Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Praise for Jehovah’s mercies.

A Psalm of David.

⁵³ And the seven years of plenty, that was in the land of Egypt, came to an end. ⁵⁴ And the seven years of famine began to come, according as Joseph had said: and there was famine in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. ⁵⁵ And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. ⁵⁶ And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the store-houses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine was sore in the land of Egypt. ⁵⁷ And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was sore in all the earth.

42 Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? ² And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. ³ And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy grain from Egypt. ⁴ But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure harm befall him. ⁵ And the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan. ⁶ And Joseph was the governor over the land; he it was that sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves to him with their faces to the earth. ⁷ And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly with them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. ⁸ And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. ⁹ And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. ¹⁰ And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. ¹¹ We are all one man’s sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies. ¹² And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. ¹³ And they said, We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not. ¹⁴ And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies: ¹⁵ hereby ye shall be proved: by the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. ¹⁶ Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be bound, that your words may be proved, whether there be truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies. ¹⁷ And he put them all together into ward three days.

⁹ And the patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt: and God was with him, ¹⁰ and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. ¹¹ Now there came a famine over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. ¹² But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent forth our fathers the first time. ¹³ And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph’s race became manifest unto Pharaoh. ¹⁴ And Joseph sent, and called to him Jacob his father, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. ¹⁵ And Jacob went down into Egypt; and he died, himself and our fathers; ¹⁶ and they were carried over unto Shechem, and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver of the sons of ^[a]Hamor in Shechem.