Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

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

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

¹¹ God said to Solomon, “You have not asked for wealth or riches or honor, or for the death of your enemies, or for a long life. But since you have asked for wisdom and knowledge to lead my people, over whom I have made you king, ¹² 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 or any who will live after you.”

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

³² “No one knows when that day or time will be, not the angels in heaven, not even the Son. Only the Father knows. ³³ Be careful! Always be ready,^[a] because 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, giving each one a special job to do. The man tells the servant guarding the door always to be watchful. ³⁵ So always be ready, because you don’t know when the owner of the house will come back. It might be in the evening, or at midnight, or in the morning while it is still dark, or when the sun rises. ³⁶ Always be ready. Otherwise he might come back suddenly and find you sleeping. ³⁷ I tell you this, and I say this to everyone: ‘Be ready!’”