Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man^(A)

9 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town.^{(B) 2} Some men brought to him a paralyzed man,^(C) lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith,^(D) he said to the man, “Take heart,^(E) son; your sins are forgiven.”^(F)

³ At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”^(G)

⁴ Knowing their thoughts,^(H) Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? ⁵ Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ⁶ But I want you to know that the Son of Man^(I) has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” ⁷ Then the man got up and went home. ⁸ When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God,^(J) who had given such authority to man.

The Calling of Matthew^(K)

⁹ As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,”^(L) he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

¹⁰ While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”^(M)

¹² On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³ But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’^[a](N) For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”^(O)

13 ¹ Now in the church at Antioch^(A) there were prophets^(B) and teachers:^(C) Barnabas,^(D) Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene,^(E) Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod^(F) the tetrarch) and Saul. ² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,^(G) “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work^(H) to which I have called them.”^{(I) 3} So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them^(J) and sent them off.^(K)

On Cyprus

⁴ The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit,^(L) went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.^{(M) 5} When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God^(N) in the Jewish synagogues.^(O) John^(P) was with them as their helper.

⁶ They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer^(Q) and false prophet^(R) named Bar-Jesus, ⁷ who was an attendant of the proconsul,^(S) Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. ⁸ But Elymas the sorcerer^(T) (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul^(U) from the faith.^{(V) 9} Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit,^(W) looked straight at Elymas and said, ¹⁰ “You are a child of the devil^(X) and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?^{(Y) 11} Now the hand of the Lord is against you.^(Z) You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.”^(AA)

Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. ¹² When the proconsul^(AB) saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

In Pisidian Antioch

¹³ From Paphos,^(AC) Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia,^(AD) where John^(AE) left them to return to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch.^(AF) On the Sabbath^(AG) they entered the synagogue^(AH) and sat down. ¹⁵ After the reading from the Law^(AI) and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.”

¹⁶ Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand^(AJ) and said: “Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! ¹⁷ The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country;^{(AK) 18} for about forty years he endured their conduct^[a](AL) in the wilderness;^{(AM) 19} and he overthrew seven nations in Canaan,^(AN) giving their land to his people^(AO) as their inheritance.^{(AP) 20} All this took about 450 years.

“After this, God gave them judges^(AQ) until the time of Samuel the prophet.^{(AR) 21} Then the people asked for a king,^(AS) and he gave them Saul^(AT) son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin,^(AU) who ruled forty years. ²² After removing Saul,^(AV) he made David their king.^(AW) God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;^(AX) he will do everything I want him to do.’^(AY)

²³ “From this man’s descendants^(AZ) God has brought to Israel the Savior^(BA) Jesus,^(BB) as he promised.^{(BC) 24} Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel.^{(BD) 25} As John was completing his work,^(BE) he said: ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for.^(BF) But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’^(BG)

Psalm 21^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Jacob Goes to Egypt

46 So Israel^(A) set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba,^(B) he offered sacrifices^(C) to the God of his father Isaac.^(D)

² And God spoke to Israel^(E) in a vision at night^(F) and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”

“Here I am,”^(G) he replied.

³ “I am God, the God of your father,”^(H) he said. “Do not be afraid^(I) to go down to Egypt,^(J) for I will make you into a great nation^(K) there.^{(L) 4} I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again.^(M) And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.^(N)”

⁵ Then Jacob left Beersheba,^(O) and Israel’s^(P) sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts^(Q) that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. ⁶ So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt,^(R) taking with them their livestock and the possessions^(S) they had acquired^(T) in Canaan. ⁷ Jacob brought with him to Egypt^(U) his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring.^(V)

⁸ These are the names of the sons of Israel^(W) (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt:

¹⁵ These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram,^[c](AU) besides his daughter Dinah.^(AV) These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all.

¹⁸ These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah,^(AZ) whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah^(BA)—sixteen in all.

²² These were the sons of Rachel^(BJ) who were born to Jacob—fourteen in all.

