Book of Common Prayer

God the Judge

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A psalm of Asaph. A song.

The God Who Always Wins

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.

The Lord the Shepherd

A psalm of David.

A Song of Trust in God

Of David.

¹⁶ When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the servant in charge of his house, “Bring those men into my house. Kill an animal and prepare a meal. Those men will eat with me today at noon.” ¹⁷ The servant did as Joseph told him and brought the men to Joseph’s house.

¹⁸ The brothers were afraid when they were brought to Joseph’s house and thought, “We were brought here because of the money that was put in our sacks on the first trip. He wants to attack us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys.” ¹⁹ So the brothers went to the servant in charge of Joseph’s house and spoke to him at the door of the house. ²⁰ They said, “Master, we came here once before to buy food. ²¹ While we were going home, we stopped for the night and when we opened our sacks each of us found all his money in his sack. We brought that money with us to give it back to you. ²² And we have brought more money to pay for the food we want to buy this time. We don’t know who put that money in our sacks.”

²³ But the servant answered, “It’s all right. Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, must have put the money in your sacks. I got the money you paid me for the grain last time.” Then the servant brought Simeon out to them.

²⁴ The servant led the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet. Then he gave their donkeys food to eat. ²⁵ The men prepared their gift to give to Joseph when he arrived at noon, because they had heard they were going to eat with him there.

²⁶ When Joseph came home, the brothers gave him the gift they had brought into the house and bowed down to the ground in front of him. ²⁷ Joseph asked them how they were doing. He said, “How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still alive?”

²⁸ The brothers answered, “Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive.” And they bowed low before Joseph to show him respect.

²⁹ When Joseph saw his brother Benjamin, who had the same mother as he, Joseph asked, “Is this your youngest brother you told me about?” Then he said to Benjamin, “God be good to you, my son!” ³⁰ Then Joseph hurried off because he had to hold back the tears when he saw his brother Benjamin. So Joseph went into his room and cried there. ³¹ Then he washed his face and came out. He controlled himself and said, “Serve the meal.”

³² So they served Joseph at one table, his brothers at another table, and the Egyptians who ate with him at another table. This was because Egyptians did not like Hebrews and never ate with them. ³³ Joseph’s brothers were seated in front of him in order of their ages, from oldest to youngest. They looked at each other because they were so amazed. ³⁴ Food from Joseph’s table was taken to them, but Benjamin was given five times more food than the others. Joseph’s brothers ate and drank freely with him.

¹⁰ Now I give this command for the married people. (The command is not from me; it is from the Lord.) A wife should not leave her husband. ¹¹ But if she does leave, she must not marry again, or she should make up with her husband. Also the husband should not divorce his wife.

¹² For all the others I say this (I am saying this, not the Lord): If a Christian man has a wife who is not a believer, and she is happy to live with him, he must not divorce her. ¹³ And if a Christian woman has a husband who is not a believer, and he is happy to live with her, she must not divorce him. ¹⁴ The husband who is not a believer is made holy through his believing wife. And the wife who is not a believer is made holy through her believing husband. If this were not true, your children would not be clean, but now your children are holy.

¹⁵ But if those who are not believers decide to leave, let them leave. When this happens, the Christian man or woman is free. But God called us^[a] to live in peace. ¹⁶ Wife, you don’t know; maybe you will save your husband. And husband, you don’t know; maybe you will save your wife.

Live as God Called You

¹⁷ But in any case each one of you should continue to live the way God has given you to live—the way you were when God called you. This is a rule I make in all the churches. ¹⁸ If a man was already circumcised when he was called, he should not undo his circumcision. If a man was without circumcision when he was called, he should not be circumcised. ¹⁹ It is not important if a man is circumcised or not. The important thing is obeying God’s commands. ²⁰ Each one of you should stay the way you were when God called you. ²¹ If you were a slave when God called you, do not let that bother you. But if you can be free, then make good use of your freedom. ²² Those who were slaves when the Lord called them are free persons who belong to the Lord. In the same way, those who were free when they were called are now Christ’s slaves. ²³ You all were bought at a great price, so do not become slaves of people. ²⁴ Brothers and sisters, each of you should stay as you were when you were called, and stay there with God.

A Man with Demons Inside Him

5 Jesus and his followers went to the other side of the lake to the area of the Gerasene^[a] people. ² When Jesus got out of the boat, instantly a man with an evil spirit came to him from the burial caves. ³ This man lived in the caves, and no one could tie him up, not even with a chain. ⁴ Many times people had used chains to tie the man’s hands and feet, but he always broke them off. No one was strong enough to control him. ⁵ Day and night he would wander around the burial caves and on the hills, screaming and cutting himself with stones. ⁶ While Jesus was still far away, the man saw him, ran to him, and fell down before him.

⁷ The man shouted in a loud voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I command you in God’s name not to torture me!” ⁸ He said this because Jesus was saying to him, “You evil spirit, come out of the man.”

⁹ Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

He answered, “My name is Legion,^[b] because we are many spirits.” ¹⁰ He begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of that area.

¹¹ A large herd of pigs was feeding on a hill near there. ¹² The demons begged Jesus, “Send us into the pigs; let us go into them.” ¹³ So Jesus allowed them to do this. The evil spirits left the man and went into the pigs. Then the herd of pigs—about two thousand of them—rushed down the hill into the lake and were drowned.

¹⁴ The herdsmen ran away and went to the town and to the countryside, telling everyone about this. So people went out to see what had happened. ¹⁵ They came to Jesus and saw the man who used to have the many evil spirits, sitting, clothed, and in his right mind. And they were frightened. ¹⁶ The people who saw this told the others what had happened to the man who had the demons living in him, and they told about the pigs. ¹⁷ Then the people began to beg Jesus to leave their area.

¹⁸ As Jesus was getting back into the boat, the man who was freed from the demons begged to go with him.

¹⁹ But Jesus would not let him. He said, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.” ²⁰ So the man left and began to tell the people in the Ten Towns^[c] about what Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.