The Lord’s Response

¹² Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him:

I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple of sacrifice.^{(A) 13} If I shut the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the grasshopper to consume the land, or if I send pestilence on my people,^{(B) 14} and my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.^{(C) 15} My eyes will now be open and my ears attentive to prayer from this place.^{(D) 16} And I have now chosen and consecrated this temple so that my name may be there forever; my eyes and my heart will be there at all times.^(E)

¹⁷ As for you, if you walk before me as your father David walked, doing everything I have commanded you, and if you keep my statutes and ordinances, ¹⁸ I will establish your royal throne, as I promised your father David: You will never fail to have a man ruling in Israel.^(F)

The Son of Man Forgives and Heals

9 So he got into a boat, crossed over, and came to his own town.^{(A) 2} Just then^(B) some men^[a] brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Have courage, son, your sins are forgiven.”^(C)

³ At this, some of the scribes said to themselves, “He’s blaspheming!” ^(D)

⁴ Perceiving their thoughts,^(E) Jesus said, “Why are you thinking evil things in your hearts?^{[b] 5} For which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ⁶ But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then he told the paralytic, “Get up, take your stretcher, and go home.” ⁷ So he got up and went home. ⁸ When the crowds saw this, they were awestruck^[c][d] and gave glory^(F) to God, who had given such authority to men.

Healing of a Lame Man

3 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple for the time of prayer^(A) at three in the afternoon.^{[a] 2} A man who was lame from birth was being carried there. He was placed each day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so that he could beg from those entering the temple.^{(B) 3} When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked for money. ⁴ Peter, along with John, looked straight at him and said, “Look at us.” ⁵ So he turned to them, expecting to get something from them. ⁶ But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” ^{(C) 7} Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong. ⁸ So he jumped up and started to walk, and he entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.^{(D) 9} All the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. So they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him.^(E)