Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 133
Living in Harmony
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 How delightfully good
when brothers live together in harmony!(A)
2 It is like fine oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down Aaron’s beard
onto his robes.(B)
3 It is like the dew of Hermon[a]
falling on the mountains of Zion.(C)
For there the Lord has appointed the blessing—
life forevermore.(D)
Jacob’s Burial Instructions
29 Then he commanded them, “I am about to be gathered to my people.(A) Bury me with my ancestors(B) in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hethite.(C) 30 The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hethite as burial property.(D) 31 Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried there,(E) Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried there,(F) and I buried Leah there.(G) 32 The field and the cave in it were purchased from the Hethites.” 33 When Jacob had finished giving charges to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, took his last breath, and was gathered to his people.
Jacob’s Burial
50 Then Joseph, leaning over his father’s face, wept and kissed him. 2 He commanded his servants who were physicians to embalm his father. So they embalmed Israel. 3 They took forty days to complete this, for embalming takes that long, and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.(H)
4 When the days of mourning were over, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s household, “If I have found favor with you, please tell Pharaoh that 5 my father made me take an oath,(I) saying, ‘I am about to die. You must bury me there in the tomb that I made for myself in the land of Canaan.’(J) Now let me go and bury my father. Then I will return.”
6 So Pharaoh said, “Go and bury your father in keeping with your oath.”
7 Then Joseph went to bury his father, and all Pharaoh’s servants, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt went with him, 8 along with all Joseph’s family, his brothers, and his father’s family. Only their dependents, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen. 9 Horses and chariots went up with him; it was a very impressive procession. 10 When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wept loudly, and Joseph mourned seven days for his father. 11 When the Canaanite inhabitants of the land saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a solemn mourning on the part of the Egyptians.” Therefore the place is named Abel-mizraim.[a] It is across the Jordan.
12 So Jacob’s sons did for him what he had commanded them. 13 They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased as burial property from Ephron the Hethite.(K) 14 After Joseph buried his father, he returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father.
The Law of Love
13 Therefore, let us no longer judge one another.(A) Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in the way of your brother or sister.(B) 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself.(C) Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean.(D) 15 For if your brother or sister is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love.(E) Do not destroy, by what you eat, someone for whom Christ died.(F) 16 Therefore, do not let your good be slandered,(G) 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking,(H) but righteousness, peace, and joy(I) in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever serves Christ(J) in this way is acceptable to God and receives human approval.(K)
19 So then, let us pursue what promotes peace(L) and what builds up one another.(M) 20 Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong to make someone fall by what he eats.(N) 21 It is a good thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble.[a] 22 Whatever you believe about these things, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.(O) 23 But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats,(P) because his eating is not from faith,[b] and everything that is not from faith is sin.
Pleasing Others, Not Ourselves
15 Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength,(Q) and not to please ourselves. 2 Each one of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.(R)
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