Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
How Good and Pleasant Is Unity
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For (A)brothers to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the good (B)oil upon the head,
Coming down upon the beard,
Aaron’s beard,
Coming down upon the (C)edge of his robes.
3 It is like the (D)dew of (E)Hermon
Coming down upon the (F)mountains of Zion;
For there, Yahweh (G)commanded the blessing—(H)life forever.
8 Then Israel (A)saw Joseph’s sons and said, “Who are these?” 9 And Joseph said to his father, “(B)They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, that (C)I may bless them.” 10 Now (D)the eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see. Then [a]Joseph brought them close to him, and he (E)kissed them and embraced them. 11 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I never [b]expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your seed as well.” 12 Then Joseph [c]took them from his knees and (F)bowed with his face to the ground. 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, [d]crossing his hands, [e]although (G)Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 And he blessed Joseph and said,
“(H)May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
(I)The God who has been my shepherd [f]throughout my life to this day,
16 (J)The angel who has redeemed me from all evil,
(K)Bless these boys;
And may my name [g]live on in them,
And the [h]names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And (L)may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
17 But Joseph saw that his father (M)set his right hand on Ephraim’s head, and it was displeasing in his sight; so he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.” 19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people, and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and (N)his seed shall become the fullness of nations.” 20 (O)And he blessed them that day, saying,
“By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying,
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’”
Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but (P)God will be with you and (Q)will bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 And I give you one [i]portion more than your brothers, (R)which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”
23 By faith (A)Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the (B)king’s edict. 24 By faith Moses, (C)when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to (D)be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 (E)regarding the reproach of [a]Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the (F)reward. 27 By faith he (G)left Egypt, not (H)fearing the rage of the king; for he endured, as (I)seeing Him who is unseen. 28 By faith he [b](J)kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that (K)he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. 29 By faith they (L)passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land, and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were [c]drowned.
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