13^e You shall not keep two differing weights in your bag, one heavy and the other light; 14nor shall you keep two different ephahs^* in your house, one large and the other small. 15But use a full and just weight, a full and just ephah, so that you may have a long life on the land the LORD, your God, is giving you. 16For everyone who does these things, everyone who does what is dishonest, is an abomination to the LORD, your God.^f

17^{* g} Bear in mind what Amalek did to you on the journey after you left Egypt, 18how he surprised you along the way, weak and weary as you were, and struck down at the rear all those who lagged behind; he did not fear God. 19Therefore, when the LORD, your God, gives you rest from all your enemies round about in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you to possess as a heritage, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under the heavens. Do not forget!

4The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, because that was the great high place. Upon its altar Solomon sacrificed a thousand burnt offerings. 5In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said: Whatever you ask I shall give you. 6Solomon answered: “You have shown great kindness to your servant, David my father, because he walked before you with fidelity, justice, and an upright heart; and you have continued this great kindness toward him today, giving him a son to sit upon his throne. 7Now, LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed David my father; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act— 8I, your servant, among the people you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted. 9Give your servant, therefore, a listening heart to judge your people and to distinguish between good and evil. For who is able to give judgment for this vast people of yours?”

10The Lord was pleased by Solomon’s request. 11So God said to him: Because you asked for this—you did not ask for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies—but you asked for discernment to know what is right— 12I now do as you request. I give you a heart so wise and discerning that there has never been anyone like you until now, nor after you will there be anyone to equal you. 13^b In addition, I give you what you have not asked for: I give you such riches and glory that among kings there will be no one like you all your days. 14And if you walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and commandments, as David your father did, I will give you a long life. 15Solomon awoke; it was a dream! He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, sacrificed burnt offerings and communion offerings, and gave a feast for all his servants.

Trial of Persecution.^* 12Beloved, do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as if something strange were happening to you.^g 13But rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly.^h 14If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.ⁱ 15But let no one among you be made to suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as an intriguer. 16But whoever is made to suffer as a Christian should not be ashamed but glorify God because of the name. 17For it is time for the judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, how will it end for those who fail to obey the gospel of God?^j

18“And if the righteous one is barely saved,

where will the godless and the sinner appear?”^k

19As a result, those who suffer in accord with God’s will hand their souls over to a faithful creator as they do good.

The Man Born Blind. 1^* As he passed by he saw a man blind from birth.^a 2^* His disciples asked him,^b “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.^c 4We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work.^d 5While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”^e 6When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes,^f 7and said to him, “Go wash^* in the Pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed, and came back able to see.^g

8His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, “Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?” 9Some said, “It is,” but others said, “No, he just looks like him.” He said, “I am.” 10So they said to him, “[So] how were your eyes opened?” 11He replied, “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went there and washed and was able to see.” 12And they said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I don’t know.”

13They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees. 14Now Jesus had made clay^* and opened his eyes on a sabbath.^h 15So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.” 16So some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the sabbath.” [But] others said, “How can a sinful man do such signs?” And there was a division among them.ⁱ 17So they said to the blind man again, “What do you have to say about him, since he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”^j

18Now the Jews did not believe that he had been blind and gained his sight until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight. 19They asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How does he now see?” 20His parents answered and said, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21We do not know how he sees now, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is of age; he can speak for himself.” 22^{* k} His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone acknowledged him as the Messiah, he would be expelled from the synagogue. 23For this reason his parents said, “He is of age; question him.”^l

24So a second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give God the praise!^* We know that this man is a sinner.”^m 25He replied, “If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see.” 26So they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27He answered them, “I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” 28They ridiculed him and said, “You are that man’s disciple; we are disciples of Moses! 29We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this one is from.”ⁿ 30The man answered and said to them, “This is what is so amazing, that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes. 31We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him.^o 32^* It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything.”^p 34They answered and said to him, “You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out.

35When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36He answered and said, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37Jesus said to him, “You have seen him and the one speaking with you is he.”^q 38He said, “I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him. 39^* Then Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind.”^r

40Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?”^s 41Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.^t