Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
A Davidic Song of Ascents
The Significance of Unity
133 Look how good and how pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!
2 It is like precious oil on the head,
descending to the beard—
even to Aaron’s beard—
and flowing down to the edge of his robes.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon
falling on Zion’s mountains.
For there the Lord commanded his blessing—
life everlasting.
Joseph Seeks Blessings for His Sons
8 Just then, Israel saw Joseph’s sons and asked, “Who are these?”
9 “These are my sons,” Joseph replied.[a] “God gave them to me here in Egypt.”[b]
“Please bring them close to me,” Jacob[c] said, “so I can bless them.”
10 Now Israel’s eyesight had become poor[d] from age. Because he couldn’t see well, Joseph brought them close to him, and Israel[e] kissed them both and embraced them. 11 Then he told Joseph, “I never thought I’d see you again, and now God has allowed me to see your children as well!”
12 Joseph took them off his knees and then bowed low with his face to the ground. 13 Then he brought them both close to his father,[f] placing Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right. 14 But Israel stretched out his right hand, laying it on Ephraim’s head (he was the younger son) and laying his left hand on Manasseh’s head (even though Manasseh was the firstborn).
Israel Blesses Joseph’s Sons
15 Then Israel blessed Joseph by saying:
“May the God in whose presence
my ancestors Abraham and Isaac walked,
the God who has continued shepherding me
my whole life even until today,
16 the angel who has been rescuing[g] me
from all sorts of evil,
bless these young men.
May my name continue to live on within them,
including the names
of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac,
and may they grow into a vast multitude
throughout the earth.”
17 But Joseph observed that his father had laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head. That displeased him, so he grabbed his father’s hand and started to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 “No, father, this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.”
19 But his father refused. “I know,” he said. “I know. He’s going to produce a large nation, and he’s going to be very great. However, his younger brother will become even greater than he, and his descendants will become a multitude of nations.”
20 That very day, Jacob[h] blessed them with this blessing:[i]
“By you Israel will extend this blessing:
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’”
By doing this, he placed Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Then Israel told Joseph, “Pay attention! I’m about to die, but God will be with you. He’ll bring you back to the land that belongs to your ancestors. 22 I’m assigning you one portion more than your brothers from the land that I confiscated from the control[j] of the Amorites in battle.”[k]
23 By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after he was born, because they saw that he was a beautiful child and were not afraid of the king’s order.
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called a son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 because he preferred being mistreated with God’s people to enjoying the pleasures of sin for a short time. 26 He thought that being insulted for the sake of the Messiah[a] was of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.
27 By faith he left Egypt, without being afraid of the king’s anger, and he persevered because he saw the one who is invisible.
28 By faith he established the Passover and the sprinkling of blood to keep the destroyer of the firstborn from touching the people.[b]
29 By faith they went through the Red Sea as if it were dry land. When the Egyptians tried to do this, they were drowned.
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