Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁷ That night God appeared to Solomon. God said, “Solomon, ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

⁸ Solomon answered, “You have been very kind to my father David. You have chosen me to be the king in his place. ⁹ Now, Lord God, may your promise to my father David come true. You have made me king of a very large nation. There are so many of them they are like the dust of the earth. ¹⁰ Now give me wisdom and knowledge so I can lead these people in the right way. No one can rule them without your help.”

¹¹ God said to Solomon, “What you want is good. I have chosen you to be king of these people. You have not asked for wealth or riches or honor. You have not asked for your enemies to be killed. You have not asked for a long life. But you have asked for wisdom and knowledge to lead my people. ¹² So I will give you wisdom and knowledge. I will also give you more wealth, riches and honor than any king who has lived before you. And the kings who will live after you will not have as much.”

¹³ Then Solomon left the place of worship at Gibeon. He left the Meeting Tent and went back to Jerusalem. There King Solomon ruled over Israel.

³² “No one knows when that day or time will be. The Son and the angels in heaven don’t know. Only the Father knows. ³³ Be careful! Always be ready!^[a] You don’t know when that time will be. ³⁴ It is like a man who goes on a trip. He leaves his house and lets his servants take care of it. He gives each servant a special job to do. One servant has the work of guarding the door. The man tells this servant always to be watchful. This is what I am now telling you. ³⁵ You must always be ready. You don’t know when the owner of the house will come back. He might come in the evening, or at midnight, or in the early morning, or when the sun rises. ³⁶ He might come back quickly. If you are always ready, then he will not find you sleeping. ³⁷ I tell you this, and I say this to everyone: ‘Be ready!’”