Psalm 61

Assurance of God’s Protection

To the leader: with stringed instruments. Of David.

Psalm 62

Song of Trust in God Alone

To the leader: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt

42 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you keep looking at one another?^{(A) 2} I have heard,” he said, “that there is grain in Egypt; go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.”^{(B) 3} So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. ⁴ But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he feared that harm might come to him.^{(C) 5} Thus the sons of Israel were among the people who came to buy grain, for the famine had reached the land of Canaan.^(D)

⁶ Now Joseph was governor over the land; it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground.^{(E) 7} When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”^{(F) 8} Although Joseph had recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. ⁹ Joseph also remembered the dreams that he had dreamed about them. He said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land!”^{(G) 10} They said to him, “No, my lord; your servants have come to buy food. ¹¹ We are all sons of one man; we are honest men; your servants have never been spies.” ¹² But he said to them, “No, you have come to see the nakedness of the land!” ¹³ They said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of a certain man in the land of Canaan; the youngest, however, is now with our father, and one is no more.”^{(H) 14} But Joseph said to them, “It is just as I have said to you; you are spies! ¹⁵ Here is how you shall be tested: as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here! ¹⁶ Let one of you go and bring your brother, while the rest of you remain in prison, in order that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you, or else, as Pharaoh lives, surely you are spies.” ¹⁷ And he put them all together in prison for three days.

¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot, who handed him over.

Jesus and Beelzebul

²⁰ Then he went home, and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat.^{(A) 21} When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.”^{(B) 22} And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.”^{(C) 23} And he called them to him and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?^{(D) 24} If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵ And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. ²⁶ And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. ²⁷ But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.^(E)

²⁸ “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter,^{(F) 29} but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness but is guilty of an eternal sin”— ³⁰ for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

The True Kindred of Jesus

³¹ Then his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him.^{(G) 32} A crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers^[a] are outside asking for you.” ³³ And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” ³⁴ And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ³⁵ Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot, who handed him over.

Jesus and Beelzebul

²⁰ Then he went home, and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat.^{(A) 21} When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.”^{(B) 22} And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.”^{(C) 23} And he called them to him and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?^{(D) 24} If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵ And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. ²⁶ And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. ²⁷ But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.^(E)

²⁸ “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter,^{(F) 29} but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness but is guilty of an eternal sin”— ³⁰ for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

The True Kindred of Jesus

³¹ Then his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him.^{(G) 32} A crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers^[a] are outside asking for you.” ³³ And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” ³⁴ And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ³⁵ Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”