²⁵ These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah,^(BN) whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel^(BO)—seven in all.

²⁶ All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons’ wives—numbered sixty-six persons.^{(BP) 27} With the two sons^[f] who had been born to Joseph in Egypt,^(BQ) the members of Jacob’s family, which went to Egypt, were seventy^[g] in all.^(BR)

²⁸ Now Jacob sent Judah^(BS) ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen.^(BT) When they arrived in the region of Goshen, ²⁹ Joseph had his chariot^(BU) made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel.^(BV) As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father^[h] and wept^(BW) for a long time.^(BX)

³⁰ Israel^(BY) said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”^(BZ)

³¹ Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan,^(CA) have come to me.^{(CB) 32} The men are shepherds;^(CC) they tend livestock,^(CD) and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.’^{(CE) 33} When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’^{(CF) 34} you should answer, ‘Your servants^(CG) have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’^(CH) Then you will be allowed to settle^(CI) in the region of Goshen,^(CJ) for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.^(CK)”

47 Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan^(CL) and are now in Goshen.”^{(CM) 2} He chose five of his brothers and presented them^(CN) before Pharaoh.

³ Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?”^(CO)

“Your servants^(CP) are shepherds,^(CQ)” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” ⁴ They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while,^(CR) because the famine is severe in Canaan^(CS) and your servants’ flocks have no pasture.^(CT) So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.”^(CU)

⁵ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, ⁶ and the land of Egypt is before you; settle^(CV) your father and your brothers in the best part of the land.^(CW) Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability,^(CX) put them in charge of my own livestock.^(CY)”

⁷ Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him^(CZ) before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed^[i] Pharaoh,^{(DA) 8} Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?”

⁹ And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty.^(DB) My years have been few and difficult,^(DC) and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.^(DD)” ¹⁰ Then Jacob blessed^[j] Pharaoh^(DE) and went out from his presence.

¹¹ So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land,^(DF) the district of Rameses,^(DG) as Pharaoh directed. ¹² Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their children.^(DH)

Joseph and the Famine

¹³ There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine.^{(DI) 14} Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying,^(DJ) and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace.^{(DK) 15} When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone,^(DL) all Egypt came to Joseph^(DM) and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes?^(DN) Our money is all gone.”

¹⁶ “Then bring your livestock,^(DO)” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.^(DP)” ¹⁷ So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses,^(DQ) their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys.^(DR) And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock.

¹⁸ When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone^(DS) and our livestock belongs to you,^(DT) there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. ¹⁹ Why should we perish before your eyes^(DU)—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food,^(DV) and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh.^(DW) Give us seed so that we may live and not die,^(DX) and that the land may not become desolate.”

²⁰ So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe^(DY) for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, ²¹ and Joseph reduced the people to servitude,^[k](DZ) from one end of Egypt to the other. ²² However, he did not buy the land of the priests,^(EA) because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment^(EB) Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.

²³ Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed^(EC) for you so you can plant the ground.^{(ED) 24} But when the crop comes in, give a fifth^(EE) of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children.”

²⁵ “You have saved our lives,” they said. “May we find favor in the eyes of our lord;^(EF) we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”^(EG)

²⁶ So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt—still in force today—that a fifth^(EH) of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh’s.^(EI)

²⁷ Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen.^(EJ) They acquired property there^(EK) and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.^(EL)

²⁸ Jacob lived in Egypt^(EM) seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven.^{(EN) 29} When the time drew near for Israel^(EO) to die,^(EP) he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes,^(EQ) put your hand under my thigh^(ER) and promise that you will show me kindness^(ES) and faithfulness.^(ET) Do not bury me in Egypt, ³⁰ but when I rest with my fathers,^(EU) carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”^(EV)

“I will do as you say,” he said.

³¹ “Swear to me,”^(EW) he said. Then Joseph swore to him,^(EX) and Israel^(EY) worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.^[l](EZ)