²⁴ The leaders called the man back and said, “Swear by God to tell the truth! We know that Jesus is a sinner.”

²⁵ The man replied, “I don't know if he is a sinner or not. All I know is that I used to be blind, but now I can see!”

²⁶ “What did he do to you?” they asked. “How did he heal your eyes?”

²⁷ The man answered, “I have already told you once, and you refused to listen. Why do you want me to tell you again? Do you also want to become his disciples?”

²⁸ The leaders insulted the man and said, “You are his follower! We are followers of Moses. ²⁹ We are sure God spoke to Moses, but we don't even know where Jesus comes from.”

³⁰ “How strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don't know where he comes from. ³¹ We know that God listens only to people who love and obey him. God doesn't listen to sinners. ³² And this is the first time in history anyone has ever given sight to someone born blind. ³³ Jesus could not do anything unless he came from God.”

³⁴ The leaders told the man, “You have been a sinner since the day you were born! Do you think you can teach us anything?” Then they said, “You can never come back into any of our synagogues!”

³⁵ When Jesus heard what had happened, he went and found the man. Then Jesus asked, “Do you have faith in the Son of Man?”

³⁶ He replied, “Sir, if you will tell me who he is, I will put my faith in him.”

³⁷ “You have already seen him,” Jesus answered, “and right now he is talking with you.”

³⁸ The man said, “Lord, I put my faith in you!” Then he worshiped Jesus.

³⁹ Jesus told him, “I came to judge the people of this world. I am here to give sight to the blind and to make blind everyone who can see.”

⁴⁰ When the Pharisees heard Jesus say this, they asked, “Are we blind?”

⁴¹ Jesus answered, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty. But now that you claim to see, you will keep on being guilty.”

Solomon Dedicates the Temple

(1 Kings 8.62-66)

7 ^(A) As soon as Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and burned up the offerings. The Lord's dazzling glory then filled the temple, ² and the priests could not go in.

^3 (B) When the crowd of people saw the fire and the Lord's glory, they knelt down and worshiped the Lord. They prayed:

^4-5 Solomon and the people dedicated the temple to the Lord by sacrificing 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep. ⁶ Everybody stood up during the ceremony. The priests were in their assigned places, blowing their trumpets. And the Levites faced them, playing the musical instruments that David had made for them to use when they praised the Lord for his never-ending love.

⁷ On that same day, Solomon dedicated the courtyard in front of the temple and got it ready to be used for worship. The bronze altar he had made was too small, so he used the courtyard to offer sacrifices to please the Lord^[a] and grain sacrifices, and also to send up in smoke the fat from the other offerings.

⁸ For 7 days, Solomon and the crowd celebrated the Festival of Shelters, and people came from as far away as the Egyptian Gorge in the south and Lebo-Hamath in the north. ⁹ Then on the next day, everyone came together for worship. They had celebrated a total of 14 days, 7 days for the dedication of the altar and 7 more days for the festival. ¹⁰ Then on the twenty-third day of the seventh month,^[b] Solomon sent everyone home. They left very happy because of all the good things the Lord had done for David and Solomon, and for his people Israel.

The Lord Appears to Solomon Again

(1 Kings 9.1-9)

¹¹ The Lord's temple and Solomon's palace were now finished. In fact, everything Solomon had planned to do was completed.

¹² Some time later, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said:

I heard your prayer, and I have chosen this temple as the place where sacrifices will be offered to me.

¹³ Suppose I hold back the rain or send locusts^[c] to eat the crops or make my people suffer with deadly diseases. ¹⁴ If my own people will humbly pray and turn back to me and stop sinning, then I will answer them from heaven. I will forgive them and make their land fertile once again. ¹⁵ I will hear the prayers made in this temple, ¹⁶ because it belongs to me, and this is where I will be worshiped forever. I will never stop watching over it.

¹⁷ Your father David obeyed me, and now, Solomon, you must do the same. Obey my laws and teachings, ^18 (C) and I will keep my solemn promise to him that someone from your family will always be king of Israel.

¹⁹ But if you or any of the people of Israel disobey my laws or start worshiping foreign gods, ²⁰ I will pull you out of this land I gave you. I will desert this temple where I said I would be worshiped, so that people everywhere will think it is only a joke and will make fun of it. ²¹ This temple is now magnificent. But when these things happen, everyone who walks by it will be shocked and will ask, “Why did the Lord do such a terrible thing to his people and to this temple?” ²² Then they will answer, “It was because the people of Israel rejected the Lord their God, who rescued their ancestors from Egypt, and they started worshiping other gods.”

The Day of Judgment

The Lord said:

4 The day of judgment is certain to come. And it will be like a red-hot furnace with flames that burn up proud and sinful people, as though they were straw. Not a branch or a root will be left. I, the Lord All-Powerful, have spoken! ² But for you that honor my name, victory will shine like the sun with healing in its rays, and you will jump around like calves at play. ³ When I come to bring justice, you will trample those who are evil, as though they were ashes under your feet. I, the Lord All-Powerful, have spoken!

⁴ Don't ever forget the laws and teachings I gave my servant Moses on Mount Sinai.^[a]

^5 (A) I, the Lord, promise to send the prophet Elijah before that great and terrible day comes. ⁶ He will lead children and parents to love each other more, so that when I come, I won't bring destruction to the land.