Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 103

Thanksgiving for God’s Goodness

Of David.

⁵³ The seven years of plenty that prevailed in the land of Egypt came to an end, ⁵⁴ and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in every country, but throughout the land of Egypt there was bread.^{(A) 55} When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; what he says to you, do.” ⁵⁶ And since the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses^[a] and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.^{(B) 57} Moreover, all the world came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine became severe throughout the world.

Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt

42 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you keep looking at one another?^{(C) 2} I have heard,” he said, “that there is grain in Egypt; go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.”^{(D) 3} So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. ⁴ But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he feared that harm might come to him.^{(E) 5} Thus the sons of Israel were among the people who came to buy grain, for the famine had reached the land of Canaan.^(F)

⁶ Now Joseph was governor over the land; it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground.^{(G) 7} When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”^{(H) 8} Although Joseph had recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. ⁹ Joseph also remembered the dreams that he had dreamed about them. He said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land!”^{(I) 10} They said to him, “No, my lord; your servants have come to buy food. ¹¹ We are all sons of one man; we are honest men; your servants have never been spies.” ¹² But he said to them, “No, you have come to see the nakedness of the land!” ¹³ They said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of a certain man in the land of Canaan; the youngest, however, is now with our father, and one is no more.”^{(J) 14} But Joseph said to them, “It is just as I have said to you; you are spies! ¹⁵ Here is how you shall be tested: as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here! ¹⁶ Let one of you go and bring your brother, while the rest of you remain in prison, in order that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you, or else, as Pharaoh lives, surely you are spies.” ¹⁷ And he put them all together in prison for three days.

⁹ “The patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him^{(A) 10} and rescued him from all his afflictions and enabled him to win favor and to show wisdom when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and over all his household.^{(B) 11} Now there came a famine throughout Egypt and Canaan and great suffering, and our ancestors could find no food.^{(C) 12} But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there on their first visit.^{(D) 13} On the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh.^{(E) 14} Then Joseph sent and invited his father Jacob and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five in all;^{(F) 15} so Jacob went down to Egypt. He himself died there as well as our ancestors,^{(G) 16} and their bodies^[a] were brought back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.^(H)