Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
A Song of degrees of David.
1 ¶ Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that runs down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard, that goes down to the skirts of his garments;
3 as the dew of Hermon, that descends upon the mountains of Zion; for there the LORD commands blessing and eternal life.
8 ¶ And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons and said, Who are these?
9 And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.
10 Now the eyes of Israel were so dim for age that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him, and he kissed them and embraced them.
11 And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face, and, behold, God has showed me also thy seed.
12 Then Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand and brought them near unto him.
14 Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands with understanding; for Manasseh was the firstborn.
15 And he blessed Joseph and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long unto this day,
16 the Angel who frees me from all evil, bless these young men, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
17 Then Joseph seeing that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head.
18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.
19 And his father refused and said, I know it, my son, I know it; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of Gentiles.
20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh. And he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
21 And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die; but God shall be with you and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.
22 Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his parents because they saw he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.
24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,
25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season,
26 esteeming the reproach of the Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.
27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
28 By faith he kept the passover and the sprinkling of the blood lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, which the Egyptians attempted to do and were drowned.
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