Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Praise for the Lord’s Mercies.

A Psalm of David.

⁵³ When the seven years of plenty which had been in the land of Egypt came to an end, ⁵⁴ and ^(A)the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said, then there was famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. ⁵⁵ So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; ^(B)whatever he says to you, you shall do.” ⁵⁶ When the famine was spread over all the face of the earth, then Joseph opened all ^[a]the storehouses, and sold to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. ⁵⁷ The people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because ^(C)the famine was severe in all the earth.

Joseph’s Brothers Sent to Egypt

42 Now ^(D)Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” ² He said, “Behold, ^(E)I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us ^[b]from that place, ^(F)so that we may live and not die.” ³ Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt. ⁴ But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother ^(G)Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “^(H)I am afraid that harm may befall him.” ⁵ So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, ^(I)for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.

⁶ Now ^(J)Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and ^(K)bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. ⁷ When Joseph saw his brothers he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and ^(L)spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, “Where have you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”

⁸ But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although ^(M)they did not recognize him. ⁹ Joseph ^(N)remembered the dreams which he ^[c]had about them, and said to them, “You are spies; you have come to look at the ^[d]undefended parts of our land.” ¹⁰ Then they said to him, “No, ^(O)my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. ¹¹ We are all sons of one man; we are ^(P)honest men, your servants are not spies.” ¹² Yet he said to them, “No, but you have come to look at the ^[e]undefended parts of our land!” ¹³ But they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with ^(Q)our father today, and ^(R)one is no longer alive.” ¹⁴ Joseph said to them, “It is as I said ^[f]to you, you are spies; ¹⁵ by this you will be tested: ^(S)by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here! ¹⁶ Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is ^(T)truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.” ¹⁷ So he put them all together in ^(U)prison for three days.

⁹ “The patriarchs ^(A)became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him, ¹⁰ and rescued him from all his afflictions, and ^(B)granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he made him governor over Egypt and all his household.

¹¹ “Now ^(C)a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers ^[a]could find no food. ¹² But ^(D)when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time. ¹³ On the second visit ^(E)Joseph ^[b]made himself known to his brothers, and ^(F)Joseph’s family was disclosed to Pharaoh. ¹⁴ Then ^(G)Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, ^(H)seventy-five ^[c](I)persons in all. ¹⁵ And ^(J)Jacob went down to Egypt and there he and our fathers died. ¹⁶ From there they were removed to ^[d](K)Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of ^[e]Hamor in ^[f]Shechem.