(U)“Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”

²² But Saul increased all the more in strength, ^(V)and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.